While Gov. Pat McCrory names appointees to the state Board of Transportation, including several developers and major campaign contributors, his transportation secretary is making changes at NCDOT.
(2/20/13 update: Tata brings Cris Mulder to NCDOT, another hire from Wake schools.)
Since Friday, Transportation Secretary Tony Tata has:
* Removed Paul Morris, deputy transportation secretary for transit.
* Removed Eric Boyette, DOT inspector general for the past two years, and returned him to his former IT realm. He is business technology applications specialist and staff assistant to Randy Barnes, the DOT chief information officer. Boyette's salary is unchanged, $102,366.
* Moved Katherine White, general counsel, to an attorney's job in the Division of Motor Vehicles hearings office.
No replacements have been announced.
Other vacant spots at Tata's NCDOT include deputy secretary for administration (formerly Anthony Roper), and turnpike director and operations manager (David Joyner and Barry Mickle left in January).
James Forte, Tata's new DMV commissioner, announced two senior appointments Monday.
* Barbara Webb is director of driver services, after having served as assistant director.
* Randy Dishong, who worked five years as emergency preparedness director for Wake County schools (where Tata was school superintendent), is deputy DMV commissioner. He'll oversee the License and Theft Bureau, which includes vehicle inspections.
Bruce Siceloff reports on traffic and transportation. A News & Observer reporter, editor and blogger since 1976, he took over the