Stuart Adams, a former state lawmaker from Davis County, has been asked by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. to head the state's Transportation Commission.

The commission is a seven-member board that decides which state roads get funding for improvements or construction. Adams replaces Glen Brown, who served as chairman for 13 years.

Brown, who did not return phone calls seeking comment Tuesday, has a minimum of one year left as a commissioner. Adams was appointed to the commission last month.

The governor's spokesman, Mike Mower, said that Brown would remain a member of the commission. Mower also said that a number of routine changes to other state boards and commissions would be announced this morning.

Those changes likely will include some new faces, Mower said, because Huntsman is attempting to limit appointees in his administration to two terms, just as he has pledged to do himself as governor. A number of board and commission appointments are set to expire June 30.

"The governor has been very clear that he's in favor of term limits," Mower said. "With rare exceptions, after people have served two terms on a state board or commission, he's thanked them for their service and invited others to serve."

The appointments still must go through the Senate confirmation process and are expected to be voted on during the Legislature's next interim day, June 20.

In an interview Tuesday, Adams said he was honored to serve but believed the assignment would be challenging. He did not say why the governor chose him or whether he had been given any specific guidelines for how to lead the commission.

"I'll tell you in a month," Adams said about his responsibilities as commission chairman.

Adams praised Brown's work on the commission. "I have the greatest respect for him. He's a friend," Adams said.

Before serving as the commission chairman, Brown was a member of the Utah House of Representatives from 1977 to 1992. During that time, he served as House speaker, majority whip and majority leader.

As commission chairman, Adams will bring four years of experience from the Legislature and nine as a member of the Layton City Council. He served on the Legislature's Transportation Committee and was a key player in the negotiations between the state and Sierra Club to end the lawsuit over the Legacy Parkway.

Brown, as Transportation Commission chairman, was opposed to the negotiations.

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Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com