Craig Thompson in May 2023. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The head of Wisconsin’s transportation system is leaving the company to take a new job.

Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Craig Thompson will resign on September 11, Governor Tony Evers announced this in a press release on Friday. Thompson, who has served as the only transportation secretary since Evers’ election in 2018, is taking an unspecified job at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Evers announced the appointment Kristina Boardmanthe current deputy minister, to the top post of one of the largest agencies in the state.

“Craig has done an outstanding job leading the Department of Transportation, and I couldn’t be prouder of all the work we have been able to accomplish together,” Evers said. “From repairing thousands of miles of roads and bridges – enough to travel from Wisconsin to Key West, Florida and back twice – to celebrating the launch of Wisconsin’s first new passenger train in over 20 years to making critical progress in building the 21st century infrastructure we need to compete in the 21st century economy, Craig has been there for every mile of this work. Craig has always brought genuine kindness to every meeting, every event, and the many hours he has spent traveling across the state, making him a welcome friend who we will miss greatly. We cannot thank him enough for his years of dedicated service to the state and wish him the best in this next chapter.”

Thompson’s experience is in highway construction and government relations. He previously served as executive director of the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin. Before that, he served as legislative director for the Wisconsin Counties Association. Thompson is the 2024 president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

“I joined this administration five years ago with clear direction from the top to ‘fix the damn roads,’ and I’m proud to see how far we’ve come as a state toward that goal in just a short amount of time,” Thompson said. “I’ve also had the incredible privilege of learning from and leading a group of dedicated, talented public servants at WisDOT that I couldn’t be more proud of. No matter where they live, the people of Wisconsin deserve roads and transportation systems they can trust, and I know that work will continue under Governor Evers and the Evers administration in the months and years ahead, just as it has since the beginning. I’m incredibly grateful to Governor Evers for his friendship and the trust he has placed in me. I know Kristina will do a great job in her new role, and I’m excited to see all the good work she and the Evers administration will do in the future.”

Kristina Boardman. Photo provided.

Boardman will be the first woman to hold the position. She is a veteran of the agency, having worked for the agency since 2005. She previously headed WisDOT’s Division of Motor Vehicles. Before working for WisDOT, she was an assistant to the Wisconsin State Assembly and holds a degree in political science from Augustine College. In June, she participated in a town hall exchange between leaders from Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago, which Urban Milwaukee covered.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with and learning from Secretary Thompson and know I have important shoes to fill,” Boardman said. “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity, and I’m grateful to Governor Evers for his confidence in me to take on this new role. We’ve made incredible progress over the past few years building transportation systems that Wisconsinites can rely on, and I look forward to continuing to build on that momentum as Secretary of the Department.”

Under Evers’ appointment, she will serve as acting secretary and is subject to confirmation by the Wisconsin State Senate.

WisDOT has more than 3,200 employees and a two-year budget of $8 billion. Although it is primarily known for its major highways, it also oversees the state’s passenger rail lines, railroads, waterways, DMV and Wisconsin State Patrol. The department administers several grant programs, many of which are state-funded, that provide support for local roads, ports, public transit and bridges.