Gov. Phil Bryant announced today that he has appointed Harry Lee James state aid engineer in the Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction.
James will replace Carey Webb, who has worked in various capacities at the Office of State Aid Road Construction for 29 years. Webb has been a state aid engineer since 2012.
“Carey Webb has faithfully served the people of Mississippi at the Office of State Aid Road Construction for almost 30 years, and I wish him well upon his retirement,” Gov. Bryant said.
James first went to work at the Mississippi Department of Transportation in 1982, as an engineer in the agency’s Bridge Division, a role he served in until 1999. He served as MnDOT’s state bridge engineer until 2003. From 2003-2008, he was deputy director and chief engineer in MDOT’s Office of Highways. He joined the private sector in 2009, as executive director of the Mississippi Concrete Industries Association. Since 2016, James has served as a consultant to the Office of State Aid Road Construction.
“Harry Lee James’ decades of experience planning, designing and maintaining Mississippi roads and bridges make him the perfect fit to lead the Office of State Aid Construction,” said Gov. Bryant. “I am pleased he has accepted this appointment.”
James earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Mississippi State University in 1976. He is a registered professional engineer and registered professional land surveyor.
“I am honored to serve as state aid engineer and appreciate the governor’s confidence in appointing me to this position,” James said. “I look forward to serving Mississippi and working with the men and women of the Office of State Aid Road Construction as we keep Mississippi moving forward.”
James is a 2003 graduate of Indiana University’s National Transportation Leadership Institute. In 2004, he was recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of Mississippi State’s Bagley College of Engineering. He was the Mississippi Engineering Society’s Engineer of the Year in 2005.
A seventh-generation resident of Madison County, James is a lifetime member of First Presbyterian Church in Canton, where he has served as an elder since 2014. He and his wife, Cynthia, have been married 29 years. They have two grown daughters.
