Vinn White is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new deputy administrator.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Vinn White as deputy administrator on June 25. White will also serve as the agency’s acting administrator.
A member of the Biden-Harris Administration since 2021, White also currently serves as the U.S. Department of Transportation’s acting chief artificial intelligence officer. White oversees the implementation of White House Executive Order 14110 to advance and govern the development and use of AI in accordance with the administration’s guiding principles and priorities.
“It is an honor to take on this role, and I thank Secretary Buttigieg for his trust and confidence in my ability to lead the important work of FMCSA,” said White. “Our agency is focused on enhancing safety for all roadway users, and I am committed to working with safety partners across the commercial motor vehicle industry to get this work done.”
White replaces Sue Lawless, who served as interim acting deputy administrator and has led the agency since January. Lawless stepped in after Robin Hutcheson, the previous FMCSA head, left in January.
Before joining FMCSA, White was responsible for coordinating USDOT initiatives on emerging transportation technologies, including coordinating cross-departmental policies related to automated driving systems; drone and advanced air mobility systems; surface vehicle-to-everything connectivity; 5G integration with the nation’s critical aviation infrastructure; and other sector-facing, innovation-related policy areas. During this time, he led development of the department’s Innovation Principles and helped launch the Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee.
White’s appointment in 2021 marked his return to the DOT after serving as acting assistant secretary of transportation for policy and deputy assistant secretary in 2016. In these positions, he was the chief architect for the DOT’s 30-year Transportation plan, Beyond Traffic.
White’s experience and knowledge in transportation spans more than 15 years, including a tenure as senior adviser to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. During that time, White worked on transportation and mobility policy and engaged closely with the New Jersey Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Commission, New Jersey Transit, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to inform state strategies and approaches.
White earned his master's and bachelor's degrees from American University. He also attended the County College of Morris in Randolph, New Jersey, where he earned his associate's degree in criminal justice.
