Coos County has hired a Coos Bay man to serve as the new roadmaster of the Coos County Road Department starting Feb. 2.

According to a late morning press release, the county hired John Rowe on Monday.

Rowe has 25 years experience in road construction, including stints with Knife River,  LTM,  Bracelin & Yeager and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Rowe attended Chemeketa Community College in Salem and has a degree in civil engineering and forest technology. He also is a licensed surveyor. He worked as a highway engineer for ODOT and managed construction projects for public and private entities, including the production and placement of asphalt for eight years in the private sector.

Rowe recently was laid off from LTM, said Bobbie Brooks, the assistant to the commissioners.

 “John is a perfect fit for Coos County and his experience is just what we have been looking for to move us forward in upgrades to our current road system,” Commissioner Kevin Stufflebean said in the release. “His strengths and background parallel with our future goals of Coos County road system.”

 Rowe will be starting at a base salary of $4,734 per month, the same salary earned by the previous roadmaster, Larry Van Elsberg, who resigned in April 2007. Stufflebean has since served as interim roadmaster.