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The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has named Gregg Brunner as chief operations officer (COO), succeeding current MDOT director Bradley C. Wieferich. Brunner has served as the acting COO since December 2022 and brings more than 24 years of experience and leadership with the state of Michigan to his new permanent role.
“Gregg has continually shown strong leadership for our department,” Wieferich said. “He’s a respected leader in the transportation industry who has put strong emphasis on the safety of workers and the traveling public. I look forward to continuing to work with him as we deliver an innovative and reliable transportation program.”
In addition to his responsibilities as acting COO, Brunner has been the director of the Bureau of Field Services since 2019. As the bureau director, he oversaw MDOT’s statewide maintenance and construction, research program, emergency response, traffic and safety, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program, safety and security operations, and the autonomous and connected vehicle program.
Brunner has been a long-time traffic safety advocate, currently working alongside industry partners as the co-chair of the Work Zone Safety Task Force and serving as a commissioner on the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission. He serves on the Michigan Liaison Committee for the innovative design and construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge and helped deliver Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s $3.5 billion Rebuilding Michigan program. As a leader in MDOT’s knowledge transfer initiatives, he implemented a structured knowledge management program for maintenance staff, offering recurring foundational training to ensure department staff access to continual education.
Throughout his career Brunner has presented strong leadership qualities, holding positions as Blue Water Bridge administrator, associate region engineer – operations, Bay City Transportation Service Center manager, and Bay Region bridge engineer. He’s an MDOT Director’s Award recipient and is active with the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Prior to coming to MDOT, he worked for private industry as a design engineer. Brunner has a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Michigan State University and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Michigan.