Robin Hutcheson Nominated for FMCSA Administrator Post
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President Biden on April 6 formally nominated Robin Hutcheson to become administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Hutcheson, former deputy assistant secretary for safety policy for the U.S. Department of Transportation, has since Jan. 19 served as acting administrator of FMCSA.
“We congratulate Deputy Administrator Hutcheson on her nomination to head FMCSA, and we support her swift confirmation by the Senate,” American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear said in a statement. “She has deep experience in transportation administration, having previously served as director of public works for the City of Minneapolis and transportation director for Salt Lake City, which makes her well qualified and prepared for this vital role. Her commitment to working with our industry to improve safety is unwavering.”
Spear
Spear added, “Her continued leadership comes at a critical time for the agency, as the pandemic, natural disasters, workforce shortages, and other factors continue to challenge the freight economy in ways never seen before. America’s trucking industry is the backbone of our economy, and we depend on partners in government who value data and stakeholder input to meet real-world needs and ensure the safe movement of freight across our nation’s highways.”
“As FMCSA’s Acting Administrator, Robin Hutcheson has demonstrated a genuine appreciation for the work of our members and an eagerness to help address some of the issues that are most important to them,” said Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. “We look forward to working with her as Administrator to promote our shared goals of supporting the men and women who make their living behind the wheel of a heavy vehicle while improving highway safety for all road users.”
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Prior to joining FMCSA, at DOT Hutcheson led the development of the National Roadway Safety Strategy and was instrumental in the development of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, especially the new Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
As director of public works for Minneapolis, she oversaw a team of 1,100 people across nine divisions including drinking water, surface waters and sewers, solid waste and recycling, fleet management and all transportation functions.
Prior to that, she served as the transportation director for Salt Lake City, working to improve all modes of transportation. Hutcheson also has served as a transportation consultant, and has worked throughout the western United States, and in Europe. Hutcheson served for seven years on the board of directors for the National Association of City Transportation Officials, most recently serving as its president. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and a master’s degree from the University of Utah.
Hutcheson’s nomination will require confirmation from the U.S. Senate. The position became open when acting administrator Meera Joshi, who was herself awaiting Senate confirmation, in December announced instead she would move into the role of deputy mayor for operations for New York City as of the first of this year.
