Media & Public Relations


COMMISSION NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Carl DeFebo
Phone: 717.920.7176

December 11, 2012
Pa. Turnpike Commission Selects PennDOT Deputy as New CEO

Mark P. Compton expected to start in his new role in February, 2013.
The five-member Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission today named Mark P. Compton of Manheim, Pa., as its next chief executive officer. A professional with nearly two decades of broad, public- and private-sector experience in transportation, administration, development, government affairs and construction, Compton will start the Turnpike post Feb. 1, 2013.
 
Compton’s selection was unanimously approved by the commission today at its bimonthly board meeting held at the Turnpike’s Eastern Regional Office in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County. He succeeds former Turnpike CEO Roger Nutt, who resigned Oct. 31 citing health issues after serving as Turnpike CEO for 19 months.
 
“Mark is a highly qualified, highly capable individual who is respected by many in the transportation industry, and my fellow commissioners and I are glad he’s joining the Turnpike as our chief executive,” said Turnpike Chairman William K. Lieberman of Pittsburgh. “He will continue the work his predecessors have done in streamlining operations, becoming a more modern, innovative agency and ensuring our customers receive a level of service and safety they’ve come to expect on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.”
 
Compton currently serves as PennDOT’s deputy secretary of administration, overseeing eight bureaus within the agency, including: human resources; information systems governance; business solutions and services; infrastructure and operations; and fiscal management.
 
Compton, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University with a major in government management and administration, said the Turnpike has recently seen major changes in how it operates, with even wider changes on the horizon — changes that present challenges and opportunities for the commission.
 
“The role of the Turnpike continues to evolve to the changing demands of its customers and the Commonwealth,” Compton said. “I look forward to my role in shaping the policies and programs that will position the Turnpike as a leader at this critical point in time of meeting the Commonwealth's needs for transportation services."
 
Before joining PennDOT, Compton served as director of government affairs for American Infrastructure, a heavy civil construction company comprised of four distinct companies headquartered in Worcester, Pa.  Prior to that, he worked in various public and private operations, focusing largely on transportation, construction and economic development.
 
Turnpike Chief Operating Officer Craig R. Shuey will continue to serve as acting CEO until Compton officially takes over as CEO in February.
 
The Turnpike commission was created by the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1937 with authority to construct, finance, operate and maintain the toll road. The Pennsylvania Turnpike, “America’s First Superhighway,” opened to the public in October 1940. Four Commissioners, appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate, and the State Secretary of Transportation serve on the Commission for four-year terms.
 

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