BISMARCK, N.D. (NDDOT) – North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) Director Bill Panos has been named president of the Western Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (WASHTO) and will begin his role June 1.

Panos, who previously served as WASHTO vice president, will take over the duties of president from James Bass of the Texas Department of Transportation.

“It is an honor to take on greater responsibility and represent our regional transportation partners,” said Panos. “My goal is to keep the momentum we experienced under the leadership of Mr. Bass and continue to look for innovative solutions to better serve our industry.”

WASHTO provides a forum for exchanging ideas, exploring and adapting techniques, as well as promoting quality and best practices for implementation. Membership includes departments of transportation from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and Washington.

Panos earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University. He currently serves on the board of directors of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, as the governor’s highway safety representative, and as a Henry Toll Fellow with the Council of State Governments.

The NDDOT maintains a safe, efficient transportation system consisting of approximately 8,622 miles of roadway and 1,722 bridges. It oversees the development of surface transportation including highways, bridges, transit, pedestrian, and bicycle paths across the state.

Annually, the department processes more than one million vehicle registrations and serves over 500,000 licensed drivers at branch offices located throughout North Dakota.