Biography

Secretary Joe Donahue 

Terrence “Joe” Donahue Jr. was appointed Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development by Governor Jeff Landry on Jan. 5, 2024. A native of Baton Rouge, Secretary Donahue earned both his undergraduate and juris doctorate degrees from Louisiana State University.

Secretary Donahue’s legal career spans more than a decade, throughout which he founded and led the Donahue Law Firm in the practice of property, personal injury, civil rights, construction law and mass torts.

No stranger to public service, Secretary Donahue served as a department attorney from 2018 to 2022 where he was responsible for litigation and negotiation on property matters. He also served as the department’s Innovative Procurement attorney, a role in which he was responsible for procurement and administration of contracts for alternative delivery projects.

Upon leaving DOTD, Secretary Donahue served as Assistant Attorney General where he oversaw operation of Louisiana’s Occupational Licensing Review Program, provided litigation support for the Civil Division and continued to aide Louisiana’s transportation efforts, providing technical and legal support for matters involving DOTD.