United States President Joe Biden has nominated Shailen P Bhatt, an Indian American transportation expert as the administrator of the Federal Highway Administration of the US Department of Transportation, according to a White House press release.
If Bhatt's nomination is confirmed, he will become one of more than 50 other Indian Americans who are serving in the Biden administration. This in itself would be a record for any US presidential administration.
Currently, he is serving as the Senior Vice President of Global Transportation Innovation and Alternative Delivery at AECOM, which is a global infrastructure consulting firm.
Previously, Bhatt fulfilled the roles of Executive Director at the Colorado Department of Transportation, Cabinet Secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation, and as a presidential appointee with the US Department of Transportation.
Bhatt is thus an experienced transportation expert and according to his White House profile, he has also led innovative solutions and partnerships to assist the delivery of safe, sustainable, and cost-effective transportation systems for the 21st century.
Having worked as the CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, Bhatt was also the Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Operations Center of Excellence.
Bhatt has been the Chair of the Executive Committee of the I-95 Corridor Coalition, and was also a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on the Future of Automotive and Personal Transport.
Moreover, he is a member of the Aurora Safety Advisory Board for autonomous driving, and is the Chair of the ITS World Congress Board of Directors.
Having graduated from Western University with a degree in Economics, Bhatt also chairs an external advisory board for the United States Department of Energy.
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