It's one thing to know how to examine the scene of a plane, train, or bus crash; it's another entirely to know how to drive a school bus, teach parents how to buckle up their children, or help plan a response to the release of hazardous waste. Hersman, President Obama's choice to head the National Transportation Safety Board, can do it all. Hersman, who has investigated disasters ranging from a Metro collision in Washington to a plane crash in Kentucky since her appointment to the NTSB in 2004, will take control of the agency responsible for finding out what went wrong in the worst transportation accidents and for issuing recommendations to make sure such incidents don't happen again.
In that emotionally charged atmosphere, Hersman "has always been very accessible whenever called upon," said National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Patrick Forrey, who praised Hersman's support for training of air safety investigators, who help the NTSB determine the cause of accidents.
Hersman isn't just familiar with the aftermath of wrecks. She knows something about the impact of oversight and regulation, having spent six years as a staff member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, where she worked on reauthorizations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and rail safety legislation. She also served as an aide to then-Rep. Bob Wise, D-W.Va., after earning her undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech in 1992. Hersman also has a master's degree in conflict analysis and resolution from George Mason University.
Ed Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department, said that Hersman's legislative experience could help her to increase the board's role in influencing safety policy in Congress. "She often meets with people in the field who are in the know, on the front lines, and has always dealt with them fairly," Wytkind said, noting that she might focus the agency on issues like scheduling and chronic employee fatigue.
| Is a Lawyer | |
| Has a PhD | |
| Has Worked in Congress |
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| Has State or Local Experience | |
| Has Lobbied | |
| Has Worked at a Think Tank or in Academia | |
| Has Military Experience | |
| Has Worked as a Business Executive | |
| Has Held Elective Office | |
| Undergraduate Alma Mater | Virginia Tech |
| Graduate Alma Mater | George Mason |
