NASHVILLE (AP) - Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's Department of Transportation has hired a new chief environment and planning officer and replaced a green logo introduced by his Democratic predecessor.

The new logo features the department's TDOT acronym on a red field patterned on the Tennessee flag and in the shape of the state's boundaries. It replaces a green-themed symbol introduced by former Gov. Phil Bredesen as part of an effort to emphasize environmental priorities.

Adetokunbo "Toks" Omishakin, director of healthy living initiatives for Nashville mayor Karl Dean, takes over the vacant position of TDOT's assistant commissioner for environment and planning on Monday.

Transportation commissioner John Schroer previously elevated his top engineer, Paul Degges, and new chief administrator, Joseph Galbato III, to deputy commissioners. But Omishakin remains at the lower assistant commissioner level.

Those positions were placed on e qual footing with the environmental chief under Bredesen - to stress that environmental and community priorities would carry the same weight as engineering plans. The move was heavily criticized at the time by the influential road builders lobby.

Degges' promotion carried a 44-percent raise to $138,500 a year. TDOT did not immediately provide salary information for Omishakin or Galbato.

The management of TDOT during the administration of then-Gov. Don Sundquist became a major issue during the campaign to succeed the term-limited Republican in 2002.

Bredesen declared during the 2002 governor's race that TDOT was "out of control," and ran campaign ads pledging to clean up the troubled agency that had been the target of outside lawsuits and frequent fines by the state Department of Environment and Conservation.

Haslam and Schroer have denied that the changes signal a retreat from environmental concerns. The governor said recently that it's up to Schroer t o decide how best to structure his department as part of the "top to bottom" review that he has assigned each agency in state government.

TDOT last month rejected an Associated Press records request for any items relating to that review as either too broad or for seeking confidential information.

The new logo was selected in a vote among TDOT's employees among three options that varied only in color scheme. The old logo was not an option.

Schroer said in a release that the new logo is more in tune with other state departments.

"TDOT's logo should represent the department's commitment to the people of Tennessee and our connection to other state agencies," he said. "We are a large agency with facilities in all 95 Tennessee counties and this new look will provide TDOT with a strong identity that symbolizes unity and pride in the state we represent."

The department said it will continue to use the current logo featuring a green arrow for its SmartWAY Intelligent Transportation System.