Lakeland legislator elected to DOT Board

ATLANTA – Rep. Jay Shaw, of Lakeland, was elected Wednesday to the State Transportation Board by a caucus of state representatives and senators from the 1st Congressional District. He will replace Roy Herrington, whose term ends in April.

Shaw, a Georgia native, was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1994. In 2007 Shaw participated in the General Assembly’s Joint Study Committee on Transportation Funding with Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Jeff Mullis and then House Transportation Committee Chairman Vance C. Smith, Jr. who now serves as Commissioner of the Georgia DOT. Shaw previously served as mayor of Lakeland from 1980 to 1990. He is a member of the United Methodist Church in Lakeland and has served on the boards of Lanier Health Service, a local hospital and FMB Bancshares, a local bank. He and his wife, Libby, have two children and three grandchildren.

“I have a fire in my belly for transportation,” Shaw said following his election in the Senate Chambers of the State Capitol. “I worked on the study committee with Vance (Smith) and Jeff (Mullis) and that really opened my eyes to transportation. I’m excited to work for the whole region on important transportation issues and needs of the area.”

Herrington, who has served on the Board since 2005, did not seek re-election.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is governed by the State Transportation Board. Its 13 members, representing each of the state’s congressional districts, exercise general control and supervision of the Department. Each member serves a five-year term and the terms are staggered. Board members are elected by the state representatives and senators whose legislative districts fall within all or part of the congressional district.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is committed to providing a safe, seamless and sustainable transportation system that supports Georgia’s economy and is sensitive to both its citizens and its environment. Additional transportation revenues are imperative to grow and sustain Georgia’s economic vitality and quality of life through the 21st Century. Georgia is the 3rd fastest-growing state in the nation, yet 49th in per capita spending on transportation. For general information on the Georgia DOT, please visit our Web site (www.dot.ga.gov).