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ITD Chief Operations Officer Jim Carpenter to retire at end of year

Jim Carpenter, ITD’s Chief Operations Officer (COO) since 2013 and a department employee since 1985, will be stepping aside at the end of the year. After 31 years, he departs Dec. 30.

“I have enjoyed my career here and the opportunity to be a part of making Idaho’s transportation system safer and more efficient,” Carpenter said. “I have worked for, and with, many fine professionals, and I consider myself very lucky to have been a part of this organization.”

“This has been deeply rewarding and a great finish to my career in transportation,” he added. “I am pleased with the direction the ITD is headed and am excited for its future.”

Carpenter (pictured right) spent most of his career in District 2. He began his ITD career in 1985 as an engineering project supervisor in Lewiston. Three years later, he became staff engineer in the district, before transferring in 1989 to District 4 in Shoshone to serve as assistant district engineer. He returned to Lewiston as district engineer in 1994, a position he held for 19 years until becoming the department’s second COO.

Since 2013, he has been responsible for the department’s operations, including its largest division – highways.
The search for Carpenter’s replacement will begin soon, with ITD looking for an accomplished executive with exceptional and proven leadership skills and an engineering background.

“I am not sure there is ever an ideal time to leave,” Carpenter explained, “but with the development of our District Engineers and Division Administrators in Operations, you have many talented people who are ready to help lead this Department.”