State transportation board fires Commissioner Evans

Gena Evans’ short, turbulent career leading the state Department of Transportation came to an abupt end on Thursday as the board voted overwhelmingly to fire her.

Some board members said they wanted her gone because new road projects had been choked. Others spoke of concern over the criticism that the department was ineffective. There were also budget issues and discontent over conflicting priorities within the department.

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Kimberly Smith / ksmith@ajc.com

Gena Evans

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But in reality, trouble had been fomenting almost since the day Evans was elected. Controversy tipped into rebellion last week after Gov. Sonny Perdue proposed a plan to gut the DOT board of most of its powers over the state’s $2 billion transportation budget. Evans, 40, who was Perdue’s candidate for commissioner, was perceived at times to be more attentive to the governor’s positions than the board’s.

“Obviously there’s been some criticism that apparently our leadership has been inadequate,” said board member Steve Farrow, who was previously a supporter of Evans but voted for the termination. “And when there’s criticism that your leadership’s been inadequate, I think you need to make a change in the leadership.”

Eight members of the 13-member board voted to fire Evans. After the vote, the board appointed Gerald Ross as interim commissioner. Ross was the first African-American chief engineer in the state DOT.

Perdue and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle blasted the board’s decision and suggested that it was only more reason to support the bill that would take away the board’s power.

“Sadly, today the State Transportation Board proved that a majority of its members are more concerned with personal vendettas and politics than delivering value to citizens in transportation,” Perdue said in a statement. “The Lt. Governor, Speaker and I are committed to creating a transportation system that allows the citizens to hold us accountable for moving Georgia where we need to go in transportation.”

“This board did not want accountability,” Cagle said. “This will be their last hurrah.”

Evans was the shortest-serving commissioner since the position was created in 1963, according to DOT documents. She took office in late 2007 following a bitterly contested election, which she won by one vote.

The 13-member board elected Evans with the support of Perdue, over Rep. Vance Smith (R-Pine Mountain), the candidate backed by House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram). She soon announced findings of dire disarray.

Evans’ tenure saw frequent turmoil as she slowed road spending to a trickle and, backed by state auditors, said the department’s books were a billion dollars out of balance.

Recently, highway contractors voiced concern that the department’s slowing of road development has left it unprepared to take advantage of federal stimulus dollars.

Board member David Doss, an outspoken opponent of Evans, said the state was prepared wih stimulus projects. But he shared other board members’ concern that DOT was putting far too little roadwork out to contract. Doss has argued for months that Evans and state auditors created an artificial deficit by incorrectly reworking DOT’s books. State auditors said the deficit was real.

Board Vice Chairman Larry Walker said he voted against the firing because the timing was not right.

“I had some issues but I was willing to go further with her and that’s why I voted no,” Walker said.

One of Walker’s issues was a $600 million bond offering for DOT projects that closes March 4.

Walker said he did not think the sudden change in leadership would jeopardize the bond offering, but he was not certain of that.

During her tenure, scandals erupted over Evans’ past personal relationships and vulgar e-mails in previous jobs, and her violation of DOT policy for not disclosing her relationship with the board’s previous chairman, Mike Evans, whom she later married.

This month, one of her supporters on the board, Raybon Anderson, resigned.

Former commissioner Harold Linnenkohl, who by implication was criticized for his management, on Thursday said employees had felt “under the gun and underappreciated” under Evans. “I think it’s very sad to say, but I think the majority of DOT employees are relieved.”

Evans did not return calls to her mobile phone for comment. Earlier this week Evans would not comment on the crescendo of building rumors, except to say on Wednesday: “I’m going to do my job as I’ve been doing the last 14 months.”

Evans remains executive director of the State Road and Tollway Authority, whose board is headed by Perdue.

Staff writers Mary Lou Pickel and Aaron Gould Sheinin contributed to this report.