U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced on Wednesday that Robin Hutcheson will become deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, replacing Meera Joshi as head of the agency.
Joshi left the post before being confirmed as administrator after New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed her as one of five deputy mayors in December. Hutcheson will serve as acting administrator until she or another person is nominated and confirmed by the Senate.
Hutcheson has served in the Biden administration as deputy assistant secretary for safety policy at DOT since January 2021.
“She assumes this position at a critical time, as the pandemic, natural disasters, workforce shortages, and other factors continue to challenge the freight economy in ways never seen before,” American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear said in a statement following Buttigieg’s announcement.
“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. That’s particularly timely now, as DOT and FMCSA work to implement the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which will strengthen highway safety standards while helping our industry meet the nation’s growing freight demands.”
In addition to leading safety policy at DOT, Hutcheson has also coordinated COVID-19 response and recovery for the department and was “instrumental in the development of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, especially the new Safe Streets and Roads for All program,” DOT stated.
Prior to working in the current administration, Hutcheson was director of public works for Minneapolis, where she oversaw 1,100 employees across nine divisions, including drinking water, surface waters and sewers, solid waste and recycling, fleet management, and all transportation functions.
Before working for Minneapolis, Hutcheson served as transportation director for Salt Lake City. She has also been a consultant, specializing in transportation and transit, and served for seven years on the board of directors for the National Association of City Transportation Officials, most recently as president.