Mayor Brandon Johnson has elevated Craig Turner, the Chicago Department of Transportation’s first deputy commissioner, to serve as the agency’s acting commissioner.
Turner replaces Tom Carney, department spokesperson Erica Schroeder said. Carney left City Hall this month amid Johnson’s clearing house of agency heads who were holdovers from former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration.
Turner has served as the Transportation Department’s first deputy commissioner since June 2024. He previously led the department’s electrical operations division.
Turner took on that role in September 2020, when he first joined CDOT after more than a decade working at Milhouse Engineering & Construction, where he rose to director of civil transportation, according to his LinkedIn profile. Turner holds state licenses as a professional engineer and professional land surveyor.
In a statement, Turner said he is honored to lead the department and to “continue modernizing Chicago’s infrastructure and enhancing safety and accessibility across the city.
“I look forward to building on CDOT’s momentum in delivering infrastructure improvements that enhance quality of life in every neighborhood. From improving streets and sidewalks to upgrading lighting and maintaining bridges and viaducts, our work is focused on ensuring that people can move safely and efficiently throughout Chicago, no matter their destination or mode of transportation.
“While continuing to strengthen everyday neighborhood services, we’re also advancing the major capital projects that will shape the city’s future,” Turner said.
Turner began his work in government at the Illinois Department of Transportation and later served at the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, according to CDOT. From 2002 to 2020, he worked at private engineering firms. At CDOT, he played a leadership role in the delivery of the Chicago Smart Lighting Program, CDOT said.
Turner is a Chicago native and attended Chicago Public Schools, according to CDOT. He lives on the West Side with his wife and their two daughters. He received his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, studied land surveying coursework at Purdue University Calumet, and recently completed his master of science in management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Carney left his post as commissioner after more than 20 years with the agency to spend time with family. Johnson had picked Carney as commissioner in March 2024, several months after Carney took on the role of acting commissioner when then-CDOT Commissioner Gia Biagi resigned during Lightfoot’s administration. Biagi now runs the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Johnson appoints the Transportation Department’s acting commissioner and non-acting commissioner, which must be approved by the City Council.
In a statement, Johnson’s office said the mayor “is thankful for Craig Turner for stepping into this position to lead CDOT during this transformational period for our city. Craig is a professional with decades of experience in the engineering and transportation industry. Craig’s deep expertise will provide a steady hand as the mayor works to identify a permanent commissioner.”