The mayor of Charlotte, N.C., has been tapped as the next Secretary of Transportation according to numerous media outlets who have spoken with “unnamed sources.” Anthony Foxx was the host of the Democratic National Convention last year and recently announced he would not be running for re-election in Charlotte. Foxx is a lawyer who worked briefly for a hybrid bus company while sitting on the Charlotte council. He became Charlotte’s mayor at the age of 38 in 2009. He does not appear to have any aviation experience. Among the other potential candidates for the post was NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman.
Foxx replaces Ray LaHood, who resigned in January. Foxx takes the Cabinet post on the heels of troubled week in which air transportation all over the U.S. was hampered by a 10-percent reduction of air traffic controllers due to sequester cuts. Congress passed legislation over the weekend to allow the controllers to return to work in full force. The appointment will likely come this week.
