Delisi, over earlier senatorial objections, to lead TxDOT

April 30, 2008

By Ben Wear, Austin American-Statesman

The appointment of Diedre Delisi to lead the Texas Transportation Commission had been knocking around the Capitol for months now, hung up by objections by state Sens. John Carona and Kirk Watson.

Carona, R-Dallas, chairman of the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, had in a barely veiled reference months ago to Delisi, who had worked on campaigns in the past, opined that the commission should not be lead by “political hacks.” Watson, because Delisi lives in his Austin district, had the ability under the tradition of “senatorial courtesy” to block confirmation of Delisi. For awhile, he appeared to be doing so.

Perry, having apparently overcome at least Watson’s objections, today named Delisi, 35, as the successor to the late Ric Williamson and San Antonio’s Hope Andrade, who had been the interim chairwoman of the committee since shortly after Williamson’s death Dec. 30. Andrade, whose six year term expired more than a year ago, will also be leaving the five-member commission and will be replaced by Fort Worth businessman Bill Meadows.

Delisi was Perry’s chief of staff until last summer, when she had twin boys. At that point, she became a partner with her husband Ted in his political consulting firm, Delisi Communications. Meadows, a former vice chairman of the North Texas Tollway Authority board, is chairman of Hub International Rigg, an insurance company.

Both Delisi and Meadows will take their seats in the commission in a few days, after completing the necessary paperwork and some legally required “board training.” To serve out the rest of their terms, to Feb. 1, 2013, both would need Senate confirmation in next year’s session.

Perry spokesman Robert Black said he believes they will be confirmed. He said Watson, who has not yet commented on the appointment today, had met privately several times with Delisi.

“I think when any member of the Legislature … sits down with Deidre, they will see someone exceptionally bright, someone who wants to find the solution to a problem and doesn’t care who gets the credit,” Black said.

As for Carona, Black said the senator still is no fan of the appointment. As for Carona’s harsh assessment to a Fort Worth audience some months ago, Black said that “anyone who uses terms like that doesn’t really know Deidre. You would be more accurate to call her a policy wonk than a political hack.”

Carona should be well acquainted with Delisi, however. Black said that in her capacity as chief of staff, one of Delisi’s “top priorities is going to be working with members of the Legislature to get things done.”

Carona was not yet available for comment Wednesday.

Delisi will assume command of an agency buffeted over the past year by rocky relations with the Legislature, which cut back some of its toll road powers last spring, and financial troubles. The agency last fall said it had virtually no money available for new construction, particularly because agency leaders had decided to divert an additional $1.1 billion to road maintenance.

Then, in February, the agency revealed that it had made a $1.1 billion accounting error, which had further crunched its available money for new roads. The commission last week to some degree pulled back from that maintenance commitment, voting to spend about $4.5 billion of its available money over the next 11 years on new roads.

The Legislature, when it convenes next year, will consider other measures that could provide money for new construction, most of them involving using general state revenue for transportation. Black said Delisi, despite the bumpy road to her appointment, will ease that process.

“The governor just put someone he trusts implicitly, and one of his top legislative communicators, in charge of this state agency precisely to get things done and find solutions,” Black said. “This is good news for the Legislature.”