Leslie Richards, a longtime Hadassah member who had served as Montgomery County commissioner for three years, has been appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf to serve as head of the Department of Transportation.
Leslie Richards, who had served as Montgomery County commissioner for three years, has been appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf to serve as head of the Department of Transportation.
Richards, a longtime Hadassah member whose husband, Ira, had served as president of Beth Tikvah B'nai Jeshurun synagogue in Erdenheim, according to several reports, is the first woman to be appointed to the position. Her duties will include overseeing road projects, bridge repairs and public transit.
"Leslie Richards will work with me to continue to grow and modernize our transportation system by taking advantage of our location," Wolf said in a statement. "As a business owner, I know that a strong transportation system is necessary to move people and goods efficiently and effectively, and I look forward to working with" Richards "to expand our thinking and grow a 21st century, statewide transportation system."
Richards had been chair of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and a member of the SEPTA Board, according to a news release from the state.
"Richards has a detailed understanding of funding resources for all phases of transportation projects," the release stated.
Before being electing to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners in 2011, Richards, 47, had served as Whitemarsh Township supervisor.
