Portland, MAINE - Governor-elect Janet Mills announced today that she will nominate Houlton native Bruce Van Note to serve as the next Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT). Van Note, currently the Director of Policy and Planning at the Maine Turnpike Authority, has 25 years of professional transportation work experience in Maine, including twelve years as Deputy Commissioner at MaineDOT, where he managed every aspect of the department, including policy, legislative affairs, strategic planning, budget, capital project delivery, maintenance and operations, and freight and businesses services.
“Bruce’s experience and skills make him well-qualified to lead the Maine Department of Transportation,” said Governor-elect Mills. “As a member of the Legislature and as Attorney General, I became familiar with his depth of knowledge, policy acumen, and reputation for honesty – all of which will serve the people of Maine well. I look forward to working with Bruce to craft policy initiatives to improve and enhance our state’s transportation system and to better position Maine to thrive into the future.”
“I am honored and humbled that Governor-elect Mills has selected me to lead the dedicated people at Maine Department of Transportation,” said Van Note. “Safe, reliable, and easy travel is part of what makes us Maine and what makes a real difference in people’s lives every day – whether it’s a safe and predictable trip to work, a vibrant downtown that works for everyone, an efficient delivery of goods, or a trip to one of the hundreds of special spots across the state. I look forward to working with Governor-elect Mills, members of the Legislature, MaineDOT staff, and industry and municipal leaders to improve our transportation system and take it to the next level.”
Van Note, 58, currently serves as the Director of Policy and Planning for the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA), a position he has held since 2014, where he manages major planning efforts that have resulted in multi-million dollar improvements along the I-95 Turnpike corridor, including the implementation of high speed tolling, widening and safety improvements in the Greater Portland area, and planned interchange improvements.
From 2002 to 2014, Van Note served as Deputy Commissioner of MaineDOT where he participated in the envisioning, drafting, and passage of almost every major piece of state transportation legislation, including Highway Fund budgets, general obligation bonds, multimodal funding, transportation debt policy, prioritization of state highways, local road assistance, design-build contracting, public-private partnerships, and the Turnpike reform bill.
In addition to his role as Deputy Commissioner, while at MaineDOT he served as a member of the MTA Board of Directors (2009-2014), Chair of the Maine Port Authority (2011-2014), Director of the Office of Policy & Communications (2000-2002), and as the Principal Attorney for engineering and construction (1994-2000). In 2010, he was awarded the David H. Stevens Award – MaineDOT’s highest honor – for “demonstrated transportation excellence”. He led the teams that delivered award-winning, place making projects like the Sagadahoc Bridge, the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory, and the Naples Bay Bridge, and he helped drive the creation of annual published work plans and integrated IT accountability tools that helped MaineDOT staff achieve an on-time project rate of over 90 percent.
Van Note is currently on the Board of Directors of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA), is the Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Maine Better Transportation Association (MBTA) and is a member of the Topsham Planning Board. In 2017, he was awarded the Spirit of America Award for outstanding community volunteerism by the Sagadahoc County Commissioners.
In addition to his public service, Van Note previously owned and operated a small surveying and land use consulting firm in the Brunswick area; had a part-time solo legal practice specializing in alternative dispute resolution, land use, and real estate; and was an associate attorney focused in real estate at an Auburn law firm.
Van Note, an engineering graduate, attorney and professional land surveyor, was born in Houlton and grew up in Bath. He earned a B.S. in Surveying Engineering with highest distinction honors from the University of Maine in Orono, and a J.D. with honors from the University of Maine School of Law in Portland. He has lived in Maine his entire life and resides in Topsham with his wife, Susan. They have four adult sons.
If confirmed, as Commissioner Van Note will be responsible for the coordination of a diverse transportation system spread across Maine, a state almost as large as the five other New England States combined. This system includes 8,818 miles of state highway, 2,742 bridges, airports, seaports, railroads, transit buses, and ferries. MaineDOT has annual expenditures that average $650 million per year and has almost 2,000 employees.
Van Note’s nomination is subject to the approval of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation and the Maine State Senate.
Van Note is the latest in a series of cabinet announcements by Governor-elect Mills, including Jeanne Lambrew to lead DHHS, Kirsten Figueroa to lead DAFS, and Judy Camuso to lead MDIFW.