New Deputy Administrator for the FRA: Mathew M. Sturges
The Secretary for Transport in the government of the United States, Elaine M. Chao, has announced that new Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is Mathew M. Sturges.
Prior to his appointment at the FRA Sturges was Majority Staff Director of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I). During this appointment he oversaw the passage of a large amount of regulation through the committee, including the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which was ratified by the Obama Administration in 2015 to provide long-term funding for all forms of surface transportation, including rail, in the US. Before working for the T&I Committee he was Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Aviation.
Sturges became involved in transport policy after a long career in Republican politics, in which he served as Deputy Director of Government Affairs for the Republican National Committee, and Director of Coalitions for the House Republican Conference led by Rep. Deborah Pryce, a Congresswoman for Ohio.
The Administrator of the FRA, Ronald L. Batory, welcomed Sturges to the administration by noting that
‘he brings a wealth of Capitol Hill experience to FRA that will be an asset when dealing with some of the agency’s most pressing policy issues.’
In his new position Sturges will be a key member of the leadership at the FRA, which is principally responsible for regulating safety in passenger and freight rail across the country and allocating federal investment in the industry. He will also be involved in generating support on Capitol Hill for the activities of the administration.
