Aaron Earwood, NCDOT Regional Bridge Construction Engineer
Aaron Earwood is a graduate of UNC Charlotte and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He has worked with NCDOT since 1998 and has worked with the Construction Unit as a Bridge Construction Engineer since 2008. He is currently the Regional Bridge Construction Engineer for the Eastern Region.
Joey Hopkins, NCDOT Chief Operating Officer
As chief operating officer, Joey Hopkins oversees the Division of Highways, Ferry Division, Aviation Division, Rail Division, the Integrated Mobility Division, Division of Planning & Programming, and the Communications Office.
Hopkins has worked at NCDOT for more than 30 years in a variety of roles. As deputy chief engineer, he managed the Division of Planning and Programming, the Transportation Planning Division and the Regional Accountants. He also previously served as division engineer, deputy division engineer, division maintenance engineer and division operations engineer in Division 5.
He was a member of NCDOT’s Transformation Management Team and was instrumental in developing the Strategic Prioritization Process, the forerunner of the Strategic Mobility Formula. This data driven process is used to help prioritize transportation projects in North Carolina. The Strategic Transportation Investments Law passed in 2013 allows NCDOT to use existing funding more efficiently and effectively to enhance North Carolina’s infrastructure, while supporting economic growth, job creation and improved quality of life.
Hopkins is graduate of N.C. State University. He is a member of Amelia Christian Church in Clayton and is a member and past President of the Clayton Civitan Club. He lives in Garner with his wife Terry, a retired NCDOT engineer, and their two sons, Kelly and Billy.
Robbie Isgett, SCDOT Director of Construction
Robert Isgett is the Director of Construction at the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT). Isgett has more than 20 years of service with SCDOT.
Isgett began his career at SCDOT in 1999 as an Assistant Resident Construction Engineer in the West Columbia Construction Office. He was promoted to Resident Construction Engineer and later became the Assistant District Construction Engineer followed by the District Construction Engineer in District 1. Isgett is also a Lieutenant with the U.S. Naval Reserve.
He received his Bachelors’ Degree in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1996 and is a Registered Professional Engineer in South Carolina. Originally from Darlington, Isgett is married with two children and resides in Lexington.
Andy Leaphart, SCDOT Chief Engineer for Operations
Andrew Leaphart is Chief Engineer for Operations at the SC Department of Transportation. Leaphart began his SCDOT career in Traffic Engineering in 1992 after earning a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Clemson University. Before beginning his current role, he served as the Director of Support Services for three years and spent four years prior serving as the Assistant Chief Engineer for Operations. He holds a Professional Engineer’s license (PE). He is a graduate of Leadership South Carolina and the Certified Public Manager programs and resides in Lexington.
Wiley Jones, NCDOT State Construction Engineer
Wiley Jones is a 1995 graduate of N.C. State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. Wiley has worked for the Department of Transportation for over 26 years where he has served in several engineering positions including Resident Engineer, Construction Claims Engineer, State Pavement Construction Engineer, Area Roadway Construction Engineer, and Assistant State Construction Engineer for the Eastern Region. Wiley also has worked for a private engineering firm prior to rejoining the Department in 2017. Wiley is a registered Professional Engineer, and he was promoted to the State Construction Engineer position in October 2022.
Chris Peoples, NCDOT Chief Engineer
In June 2022, Chris Peoples was named chief engineer for the N.C. Department of Transportation. As chief engineer, he oversees and directs the engineering and program activities of NCDOT’s 14 highway divisions, Transportation Mobility and Safety Division, the Central Units, and the Technical Services Division.
Peoples has worked at NCDOT for more than 26 years, serving in several field engineering positions, including state materials engineer and director of field support. He became deputy chief engineer in 2019, responsible for directing field support and highway operations units and supported the highway divisions’ construction, maintenance, and operations activities.
Peoples is a 1993 graduate of N.C. State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering.
Justin Powell, SCDOT Chief of Staff
Justin Powell was named SCDOT Chief of Staff in September 2022. As the SCDOT Chief of staff, Powell is charged with the oversight and execution of a number of strategic initiatives on behalf of the agency.
Powell was appointed by Secretary Hall in 2019 to be the Deputy Secretary for Finance and Administration at the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Previously, he served as Assistant County Administrator in Horry County where he provided financial leadership to the County's $500 million roads sales tax program, doubled local funding for transit, and managed a project to restore freight rail service to a three-county region. In addition, Powell has also worked at other local government agencies including the City of Greenville, Dorchester County, and Fairfax County, VA.
He holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor's degree from Wofford College.
Josh Quattlebaum, SCDOT Bridge Construction Engineer/Co-Chair CAGC/SCDOT Joint Bridge Subcommittee
Josh is a Bridge Construction Engineer in the Director of Construction Office for SCDOT, and the current co-chair of the CAGC/SCDOT Joint Bridge Subcommittee. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, receiving his BS and MS in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Prior to joining the department as a geotechnical engineer in 2014, he previously worked in the private sector as a structural designer, materials engineer, and geotechnical engineer with two local consulting firms. Josh is a registered professional engineer in SC and currently resides in Irmo with his wife Leah, also an engineer with SCDOT, and their two children.
Clay Richter, SCDOT State Construction Engineer/Co-Chair CAGC/SCDOT Road Subcommittee
Clay is the State Construction Engineer for SCDOT in the Director of Construction Office, and the co-chair of the CAGC/SCDOT Road Subcommittee. He is a 2003 graduate of Clemson University and has worked for SCDOT for 20 years. Clay began his career at SCDOT in the Beaufort/Jasper Construction office, gaining progressive experience in field construction and inspection that lead him to be the Resident Construction Engineer in both Abbeville and Anderson. Clay is a registered professional engineer in South Carolina and currently lives in Lexington with his wife Ruth and their two children.
Boyd Tharrington, NCDOT State Construction Engineer
Boyd Tharrington is a 1999 graduate from NC State with a BS in Civil Engineering. He has 19 Years of service with the Department of Transportation which covers five years as Assistant Resident Engineer, twelve years as Resident Engineer, and two years as Division Construction Engineer. He is a register professional engineer in North Carolina.