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Oregon Department of Transportation Director Kris Strickler announced Wednesday that he will step down from his role on Jan. 2, 2026.

Gov. Tina Kotek will appoint Lisa Sumption, director of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, to serve as interim director, according to a press release. Kotek will work with the Oregon Transportation Commission to identify a permanent director through a national search. Sumption will return to OPRD at the conclusion of this assignment.

Strickler led ODOT through numerous major events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Labor Day wildfires, and a transportation funding crisis. In September, the Oregon Legislature, in a special session, passed a bill to provide new funding for road maintenance and transit services; Kotek signed the bill into law recently.

鈥淭he decision to leave ODOT did not come easily to me, but with funding for the maintenance and operations of our transportation system secured, now is the time for new leadership to lead ODOT鈥檚 next chapter,鈥� Strickler stated in the press release. 鈥淭he employees of ODOT are dedicated to improving the lives of Oregonians and because of that commitment, I know ODOT will continue to thrive.鈥�

Strickler has led the 4,500-person agency since fall 2019. Before becoming ODOT director, he served as the southwest region administrator for the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Oregon project director for the Columbia River Crossing, and most recently as ODOT鈥檚 highway division administrator.

Under Strickler, ODOT implemented a multimodal approach to transportation that resulted in improvements across the state and increased options for people driving, walking, biking and taking transit. That work included work such as improving safety on U.S. Route 97 in Bend, adding an auxiliary lane to Oregon Route 217 in Washington County, and improving safety on numerous highways in Portland and across the state.

Sumption, director of the Parks and Recreation Department since 2014, has more than 25 years of public service experience. She is one of the longest-serving agency directors on the Governor鈥檚 Enterprise Leadership team, the press release states.