Kris Strickler, Director of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), has announced that he will step down from his position on January 2, 2026. Strickler is the second longest serving director in ODOT’s history.
Governor Tina Kotek will appoint Lisa Sumption, who currently serves as Director of Oregon Parks and Recreation, as interim director starting January 2, 2026. The Governor plans to work with the Oregon Transportation Commission to conduct a national search for a permanent replacement. Sumption will return to her role at Oregon Parks and Recreation after her interim assignment ends.
During Strickler’s tenure, ODOT undertook several major projects across the state. These included safety improvements in the Bend North Corridor project on Highway 97 in Bend and adding auxiliary lanes to OR 217 in Washington County to reduce congestion and crashes. The agency also constructed the Mitchell Point Tunnel in the Gorge to restore a historic site and boost tourism, rebuilt the Hooskanaden Slide area north of Brookings on Highway 101, and began work on significant Interstate 5 projects such as the Aurora-Donald interchange and Kuebler to Delaney improvements.
ODOT implemented safety measures on Cabbage Hill between Pendleton and La Grande and improved legacy highways throughout Portland and other parts of Oregon. This included funding upgrades for main streets like 82nd Avenue, Outer Powell Boulevard, Lombard Street, Philomath, Halsey, among others.
The department expanded access for DMV customers by introducing kiosks and online services for transactions including Real ID processing. Freight permitting was streamlined through a new system called ORION.
Following the destructive Labor Day wildfires in 2020, ODOT led cleanup efforts along 120 miles of highway corridors and over 3,000 private properties. The agency also launched its first State of the Agency Dashboard for tracking progress.
Other achievements during Strickler’s leadership include expanding transit options—leading to record ridership on Amtrak Cascades—and beginning development of a Capital Investment Plan aimed at long-term project stability. ODOT promoted safer travel by growing programs like Safe Routes to School and Oregon Community Paths. Construction began on the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Program while federal grants were secured for advancing work on replacing the Interstate Bridge.
Strickler’s departure marks an end to a period marked by large-scale infrastructure initiatives across Oregon’s transportation network.
