The Trump administration has formally named Heidi King as its nominee for administrator of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Currently the agency’s deputy administrator, King has served as NHTSA’s interim chief since September of last year.
Prior to coming to NHTSA, King worked in the private sector as global director of environmental health and safety risk at GE Capital. She also served as chief economist for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce from 2011 to 2013 and as a regulatory policy analyst in the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama presidential administrations.
The National Safety Council (NSC) is one of several groups supportive of King’s nomination.
“King’s leadership experience and commitment to safety are much needed at a time when motor vehicle crashes are killing more than 100 people per day in the U.S.,” the group said in a statement. “[She] understands the importance of proven prevention strategies combined with forward-thinking innovation as we take aim at this everyday killer. We look forward to working closely with her to eliminate preventable deaths and make our roads safer.”