Robert (Mike) Sullivan, U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration

Robert (Mike) Sullivan is the Director of the Great Lakes Gateway for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) with responsibilities to assist ports in the 8 states surrounding the Great Lakes, including Wisconsin. He is responsible for the promotion of projects that advance the Department of Transportation’s objectives to enhance safety, reduce congestion, support economic growth and promote the overall maritime transportation system.  He was appointed to serve in the position in April 2020.

Mike has worked in transportation planning and public policy for more than 15 years at the federal, state, regional, and local levels and in both the public and private sectors. Mike has extensive transportation programming and grant writing experience, including assisting in the development of regional long range transportation plans and multi-year highway improvement programs. As a transportation planner, Mike has facilitated the development of a variety of transportation, community, and environmental planning projects, including statewide, regional, and community plans emphasizing flexible implementation approaches and multimodal transportation options.

Mike earned a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in business and economics, and a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University.