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January 11, 2019 at 11:32 am

Alumni News | Marchbanks Named to DeWine Cabinet, Will Head ODOT

Jack Marchbanks, portrait

Jack Marchbanks

Ohio University alum Jack Marchbanks was named to Ohio Governor-elect Mike DeWine’s cabinet, nominated as Director of the Department of Transportation.

Marchbanks earned a Ph.D. in History (with a Certificate in Contemporary History) in 2018 from the College of Arts & Sciences at Ohio University. He wrote a doctoral dissertation on “Pride and Protest in Letters and Song: Jazz Artists and Writers during the Civil Rights Movement, 1955-1965.” His dissertation committee was chaired by Dr. Kevin Mattson, Dr. Katherine Jellison, Dr. Assan Sarr, and Dr. Robin Muhammad. In addition to he academic and professional pursuits, Marchbanks sits on the Board of Trustees of the Lincoln Theatre Association, a community-based performing arts organization where he co-hosts free “Community Conversations” twice a year on topics connected to art, politics, and culture.

According to a DeWine news release:

Jack Marchbanks is currently the assistant director for business and human resources at the Department of Transportation where he is responsible for the management of the department’s 5,000 employees and the development of ODOT’s $3.3 billion dollar budget. Jack is responsible for the strategic direction of the agency’s finance, human resources, IT, legal and communications divisions and the opportunity, diversity and inclusion programs. In addition, he has served as the department’s district six deputy director twice.

Previously, Marchbanks worked in the private sector as a Marketing Director for PRIME AE Group, a minority-owned architectural and engineering firm.

The Columbus Dispatch reported:

Ohio Gov.-elect Mike DeWine rounded out his roster of cabinet directors Thursday, making 13 appointments to only leave the Department of Health without a new leader.

DeWine, the Republican attorney general who will take office Monday to succeed two-term Republican John Kasich, said he compiled a cabinet committed to fostering innovation and new ideas.

“You have to want to make a difference,” he said of his cabinet nominees. “They all share my sense of urgency … the status quo is not acceptable.”

Jack Marchbanks, Department of Transportation, succeeding Jerry Wray. Marchbanks is currently assistant director business and human resources at the department and is a former district director.

Read more in the Columbus Dispatch.

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