Several officials have recently been selected to take over leadership roles at U.S. Department of Transportation agencies, including a new acting head of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
was named FHWA’s deputy administrator. Since FHWA’s top position has been vacant since President Obama left office, Hendrickson steps into the primary role of acting administrator, overseeing the daily operations of the agency.
A person nominated by a president for FHWA administrator requires Senate confirmation, as was the case with Gregory Nadeau, the most recent individual to hold that role. He was confirmed by the full Senate in 2015, after becoming acting administrator in July 2014.
Hendrickson was previously commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation, serving under then-governor and current Vice President Mike Pence.
She has not been nominated for the top administrator role, according to FHWA's organizational chart.
Also within FHWA, Mala Krishnamoorti Parker was appointed associate administrator for policy. She previously served as vice president for coalitions for the American Trucking Associations.
Among the pending items on the agency’s plate is the potential squashing of new measurements for greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles on the national highway system that were crafted late in the Obama administration.
Separately, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that James "Wiley" Deck joined earlier this month as director of government affairs.
He served as chief of staff to Rep. John Mica, and as director of oversight and investigations for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
“Wiley understands the critical role that the truck and interstate bus industries play in keeping our nation's economy strong and continually moving forward,” FMCSA said in a statement. “He is equally committed to safety and he ardently supports expanding and enhancing FMCSA stakeholder partnerships and collaboration toward the goal of reducing commercial vehicle-involved crashes and improving safety for all travelers on our highways and roads.
