The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a U.S. federal government agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation which regulates civil aviation in the United States and surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic control, certification of personnel and aircraft, setting standards for airports, and protection of U.S. assets during the launch or re-entry of commercial space vehicles. Powers over neighboring international waters were delegated to the FAA by authority of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The United States secretary of transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to transportation. The secretary is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States, and is fourteenth in the presidential line of succession.
The United States secretary of homeland security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the federal department tasked with ensuring public safety in the United States. The secretary is a member of the Cabinet of the United States. The position was created by the Homeland Security Act following the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Jane F. Garvey is a former government transportation and public works official, now an American business executive, currently serving as the chairman of Meridiam North America. She was the first female Administrator of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration from 1997 to 2002. In May 2018, she was tapped to become the first female Chairman of United Continental Holdings.
Robert Allan Sturgell is a former Acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), having served from September 14, 2007, to January 15, 2009. Appointed to the position on September 14, 2007, by President George W. Bush, he was never confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Prior to his appointment, he had served as Deputy Administrator of the FAA since 2003.
Barack Obama assumed office as the 44th president of the United States on January 20, 2009, and his term ended on January 20, 2017. The president has the authority to nominate members of his Cabinet to the United States Senate for confirmation under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution.
Jerome Randolph “Randy” Babbitt, is an American businessman and former government official. He served as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from 2009 to 2011.
Polly Ellen Trottenberg is an American government official who is serving as Deputy Secretary of Transportation under Pete Buttigieg since April 14, 2021. She served as the acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration from June 2023 to October 2023. She previously served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation from 2014 to 2020.
Christopher A. Hart is an American lawyer, government official, and pilot. He served as the 13th chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. He served as Acting NTSB Chairman beginning April 26, 2014, and in June 2014 was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as Chairman of the NTSB. He was confirmed to serve as chairman on February 5, 2015. Robert Sumwalt succeeded him as chairman in August 2017.
This is a list of political appointments of current officeholders made by the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump.
Patrick Pizzella is a former American government official who served as the 36th United States Deputy Secretary of Labor from April 17, 2018 to January 20, 2021. He was formerly a member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority appointed by President Barack Obama. He held positions in several agencies during four prior Administrations. In 2019, after the resignation of Alexander Acosta, Pizzella served as the acting United States Secretary of Labor for more than 2 months. He currently serves as the elected Mayor of the village of Pinehurst, North Carolina.
Daniel Kevin Elwell served in the first Trump Administration as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and as the Acting Administrator of the FAA in addition to running the Next Generation Air Transportation System.
Stephen Marshall Dickson is an American former Air Force pilot and Delta Air Lines executive who served as the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration from August 2019 to March 2022.
Joel Szabat is a former American government official and military officer serving on the Amtrak Board of Directors since 2024. He previously served as Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and International Affairs.
Victoria Marie Baecher Wassmer is an American government official who serves as the Chief Financial Officer and an assistant secretary of transportation for budget and programs within the Department of Transportation. She previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance and Budget within the department as well as in various roles at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Robin Meredith Cohn Hutcheson is an American transportation official who served as administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Nuria I. Fernandez is a civil engineer who served as the administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), from June 10, 2021 to February 24, 2024. After she was appointed as deputy administrator of the FTA on January 21, 2021, she served as the acting administrator until her confirmation in June. Fernandez has held leadership positions in large transit agencies, including as general manager and chief executive officer of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority from 2014 to 2021, chief operating officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) from 2011 to 2014, and senior vice president of design and construction for both the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) from 1994 to 1997.
Billy Nolen is an American government official who served as acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from April 1, 2022 to June 2023.
Michael Gordon Whitaker is an American lawyer, currently serving as the 19th administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) since October 2023. He previously served as chief operating officer of Supernal under the Hyundai Motor Company from 2020 to 2023, as principal of the aviation consultancy Whitaker Air Space from 2016 to 2020, and as deputy administrator of FAA from 2013 to 2016.
