KDOT Secretary Lorenz resigning on December 31

[route56]

KDOT posted a press release announcing that KDOT Secretary Julie Lorenz is resigning at the end of the year. The announcement does not specify where she is going, but I have every reason to believe she has a new position lined up.

In addition, the Deputy Secretary/State Transportation Engineer, Burt Morey, is also leaving. His departure is announced as a retirement.

Calvin Reed, Director of the Division of Engineering and Design, will serve as Interim Secretary of Transportation and Greg Schieber, the current Director of Project Delivery, will fill the role of Interim Deputy Secretary.

Full Press Release

[Scott5114]

Typical end-of-term departures, or is there something going on at KDOT?

[Rothman]

Typical end-of-term departures, or is there something going on at KDOT?

Heh.  NYSDOT Commish was quite a revolving door that didn't mean much in terms of either.  People were just using the position as a stepping stone.

[J N Winkler]

Typical end-of-term departures, or is there something going on at KDOT?

I have heard nothing about problems at KDOT--indeed, Lorenz has been an effective and well-regarded agency head.  I think it's more a question of this time (immediately after a high-stakes election but still well before new terms in office begin) being the best to step off the merry-go-round.  The KBI director is also retiring.

The retirement that has attracted the most media attention is actually in the Legislature.  Gene Suellentrop, former GOP majority leader in the senate, is leaving midway through his term.  He had to resign his leadership roles after he was arrested for DUI in 2021, and although I have heard nothing to this effect in the media, I suspect he was told there was no way back to them.  His seat will not change party affiliation since, in Kansas, seats that fall vacant between elections are generally filled by vote of precinct committeepersons belonging to the incumbent's party.