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Nicholas J. Tennyson

Secretary of Transportation

Nick Tennyson was named as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation in August 2015.Prior to assuming this role, Tennyson served as the department’s Chief Deputy Secretary, responsible for providing oversight and integration across all operational and support functions of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. He also served for three months as interim commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles.Tennyson is the former mayor of Durham, a role he held from 1997-2001. During that time, he co-founded the Metropolitan Coalition of Mayors with Governor Pat McCrory, then mayor of Charlotte. While serving as mayor, Tennyson was vice-chair of the Metropolitan Planning Organization for his region, which provided him the opportunity to learn about the NCDOT and federal transportation planning process.Tennyson also served as an officer in the Navy before beginning a career as a home builder and developer. In the late 1980s, he transitioned to work with trade associations, such as the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining NCDOT, he was executive vice-president for the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange and Chatham Counties.Tennyson has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Duke University and Master of Arts in Human Resources Management from Pepperdine University.