B.S. in civil engineering, 1978
For over four decades, Mike Hancock has been a dedicated leader and public servant in infrastructure development for the Commonwealth.
A native of Princeton, Kentucky, Hancock earned an associate degree from Hopkinsville Community College before pursuing his Bachelor of Science in civil engineering at the University of Kentucky, graduating in 1978 as a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Engineering Scholarship recipient.
After graduation, Hancock took his first job with KYTC as a planning engineer in the Division of Facilities Planning, followed by his tenure in the Divisions of Multimodal Planning and Program Management. In 1996, his leadership and expertise landed him the role of deputy state highway engineer for planning and program management in the State Highway Engineer’s Office, where he became KYTC’s expert on the Six-Year Highway Plan. He frequently represented Kentucky in discussions with state and national leaders and worked closely with Kentucky’s congressional delegation on transportation issues.
Hancock served as chief of staff to two KYTC secretaries from 2007-08 and was Secretary Joe Prather’s state highway engineer in 2009. In 2010, he was appointed secretary of transportation by Gov. Steve Beshear and served until early 2016. In this role, Hancock oversaw major projects such as the I-64 Sherman Minton Bridge closure, Brent Spence Bridge, Milton-Madison Bridge, Kentucky Lake Bridge, Lake Barkley Bridge and Louisville Bridges Project. He also managed I-69 development, I-65 and I-64 widening, Mountain Parkway expansion, and the US-460 Appalachian Corridor Q relocation in Pike County.
Hancock continued his career in the private sector from 2016 through 2019. In 2020, he returned to the KYTC when he was appointed by Gov. Andy Beshear into his current role of deputy secretary.
Hancock was president of the Southeastern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, chairman of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Standing Committee on Planning and a member of the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board, a national panel that guides U.S. transportation research. His expertise in transportation policy and planning led to his election as president of AASHTO in 2013.
For his outstanding service to state infrastructure, Hancock was inducted into the Kentucky Transportation Hall of Fame in 2017, cementing his legacy in the field. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to advancing transportation in Kentucky and beyond, always pursuing “the art of the possible” in delivering critical infrastructure projects for the people of Kentucky.
