Paul DeggesTennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Chief Engineer Paul Degges, P.E., is honored as one of the top transportation officials in the nation.
Degges, who has been with TDOT 23 years, has been selected to serve a two-year term as vice chairman of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Standing Committee on Highways.
The committee is responsible for developing all major engineering standards and policies for the highway program, as well as investigating, studying, and reporting on all engineering activities and developments.
“The Standing Committee on Highways is continually called on to rule on engineering and operations policies and serves as a guide for state highway transportation departments to follow,” AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley said in a written statement. I’m confident Mr. Degges will contribute greatly to the work we do and will help us continue to serve the needs of all of our member states.”
TDOT Commissioner John Schroer says Degges “is a tremendous asset” to TDOT.
“We are proud of the work Paul does for the state of Tennessee and this recognition speaks volumes of his exceptional talents in the field of engineering.”
The youngest individual to ever hold the position of chief engineer, Degges has overseen the awarding of more than 2,800 projects with a construction value of more than $5.6 billion.
Degges began his career with TDOT immediately following his graduation from Tennessee Technological University in 1988. During his time with TDOT he has served as Assistant Chief Engineer, Region III Director, Region III Assistant Director, Assistant Director of Construction for Region IV, and supervisor in the Hydraulic Design and Permitting Section of TDOT’s Structures Division. In 2008, Degges was named “Government Engineer of the Year” by the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers.
Known as “the voice of transportation,” AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It represents all five transportation modes: air, highways, public transportation, rail, and water. Its primary goal is to foster the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system.
