Amid ongoing Helene recovery, NC Gov. Stein names new transportation secretary
Joey Hopkins had planned to retire last winter as state secretary of Transportation. More than 30 years with the N.C. Department of Transportation was a good career, and the end of Gov. Roy Cooper’s tenure in office seemed like a good time to move on.
But after Hurricane Helene handed NCDOT the greatest challenge in its history, Hopkins was persuaded to stay.
Now, with initial repairs to roads and bridges in Western North Carolina nearly complete, Hopkins will retire on Oct. 1.
His successor will be deputy secretary Daniel Johnson, who also serves as NCDOT’s general counsel. Gov. Josh Stein announced the change late Friday.
“We have much work ahead to strengthen our infrastructure in Western North Carolina, as well as to lead our entire state into the future of transportation,” Stein said in a statement. “With his record of public service, leadership, and expertise in transportation, Daniel Johnson is the right person for the job.”
Johnson joined NCDOT in 2017 after work as a lawyer in private practice and as an assistant district attorney in Wake County. He previously served as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy, where he received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the highest non-combat decoration awarded for heroism.
Johnson is a native of Hickory and earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Cooper named Hopkins to the top NCDOT job two years ago. A graduate of N.C. State University, he began his career in the regional office that covers Wake and Durham counties, eventually becoming the top engineer there. He moved to NCDOT headquarters in Raleigh and in 2022 was named the department’s chief operating officer.
He was planning his retirement when Helene struck, Stein said. The storm did an estimated $5 billion in damage to roads and bridges in Western North Carolina, more than every storm to hit the state in 25 years combined.
“I asked him to delay his retirement to help steer us through the early phases of recovery and rebuilding,” Stein said. “I am so grateful that he did.”
In a written statement, Johnson paid tribute to his predecessor.
“Secretary Hopkins leaves a legacy of leadership that I can only hope to continue,” he said. “We must continue the task of building a transportation system that meets the needs of our growing state, and I am eager to get to work.”
