Credit: Eliza Wiley / MTFP

Montana Department of Transportation Director Mack Long is retiring, the office of Gov. Greg Gianforte said in an announcement Friday.

Long, who has headed the department since his appointment by Gianforte in January 2021, will be replaced in an interim capacity by deputy director Larry Flynn.

“I’m grateful to Mack for his leadership at MDT and his service to the people of Montana,” Gianforte said in a statement. “On his watch, the agency has emphasized the importance of customer service and streamlined permitting to improve our state’s transportation infrastructure. I appreciate the personal sacrifice Mack and his family made as he entered public service. I’ll miss the good-natured approach he brought to serving Montana and wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.”

Long’s retirement is effective March 22. Before joining the Gianforte administration, he was the president of JTL Group, a construction firm founded by his father, and also owned an oilfield services company, the governor’s office said.

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Raised in Arizona, Arren is no stranger to the issues impacting Western states, having a keen interest in the politics of land, transportation and housing. Prior to moving to Montana, Arren was a statehouse reporter for the Arizona Capitol Times and covered agricultural and trade policy for Politico in Washington, D.C. In Montana, he has carved out a niche in shoe-leather heavy muckraking based on public documents and deep sourcing that keeps elected officials uncomfortable and the public better informed.