Stitt Names TJ Dill Interim ODOT Director as Gatz Retires Oct. 31 but Stays on as Transportation Secretary
OKLAHOMA CITY — Gov. Kevin Stitt has named Oklahoma Department of Transportation chief engineer TJ Dill as the agency's interim director, following executive director Tim Gatz's announcement that he will retire from ODOT on Oct. 31, 2026. Gatz will continue serving as Oklahoma's secretary of transportation through the remainder of Stitt's term.
Dill has worked in multiple roles at ODOT since 2013 and has served as chief engineer, leading statewide engineering and operational functions, since 2024. Originally from El Reno, he lives in Yukon with his wife and three children. Stitt said Dill has spent his career improving infrastructure across Oklahoma and thanked him for stepping up to lead the agency after years of serving alongside Gatz. Dill said he is grateful for the governor's confidence and remains committed to serving Oklahomans with integrity and dedication.
Gatz has served as Stitt's secretary of transportation since 2019. The governor called him his go-to adviser on every road, bridge and turnpike question for nearly eight years, and credited him with helping lift Oklahoma's bridge conditions to fourth in the nation.
ODOT oversees planning and maintenance for the state's highway, bridge and turnpike systems. The interim appointment is intended to keep major projects on track as the administration enters its final stretch.
The transition comes late in the governor's term, with several highway and bridge projects at critical construction stages, making a stable handover important for keeping work on schedule. Gatz's continuation as transportation secretary also keeps statewide transportation policy on a consistent course despite the change at the agency's helm.
(Source: News 9, Oklahoma City)
Source: News 9, Oklahoma City
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：I-40州际公路东行驶往俄克拉荷马城市中心方向的出口指示牌。摄影：Scott Nazelrod，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
