Todd Long has been named Director of Planning for the Georgia Department of Transportation, according to an announcement by Governor Sonny Perdue who made the appointment.

The position was created by the General Assembly this spring with the passage of Senate Bill 200.

"Todd's qualifications and knowledge of the DOT planning process make him the perfect candidate to take on this new role," said Governor Perdue. "I think all Georgians want a statewide transportation plan based on our needs that provides value for our tax dollars, and we are taking a big step in that direction."

Since August, Long has served as the director of all engineering, IT and business-related projects for the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority. Before that, he spent 18 years in various positions at the DOT, including serving as division director for both the preconstruction and administration divisions.

He spent seven years at the District One office in Gainesville, rising to the position of District Engineer, managing all DOT activities in Northeast Georgia. He is a registered professional engineer and a registered professional traffic operations engineer.

Long is the son of John and Charlotte Ivey Long of Evans. John Long is formerly of Washington and Charlotte is formerly of Lincolnton.

The new director is the nephew of Elizabeth Denard and Gracia Smith of Washington.