Alpesh Patel is the Director of the N.C. Department of Transportation's Office of Strategic Advancement (OSA).
As director, Patel leads a team that drives technology adoption, oversees performance management and stays at the forefront of policy and research. OSA evaluates emerging technologies, manages NCDOT's strategic planning process and analyzes federal policy and long‑term funding impacts. The office also serves as a resource for the Secretary of Transportation and senior leadership.
Patel has more than 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors. He completed a 20-year career at NCDOT from 1995 to 2015 before joining a consulting firm for nine years, where he led the firm's North Carolina office and worked with other DOTs across the country.
Patel returned to NCDOT in October 2024 to lead the Transportation Planning Division, where he oversaw the development of long-range transportation plans, travel demand models and traffic forecasts for internal customers and external partners. His experience and progressive expertise extend across data analytics, systems planning, freight/logistics analysis, corridor planning, project prioritization and state/local programming.
Patel earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, cum laude, at N.C. State University and is a graduate of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' National Transportation Leadership Institute.
He lives in Raleigh with his wife and two daughters.