OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee has announced the appointment of Roger Millar as secretary of the state Department of Transportation.

Millar has been serving as acting secretary since February, when he replaced Lynn Peterson, who was ousted by the Senate when majority Republicans and a Democrat who caucuses with them took the rare move of rejecting her gubernatorial appointment. Millar’s appointment was announced Tuesday.

According to the governor’s office, prior to joining the agency, Millar served as vice president of a national organization, providing technical assistance to state transportation agencies in several states.

In a written statement, Inslee said that Millar has “proven to be a well-respected leader with an impressive ability to bring people together and find sensible solutions to difficult problems.”