DOT post is 'up in the air,' board's vice chairman says

Jimmy Lester said Friday he isn't sure whether he'll pursue the chairman's seat for the Georgia Department of Transportation Board.

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He's also not sure whether a permanent replacement for a new DOT commissioner will be named before Tom Coleman, the current commissioner, leaves his post Aug. 31.

"Things are sort of up in the air right now, so I'm really not able to make a comment on it at this time," said Mr. Lester, who represents the Augusta area and is now the vice chairman of the board, which oversees all state road projects.

On Thursday, Steve Reynolds, the board's chairman, said he plans to run for re-election to his board seat next year. He will step down as board chairman Aug. 21, however, leaving the position open for other board members.

Also on Thursday, board member Sam Wellborn, who has expressed interest in the chairman position, resigned as the chairman of the board's search committee for a new DOT commissioner.

Mr. Reynolds had called a committee meeting in Mr. Wellborn's absence. There also was a disagreement between Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Wellborn about how more than 70 resumes should be evaluated.

Mr. Lester said he's had no problems with how the evaluation process for a new commissioner has gone so far.

He said the board has cut the list of applicants for the DOT commissioner post to 13. Within the next month, he said, interviews will take place and the list will be cut to three.

Still, Mr. Lester was uncertain about how quickly a permanent replacement could be made.

"Whether we'll have to appoint someone interim, we're just not sure," he said.

Reach Preston Sparks at (706) 828-3904 or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.

--From the Saturday, July 19, 2003 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle