FHWA nomination goes to Bhatt

Shailen Bhatt, an executive at a multinational infrastructure firm, has been nominated to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration.

President Joe Biden announced Bhatt’s nomination for FHWA administrator on Thursday, July 21.

Bhatt is senior vice president of global transportation innovation and alternative delivery at AECOM, a Dallas-based Fortune 500 company. Before that, he was the executive director for the Colorado Department of Transportation, cabinet secretary of the Delaware DOT and a presidential appointee for U.S. DOT.

FHWA Deputy Administrator Stephanie Polack is serving as the acting leader of the agency.

In Bhatt’s previous roles, he has “spearheaded innovative solutions, collaborations and partnerships to support the delivery of safe, sustainable and cost-effective transportation systems for the 21st century,” a White House news release said.

Bhatt previously worked as the CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, chair of the board of directors for the National Operations Center of Excellence, chair of the executive committee of the I-95 Corridor Coalition, and as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Automotive and Personal Transport.

He currently chairs an external advisory board for the U.S. Department of Energy. Bhatt also is a member of the Aurora Safety Advisory Board for autonomous driving and is the chair of the ITS World Congress Board of Directors. He graduated summa cum laude from Western Kentucky University with a degree in economics.

Hutcheson nomination to FMCSA

Robin Hutcheson, the FMCSA administrator nominee, is still awaiting a Senate vote for her confirmation.

On June 22, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee advanced Hutcheson’s confirmation through a voice vote.

Hutcheson already has been leading the agency as acting administrator since January, taking over the role from Meera Joshi, who left to become a deputy mayor for New York City.

Biden nominated Hutcheson in April to become FMCSA’s permanent administrator.

It’s unclear when the Senate will vote on her confirmation. LL