The board of directors of the agency that oversees Orange County’s tollways announced Friday that the chief toll operations officer has been promoted to interim CEO.
Samuel Johnson began working for the Transportation Corridor Agencies in 2015 as the chief toll operations officer overseeing tolling systems, customer service and other tasks.
Johnson takes over for Mike Kraman, who announced his retirement a week ago.
“As a respected leader in the transportation industry with more than 30 years of public service, Samuel Johnson is well positioned to assume the role of interim CEO on day one,” said Irvine Mayor Christina Shea, who chairs the Foothill-Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency.
Shea said she was “extremely impressed by his sound grasp of the issues facing the agencies, his ability to provide a path forward in challenging times and his demonstrated capacity to serve as a leader, which is critical during a time of transition.”
Trish Kelley, chair of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency and mayor pro tem of Mission Viejo, also praised Johnson for “a strong understanding” of the agency as well as his “focus on team building and continuous improvement.”