RDEC |

The Research and Development Executive Committee (RDEC) provides guidance and oversight of the Research Unit’s administration of the Department’s State Planning and Research (SPR) program in the following ways: providing fiscal accountability, reviewing and prioritizing research topics for development as research projects, monitoring progress of on-going studies, and tracking implementation of results from completed studies. The Research Unit supports RDEC in these efforts through presentations of ongoing and completed projects at biannual Committee meetings.

Membership is composed of high-level managers from key divisions of the Department, two District Engineering Administrators, and representatives from the Office of Materials and Research and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The makeup and organization of the Committee is shown below.

Committee Organization Chart
Mr. Leland Colvin, Deputy Secretary for Engineering, Chairman
Mr. Brent Rewis, Deputy Secretary for Intermodal Planning
Mr. Justin P. Powell, Deputy Secretary for Finance & Administration
Mr. Randall Young, Chief Engineer for Project Delivery
Mr. Andy Leaphart, Chief Engineer for Operations
Mr. Robbie Isgett, Director of Construction
Mr. David Cook, Director of Maintenance
Mr. John Boylston, Director of Preconstruction
Mr. Rob Perry, Director of Traffic Engineering
Ms. Machael Peterson, Director of Planning
Mr. Chad Long, Director of Environmental Services
Mr. Michael Barbee, Director of Right of Way
Mr. Doug Frate, Director of Intermodal and Freight Programs
Mr. Todd Anderson, Director of Road Data Services
Mr. Kevin Gantt, District Engineering Administrator, District No. 7
Mr. Jason Johnston, District Engineering Administrator, District No. 4
Mr. Merrill Zwanka, Materials and Research Engineer, Secretary
Mr. Jim Garling, FHWA Division Pavement and Materials Engineer

The Committee meets semiannually, in the winter and summer.