JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A new leader has been named for the Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction.

Gov. Phil Bryant announced on June 29 that he is appointing Harry Lee James as the state aid engineer.

James succeeds Carey Webb, who has held the job since 2012 and is retiring when the state budget year ends June 30.

The office runs a program to help the state's 82 counties build and maintain roads and bridges that are not owned by the state. It also administers a local bridge replacement and rehabilitation program.

James worked for the Mississippi Department of Transportation from 1982 to 2008. He became executive director of the Mississippi Concrete Industries Association in 2009. Since 2016, he has worked as a consultant to the Office of State Aid Road Construction.

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