Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed a double alumnus to be interim director of the D.C. Department of Transportation.
Bowser announced in a statement Tuesday that Jeff Marootian will fill the agency’s top position starting next week. Marootian, who earned both his Bachelor of Arts degree and master’s in public administration from GW, currently serves as the deputy director of DDOT and has held the position since March.
On Aug. 11, Marootian will replace the current director, Leif Dormsjo, who announced his resignation last week after leading the department for more than two years.
During his time at GW, Marootian ran for Student Association president in 2000 and served as a Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood commissioner.
Marootian was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve in the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2013, according to his biography. He served as the White House Liaison and the Department’s Assistant Secretary for Administration during his time there.
He also worked as the customer service officer at DDOT from 2008 to 2011, where he focused on working with ANCs, the public and District officials. In 2004, he served as a capital city fellow at DDOT – a program where graduates of master’s programs work for the city.
Marootian couldn’t be reached for comment.
Bowser also announced in the same release that the first fleet of new Circulator buses arrived in the District, which were brought in to improve the bus system’s reliability after repeated breakdowns.
