WASHINGTON — Susan Shaheen and Nathaniel Ford have been appointed as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the 2021 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee by Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the National Research Council. Their terms will begin in January 2021 during the virtual TRB Annual Meeting.

The TRB Executive Committee is composed of approximately 25 members appointed by the chair of the National Research Council. These members are selected to provide balanced representation of transportation modes, academic disciplines, private and public sectors, levels of government, geographical regions, and other relevant factors. The committee provides strategic direction and oversight for all of TRB’s programs and activities.

Susan Shaheen is a professor in civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and is co-director of UC Berkeley’s Transportation Sustainability Research Center. She also serves as the director of the California Resilient and Innovative Mobility Initiative for the University of California Institute of Transportation Studies (UC ITS), representing the Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, and Los Angeles campuses. Shaheen received TRB’s 2017 Roy W. Crum Award for her distinguished achievements in transportation research.

“Susan is highly respected among her colleagues on the Executive Committee and always contributes in a meaningful way during Executive Committee deliberations. She has a notable academic record and is an internationally recognized expert in future mobility strategies and the sharing economy,” said TRB Executive Director Neil Pedersen. “It will be a real asset to have her as chair during 2021, as TRB continues to deal with major issues associated with the impact and recovery from COVID-19, as well as racial and social equity issues.”

Nathaniel Ford is chief executive officer of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). His distinguished career spans more than three decades, including tenures as CEO of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. He is past chair of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Under his leadership, the JTA was recognized as the winner of the 2016 APTA Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award. He has received numerous awards for his transformational programs and initiatives, including the White House Champion of Change.

“Since joining the Executive Committee, Nat has chaired the task force that developed TRB’s strategic plan for inclusion and diversity, and has served as chair of the International Subcommittee of the Executive Committee. He is highly regarded by his Executive Committee peers and is a thought leader on many issues, including innovation and equity issues in transportation,” Pedersen said.

Craig Philip, research professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Vanderbilt Center for Transportation and Operational Resilience (VECTOR) has been named a new member of the Executive Committee.  Philip is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and spent most of his career in executive positions in rail and maritime transportation. Reappointed to a second term on the Executive Committee are Ginger Evans, chief strategy officer for CAG Holdings Inc., the Carlyle Group’s U.S.-based investment arm for airport infrastructure investment opportunities; and Brian Ness, director of the Idaho Transportation Department.

A full listing of all new and reappointed members of the TRB Executive Committee will be released in January 2021.

The mission of TRB is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal. Its annual meeting provides an opportunity for transportation professionals from all over the world to exchange information of common interest. Typically, more than 14,000 policymakers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions attend the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting. The 100th annual meeting will be held virtually between Jan. 5 and Jan. 29, 2021. The meeting program will cover all transportation modes, and the spotlight theme is Launching a New Century of Mobility and Quality of Life.

TRB is a program unit of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine — private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. The Academies operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln. For more information, visit https://nationalacademies.org.

Contact:
Paul Mackie
Director of Communications/Media
Transportation Research Board
pmackie@nas.edu