Today, Waterways Council, Inc.’s (WCI) Board of Directors unanimously elected Mike Toohey as the organization’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Toohey will assume his duties effective August 14.
With more than 30 years of federal government expertise, Toohey most recently served as Consultant with The Livingston Group’s Transportation, Shipbuilding, Shipping and Ports practice area. Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Government Affairs for Ashland Inc., a chemical, energy and construction company. During his 19 years with Ashland, Toohey served as the principle representative to the federal government and also supervised state government relations for this Fortune 500 corporation. His responsibilities also included leadership positions as the Chair of the American Chemistry Council’s Federal Legislative Roundtable and Chairman of the Board of the American Highway Users Alliance, and board positions with WCI, and the Danny Thompson Memorial Foundation.
President George H. W. Bush nominated Toohey as Assistant Secretary of Transportation, where he served from 1992 to 1993 following confirmation by the United States Senate. He also served as Staff Director for the Republican Staff of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, and the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries during his 14-year tenure with the U.S. House of Representatives.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry from the University of California, Berkeley.