Home / News /

Showdown At DOT Today? Worries Rise As New Potential Blockbuster Stories Are Emerging

November 13, 2008 — Georgia DOT Commissioner Gena Evans may well be moving on as early as late today. My sources tell me that the DOT Board has moved towards an inevitable parting of the ways with Evans. This as new television stories ran last evening. Meanwhile, new revelations are reportedly brewing with at least three additional news organizations.

Reports tell me that now a majority of the members have decided that Evans has become too much of a distraction to be capable of continuing to lead the embattled organization.

While many agree that she has brought necessary scrutiny to DOT operations, her management style has reportedly brought department morale to an all-time low. DOT members are becoming increasingly concerned that the actions by Evans do not reflect their directives and that the continual disclosure of new issues related to the DOT, including yet to be disclosed new stories of a more serious and far reaching nature, could, as one observer told me, “bring down the whole shooting-match.” By shooting- match, my source said he did not mean “just the DOT.”

Meanwhile, many members are reportedly concerned that their “CEO” continues to sometimes act in direct opposition of their own board directions and board votes (See Harry Truman/Douglas MacArthur). Making things all the more difficult is the fact that the DOT is elected by state legislators. A statewide survey (InsiderAdvantage, our parent company, polls each week in Georgia) shows that an increasing percentage of Georgians are aware of Ms. Evans and ironically, among female respondents her unfavorable rating runs three times that of her favorable numbers. Any name identification for a DOT Commissioner is virtually unheard of in political polling. This increased public interest has led to legislators reportedly catching increasing heat from civic leaders- to- (hey, do we have any “hockey-moms?) female voters—the most potent force in Republican primaries.

Evans is considered a bright and capable manager and created high hopes for change at the DOT. But even those closest to Governor Sonny Perdue are concerned that the Evans matter may well diminish his ultimate ability to effect transportation change and might have even more significant implications. As one Evans supporter told me “The personal stuff on Gena was low and out of bounds. But the problem is, there are other potentially significant shoes (of a non-personal nature) to drop and the blow might be crushing for all.”

Evans’ fate, even if she survives a rumored potential vote today (there is nothing on any agenda stating that her employment is to be discussed but the Morris News Service reported her job would be a topic taken up) seems increasingly in doubt. The stories that at first seemed tawdry and silly are now turning into potentially serious matters. Stay tuned.

Have a story? Email garyoreese@insideradvantage.com Just remember our rule—we don’t write stories about the personal lives of public figures (we already know them all, so don’t bother!)