Rodney E. Slater

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For the British Musician, see Rodney Slater (musician).

Rodney Earl Slater
13th United States Secretary of Transportation
In office February 14, 1997 – January 20, 2001
Preceded by	Federico Peña
Succeeded by	Norman Mineta
Born	February 23, 1955 Marianna, Arkansas
Political party	Democratic

Rodney Earl Slater (born in Marianna, Arkansas February 23, 1955) was the United States Secretary of Transportation under U. S. President Bill Clinton.

Slater graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1977, and received his Juris Doctor degree from The University of Arkansas in 1980.

Slater became an assistant attorney general for the state of Arkansas in 1980. He was appointed to several state government positions in Arkansas by Bill Clinton, who was then the governor of Arkansas. Slater was also the director of governmental affairs for Arkansas State University during that time.

After Clinton became president, Slater became the first African American Director of the Federal Highway Administration.

In 1997, Slater was appointed to be the Secretary of Transportation.

Slater was able to muster bipartisan support in congress for his projects including:

• The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), making a record $200 billion investment in surface transportation.
• The Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR-21), which provides a record $46 billion to provide safety and security of the nation's aviation system.
• Negotiation of 40 Open Skies Agreements with other countries.

Currently As of 2005 Slater is an attorney with the firm of Patton Boggs, LLP., where he works on projects related to the transportation infrastructure. He is also a partner in James Lee Witt Associates, a risk management firm headed by former Federal Emergency Management Agency head James Lee Witt. He currently serves on the board of directors of Africare and is the chair of the Board of Trustees of United Way.

In late July 2006, it was announced that Slater was part of a group of investors headed by Stan Kasten that successfully purchased the Major League Baseball team, the Washington Nationals.

Preceded by Federico Peña

U.S. Secretary of Transportation 1997–2001

Succeeded by Norman Mineta

United States Secretaries of Transportation
Boyd • Volpe • Brinegar • Coleman • Adams • Goldschmidt • Lewis • Dole • Burnley • Skinner • Card • Peña • Slater • Mineta • Peters

Preceded by Alpha V. Alexander Archie Griffin Steve Largent Steve Raible Lee Roy Selmon Wally Walker

Silver Anniversary Awards (NCAA) Class of 2002 Richard C. Chapman Maurice "Bo" Ellis Herman Frazier Betsy King John Naber Rodney E. Slater

Succeeded by Debbie Brown Ann Meyers Drysdale Dale Kramer Kenneth MacAfee Warren Moon Gifford Nielsen

Persondata
NAME	Slater, Rodney Earl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	U.S. Secretary of Transportation, 1997-2001
DATE OF BIRTH	February 23, 1955
PLACE OF BIRTH	Marianna, Arkansas
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH