Obama Nominates Hersman to Chair 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.