“Today marks my final NTTA board meeting and the conclusion of 10 years of service on the NTTA Board of Directors. I want to thank Collin County for its support and confidence in appointing me to this position. It has been a privilege to serve my county and this region. I am grateful to this Board for its support in twice electing me its chairman. It has been an honor to serve with you. Together with our staff, consultants and stakeholders, we’ve accomplished much for North Texas. I appreciate the support and forbearance of my colleagues at my law firm, Winstead PC. They have been extraordinarily supportive of my service and for that I will be forever grateful. Lastly, and most importantly, I would like to thank my wife, Anna, and my children for their love and support and for doing their best to understand why their husband and daddy had two jobs.

A decade is a convenient marker to assess the progress or change of an organization. In the past 10 years, the NTTA has more than quadrupled its revenue and TollTag accounts, issued nearly 1.5 million TollTags, increased its main-lane miles from 231 miles to 528 miles, more than doubled its centerline miles from 40 miles to 90 miles, and soon will have converted its entire system to all-electronic toll collection. Oh, did I mention that we increased our outstanding debt from just under $1 billion to $7 billion?!

These are important indicators of the growth and strength of the NTTA over the past decade, but the most important illustrations are in the benefits we’ve brought to regional mobility through the construction of the Sam Rayburn Tollway and Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge, the completion of the President George Bush Turnpike and the ongoing construction of its Eastern and Western Extensions, two extensions of the Dallas North Tollway, and acceptance of the Southwest Parkway/Chisholm Trail toll project.

These projects, combined with the $3.2 billion in funds provided by NTTA to the Regional Transportation Council for development of non-tolled projects, have demonstrated the NTTA’s commitment to its regional mission and secured the NTTA’s rightful place as the region’s toll road provider.

It has been my privilege to work with the NTTA’s fine staff. I admire their dedication to excellence and to providing our customers with a superior driving experience. They have excelled during a time of significant change and transformation, which often brought great stress and uncertainty. I thank them for staying the course.

I close my remarks in full knowledge that the NTTA met its many challenges head on. There are, however, new challenges for the staff and board to face. These challenges will require strong leadership and engagement from staff and from this and future boards for NTTA to remain successful. I wish you all the best as you lead NTTA into the future.”