Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin on Friday named a veteran business executive and transportation expert from Norfolk to be his secretary of transportation.

       W. Sheppard “Shep” Miller III, a member of the state’s transportation regulatory board, was named to the post, in which he will oversee investments in critical transportation infrastructure.

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       Miller will succeed Transportation Secretary Shannon Valentine, who has led efforts to double passenger rail service in the state and expand highway capacity with the addition of high-occupancy toll lanes in efforts to tackle congestion in Northern Virginia and other parts of the state.

       “Shep will be an invaluable leader as Secretary of Transportation as we fulfill our promises to all Virginians to invest in roads, highways, and transportation infrastructure in every corner of the Commonwealth, so we can jumpstart job growth and keep Virginians moving,” Youngkin (R) said in his announcement.

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       Miller is a lifelong resident of Norfolk. He retired in 2017 as chairman of the defense contracting firm Kitco Fiber Optics. He has served as a member of multiple higher-education boards, including the boards of Hampden-Sydney College, Washington College and the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges.

       With minimal transportation platform, Youngkin will take over a Virginia with many road, rail priorities

       He was appointed by Gov. Ralph Northam (D) in 2018 to serve on the Commonwealth Transportation Board, which oversees and distributes funding to transportation projects and initiatives in the state. He previously served on the board from 2011 to 2014.

       As a member of the CTB, Miller has supported funding highway-widening projects, including toll road projects, as well as expanding passenger rail service in the state.

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       Youngkin, a multimillionaire from Great Falls who won his first run for political office, will take office Jan. 15. His administration will take over a Virginia that has set big transportation goals, including the expansion of commuter and intercity rail, transit investments and addressing highway congestion and climate change.

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       With a $3.7 billion program, Virginia is set to widen passenger service significantly this decade by building a new rail bridge over the Potomac River, adding tracks in the Washington-Richmond corridor and buying hundreds of miles of passenger right of way from CSX.

       Virginia is a rising leader in passenger rail. Here’s how it happened.

       Youngkin also must advance an accord with Maryland to replace the American Legion Bridge, a multibillion-dollar project to relieve congestion at the worst traffic bottleneck in the Washington region. In western Virginia, officials are pushing for improvements to the Interstate 81 corridor, which carries significant freight traffic.