Scott names FDOT secretary

Gov. Rick Scott named insider Ananth Prasad late Monday the new secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) following a lengthy vetting process.

Prasad will manage the $7 billion agency, which oversees highway and other infrastructure projects that are part of Scott's 7-7-7 Jobs Plan, including port dredging, highway expansion and maintenance projects.

Prior to his appointment as secretary of FDOT, Prasad served as the assistant secretary for engineering and operations for the agency. Prasad rejoined FDOT in July 2010 after serving for two years as a vice president of a construction services firm.

Prasad has 20 years of experience in the transportation industry, including 18 years with FDOT where he previously held the positions of the chief engineer and director of construction. He was responsible for implementing various contracting techniques, including public-private partnerships. Prasad holds a master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Florida.