Kent Abernathy
Commissioner
Kent Abernathy was named as Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation in January 2025 by incoming Gov. Mike Braun. Kent brings a strong background of state agency administrative experience and a history of boosting agency performance levels to INDOT. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Following graduation, he served nearly seven years on active duty, including tours in South Korea and with the 82nd Airborne Division. Beginning in 1986, Kent spent more than 15 years in the private sector, as a corporate banker and business consultant, where he gained a comprehensive knowledge of the factors that drive successful business and economic growth. In 2003, Kent volunteered to return to active duty in the United States Army, serving in leadership positions at the Pentagon and in Baghdad, Iraq. Kent returned to Indiana in 2010 and served five years as chief of staff for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management under the administration of Gov. Mitch Daniels. In February 2015, Gov. Mike Pence appointed him as Commissioner of the 1,400-employee Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.