PHOENIX – Former Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels is the new chair of the Arizona State Transportation Board

Daniels, CEO of Horizon Strategies, will lead the board that places priorities on transportation needs, projects and funding while advising the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Daniels was appointed to the board in 2020 representing District 1, which includes Maricopa County and parts of Pinal County.

Daniels was a member of the Gilbert Town Council from 2009 to 2016 and Gilbert’s mayor from 2016 to 2020.

She serves on the State’s Arizona Commerce Authority board as well as regional boards, including the Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Council and is former chair of the MAG Transportation Policy Committee.

“Transportation is the state’s largest ongoing investment and impacts every Arizonan, every business and every visitor. Our responsibility as leaders, policymakers and forward thinkers is of the utmost importance to the prosperity of Arizona,” Daniels said.

“We strive to balance the current and future needs of our state and that in every interaction, the public is heard, seen and valued.”

Daniels follows Richard Searle, who served as chair throughout 2024. Searle has represented Cochise, Greenlee and Santa Cruz counties on the board since 2020.

Pima County’s Ted Maxwell will serve as the board’s vice chairman. He is president and CEO of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and was appointed to the State Transportation Board in 2021 to represent Pima County.

The State Transportation Board members are nominated by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate for six-year terms.