McGrath joins ITD as new Chief Operations Officer

Director Brian Ness announced Wednesday Travis McGrath as ITD’s new Chief Operations Officer following a thorough national search during the last several months. McGrath is expected to start in late March.

Travis comes to ITD from the private sector. He has been the Pacific Northwest and Alaska “Operations Leader” at Golder Associates the past seven years and with the company for nearly 20 years.  

“What stands out about Travis is his ability as a strong communicator and consensus builder, his strong decision-making experience and his understanding of the engineering side of operations, along with his diverse business background,” said Director Ness. “Travis has shown a history of setting the vision and holding those around him accountable throughout his career.”

Travis said he’s excited to move from Seattle area to serve the people of Idaho at ITD. He plans to begin this new chapter of his career at the end of March.

“I was intrigued by ITD’s recent transformation, which is impressive by any measure,” said McGrath. “I’ve held operational leadership roles in two diverse settings (U.S. Army and consulting engineering) and recently navigated through a major organizational change like ITD’s.  I believe that these experiences, along with my passion for teamwork and continual improvement, will help ITD continue its important mission through pursuit of innovation, risk management, and focusing on results.”

Travis brings a strong military background to this position. He served as a Combat Engineer Officer for more than a decade on active duty and as a reserve. He led a platoon during both Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.

Since Jim Carpenter’s retirement, several people have stepped in to fill the void. In his email to staff the Director recognized the Executive Team and Scott Stokes for leading the effort, and expressed his appreciation to Blake Rindlisbacher and Kimbol Allen for taking on additional duties.

Director Ness also thanked the district engineers for providing support, especially Devin Rigby, who served as their lead and coordinated communication between the them and the executive team.

When asked about his hobbies and interests, McGrath said, "Like many in the Northwest, I'm an occasional snow skier (downhill and cross-country). I like just about anything on or in the water (boating, swimming, wakeboarding, fishing, scuba diving).I can't wait to get the boat out on Lucky Peak Reservoir, and maybe even do some boat camping.

"But my real passion (obsession?) is saltwater corals and fish. I've been reefkeeping for a dozen years. The biggest challenge associated with the move from Seattle to Boise will be successfully relocating my 100-gallon aquarium system (pictured left) and all its inhabitants!"

Published 03-03-17