Former Oklahoma Transportation Secretary Phil Tomlinson died this week in Shawnee. He was 77 and his death prompted Governor Mary Fallin to issue a statement, saying Tomlinson had served the state with “great distinction.”
“He served six years as secretary of transportation under former Governor Brad Henry, and also served as director of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, where he was instrumental in modernizing agency contracts for real estate and travel stops.”
Tomlinson also served as the coordinator of rural economic development programs for former Governors Dewey Bartlett and David Hall. Tomlinson was director of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority in the Henry Administration from 2005 to 2009.
It was in 2003 when governor Brad Henry appointed Tomlinson to be his first Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation. It was Tomlinson who told the state legislature in 2007 that the state had not benefited much from being a member of the North American SuperCooridor Coalition, but still urged the legislature to continue to participate in the organization.
He resigned as Transportation Secretary in April 2009 but continued as Director of the Turnpike Authority, indicating he wanted to reduce his workload.
The funeral for Tomlinson will be held Saturday, April 2 at 11 a.m. at the Northridge Church of Christ in Shawnee.
