Obama Nominates Hersman to Chair NTSB

June 15, 2009
On June 9, President Barack Obama announced he would nominate Deborah A. P. Hersman as chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Hersman, an NTSB board member since 2004, has served as the board’s representative at 15 accidents, including the fatal crash of a regional jet in Lexington, Ky., the collision of a container ship into the San Francisco Bay Bridge and the crash of a private airplane into a New York City building. She has chaired a number of public events hosted by the NTSB, including a 2-day forum on motorcycle safety, a public hearing on motor coach safety and public hearings on two significant aviation accidents.

Before joining the NTSB, Ms. Hersman was a senior professional staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation from 1999 to 2004, where she was responsible for the legislative agenda and policy initiatives affecting surface transportation issues, including economic and safety regulation of railroads, trucks, buses, pipelines and hazardous materials transportation.

Ms. Hersman received undergraduate degrees from Virginia Tech and a Master of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University in Virginia.

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.

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