Caltrans official Mario Orso named to lead SANDAG as new CEO

The county’s regional planning agency has hired a top local transportation official as its new chief executive after a nationwide search that began this winter.

The San Diego Association of Governments announced Friday that its new leader will be Mario Orso, who has been serving as chief deputy director of the local district of the California Department of Transportation.

Orso’s hiring comes shortly after federal agents began looking into management practices at SANDAG, where a recent internal review found a staggering lack of oversight and disclosure on its troubled toll-collecting contracting.

Orso appears to have the qualifications the SANDAG board laid out when they launched the national search for a new chief executive. They said they were seeking an expert in transportation and regional planning, capital development and operations.

“Our board made a commitment to select a proven leader with decades of experience to prioritize our community’s needs,” said county Supervisor Nora Vargas, who serves as chair of the SANDAG board. “Mr. Orso is dedicated to the people of this region and has demonstrated his commitment by successfully building teams, delivering major infrastructure projects, and bringing hundreds of millions of dollars to the San Diego region.”

Vargas also praised Orso as “forward thinking, collaborative, and fiscally responsible.”

He replaces Hasan Ikhrata, who resigned in December after five years running the regional planning agency. Since his resignation, longtime SANDAG official Coleen Clementson has served as interim chief executive.

Orso said he is honored to be selected for the job, which he will begin June 17. The board has given him a three-year contract.

Ikhrata’s annual salary was $414,000, and Clementson is being paid $380,000. Orso will be paid $385,000.

“In partnership with the board, we will be laser focused on our core mission and commitments to the people of the San Diego region,” Orso said. “With more than 200 projects under way, our partnerships are going to be more important than ever to make the most of our investments to improve mobility, equity, safety and our economy.”

Orso will oversee more than 400 SANDAG employees and the agency’s annual $1.2 billion budget.

Orso has more than 32 years of experience at Caltrans, working his way up from a junior civil engineer position after earning a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University.

At Caltrans, he served as corridor project director for the South County and Trade corridors, as the district’s first Native American liaison and as intergovernmental review branch chief.

Last year, he was appointed acting director of Caltrans District 12 in Orange County.

The SANDAG board’s selection of a new chief executive comes earlier than expected. Board officials previously said they expected to name a new leader in May.

SANDAG focuses mostly on transportation and transit infrastructure. But it also studies air quality, clean energy, public health and housing.

Its board includes representatives from all 18 cities in San Diego County and the county government.