On November 26, Council of Governments Executive Director Chuck Bean appointed Gerald Miller and Robert Griffiths as Acting Co-Directors of COG’s Department of Transportation Planning. Bean, who consulted with staff, Transportation Planning Board (TPB) officials, state Department of Transportation stakeholders, and other leaders, told COG and TPB members that both Miller and Griffiths distinguish themselves as leaders with the strong and complementary skill sets that COG and the region need for the short-term. Miller and Griffiths together have over 60 years of experience at COG, most of that time spent working directly for or with former director Ron Kirby.

“I am confident that Gerald Miller and Robert Griffiths will ensure that the TPB continues its exceptional work during this critical time for regional transportation planning,” Bean said in an announcement to staff and TPB members.

Miller joined COG in 1989 and has been responsible for coordinating the planning activities of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board. He manages the federally-required Unified Planning Work Program, and is responsible for the preparation of the Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP) and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), including their financial plans. He also directs public participation, land use and transportation coordination, and environmental consultation activities. Previously, Miller was a senior researcher at the Urban Institute for 15 years. Prior to the Institute, he was an analyst at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology. He has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.S. in Civil Engineering (Specialization in Urban Transportation Planning) from Northwestern University.

Griffiths joined COG in 1975 and has directed the technical services program of the Department of Transportation Planning for the last 19 years. In that capacity, he oversees the development of technical methods, data, and information systems for the analysis of regional growth and transportation issues, as well as technical assistance provided to the District and Virginia departments of transportation in support of their travel monitoring activities. During his 38-year career at COG, Griffiths has worked both as a regional and transportation planner, serving as the project director for many large-scale economic and transportation surveys. He was also responsible for the development of COG’s Geographic Information System (GIS) in the early 1990s. Griffiths has a B.A. in Political Science from Drew University in New Jersey and was a graduate fellow at the Georgetown University Center for Population Research in Washington, DC.