Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has appointed Don Hunt as executive director of the Colorado Dept. of Transportation.

Hunt was most recently president of Denver-based Antero, where he specialized in project development and management. While at Antero, Hunt was appointed by Hickenlooper to implement and manage the $550-million Denver Bond program.

“Donald Hunt has the depth and breadth of experience to tackle the wide variety of transportation issues facing Colorado,” Hickenlooper said. “Colorado’s transportation needs are as varied as its scenery. Don is one of the country’s finest transportation thinkers, and he knows how to bring projects in on time and under budget.”

Previously, Hunt was president and CEO of BRW Inc., a national transportation and urban development consulting company. Among the projects Hunt has led or been involved in: the Washington, D.C., Memorial Core Transportation Study; the White House Comprehensive Design Plan; the Salt Lake City Light Rail Transit System; Denver Union Station Terminal Intermodal Study; 15th Street/Central Platte Valley Design; Pike’s Peak Highway Plan; the Auraria Parkway Design; and the C-470 Land Use Impact Study.

“Transportation is one of the big engines powering economic activity in Colorado,” Hunt said. “It’s always important for all of us to work smart and be the best at what we do. In these economic times, it’s even more important for us to be efficient. I want that for myself and for the Dept. of Transportation. I look forward to helping solve the transportation challenges facing Colorado.”

Hunt earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Minnesota—one in environmental design and another in landscape architecture. He later earned a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Harvard University.