Dane County Executive Joe Parisi Names Clement Abongwa as New Department of Highway & Transportation Commissioner

February 29, 2024
Ariana Vruwink, 608-267-8823
County Executive

Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced Clement Abongwa as the new Commissioner for the Dane County Department of Highway & Transportation. Abongwa has extensive experience in transportation infrastructure design, construction project management, civil engineering application, and highway operations maintenance. His past roles include serving as the Kenosha County Public Works Highway Commissioner and Wisconsin Department of Transportation Southeast Freeway Construction Supervisor.

“I am excited to welcome Clement to the Dane County team,” said County Executive Parisi. “His 26 years of experience in the public works and transportation sector make him the ideal candidate for leading our Highway & Transportation Department into the future, as our community’s infrastructure continues to grow.”

During his eight-year tenure as the Kenosha County Public Works Highway Commissioner, Abongwa was responsible for managing and maintaining 250 centerline miles of County trunk highways and 150 centerline miles of State trunk highways and related infrastructure. He also developed and managed an annual capital/operating budget of $20-30 million while leading the management and continuous improvement of a variety of administrative, fleet maintenance, engineering, traffic safety, and asset management programs.

“I’m humbled and excited to have this opportunity to serve the community in which I live,” said Abongwa. “I pledge to serve with integrity, dedication, and selflessness. Dane County continues to grow, and it will be a privilege to be a part of its dedicated team.”

While at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Abongwa managed the Southeast Freeway Backbone Team with an annual budget of $68 million and a hybrid team of in-house and consulting staff. He also developed and implemented a new project delivery model designed to aggressively deliver several high-profile, major projects in the Southeast Region.

Abongwa previously served as a civil engineer for the City of Kenosha Department of Public Works, where he developed specifications, cost estimates, and bid documents for civil engineering design and construction projects. He also performed project management activities for a variety of municipal infrastructure and capital improvement projects.

Abongwa received both his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and Master of Science degree in Structural Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria. His confirmation as Commissioner of the Dane County Highway & Transportation Department is pending final approval by the County Board.