Two new members take their places on the State Highway Commission Wednesday as Mexico resident Larry Webber and the Reverand Wallace Hartsfield from Kansas City fill the positions vacated when Barry Orscheln’s term expired and when Ollie Gates resigned in solidarity with a former Transportation Director. Webber told State Senators who helped confirm his position he empathizes with their calls for more credibility and accountability at the State Transportation Department. Hartsfield, an African-American, says he wants to see more people of color in MoDOT. One of the first big jobs the two new commissioners will be involved in will be the choosing of a new Transportation Director. Right now, a private executive search firm and a task force made up of lawmakers, state officials, and private citizens are putting together a list of eligible candidates the highway commissioners will have to consider.
