Rodney E. Slater

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
Personal details
Born	(1955-02-23) February 23, 1955 Marianna, Arkansas
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Eastern Michigan University University of Arkansas

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

Education

Slater graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1977, and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1980.^[1]

Early career

Slater became a research assistant to the State Judiciary Committee of the Arkansas Constitutional Convention in 1979–80, an assistant attorney general for the state of Arkansas in 1980. He was appointed to several state government positions in Arkansas by Bill Clinton. Positions included assistant to the governor between 1983 and 1987, and member of the Arkansas State Highway Commission between 1987 and 1993.^[2] Slater was also the director of governmental affairs for Arkansas State University during that time.^[3]

Appointment to federal positions

After Clinton was elected president, 1993 Slater became the first African-American Director of the Federal Highway Administration.^[1]

In 1997, Slater was appointed to be the Secretary of Transportation. He was the second African American to hold that post.^[1]

Projects

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

• Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), making a record $200 billion investment in surface transportation.
• 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
• Negotiated of 40 Open skies agreements with other countries

Private sector

Slater is part of a group of investors headed by Stan Kasten that successfully purchased the Major League Baseball team, the Washington Nationals.^[4]

Slater is an attorney at the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Patton Boggs LLP, where he is head of the transportation practice and works on projects related to the transportation infrastructure.^[5] He is also a partner in James Lee Witt Associates, a risk management firm headed by former Federal Emergency Management Agency director James Lee Witt.

He serves on the board of directors of Africare, a nonprofit providing development aid to countries in Africa, and The Dance Theater of Harlem, and is the chair of the Board of Trustees of United Way. Slater also serves on the corporate boards of Delta Air Lines and Verizon. He has been appointed to join the board of WS Atkins as a non-executive director effective 9 September 2011.

As of December 3, 2014 Slater was appointed to serve as special counsels to Takata in support with Takata's dealings on the 2013 airbag recall issues they are facing. They will advise the Company as they address the current challenges Takata faces.^[6]

References

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

Cabinet of President Bill Clinton (1993–2001)   Cabinet Secretary of State Warren M. Christopher (1993–1997) Madeleine Albright (1997–2001) Secretary of the Treasury Lloyd Bentsen (1993–1994) Robert Rubin (1995–1999) Larry Summers (1999–2001) Secretary of Defense Les Aspin (1993–1994) William J. Perry (1994–1997) William S. Cohen (1997–2001) Attorney General Janet Reno (1993–2001) Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt (1993–2001) Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy (1993–1994) Dan Glickman (1995–2001) Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown (1993–1996) Mickey Kantor (1996–1997) William M. Daley (1997–2000) Norman Mineta (2000–2001) Secretary of Labor Robert Reich (1993–1997) Alexis M. Herman (1997–2001) Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala (1993–2001) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry G. Cisneros (1993–1997) Andrew M. Cuomo (1997–2001) Secretary of Transportation Federico Peña (1993–1997) Rodney Slater (1997–2001) Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary (1993–1997) Federico Peña (1997–1998) Bill Richardson (1998–2001) Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley (1993–2001) Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown (1993–1997) Togo West (1998–2000) * Acting secretary   Cabinet-level Vice President Al Gore (1993–2001) White House Chief of Staff Mack McLarty (1993–1994) Leon Panetta (1994–1997) Erskine Bowles (1997–1998) John Podesta (1998–2001) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Carol M. Browner (1993–2001) Ambassador to the United Nations Madeleine Albright (1993–1997) Bill Richardson (1997–1998) Richard C. Holbrooke (1999–2001) Director of the Office of Management and Budget Leon Panetta (1993–1994) Alice Rivlin (1994–1996) Franklin D. Raines (1996–1998) Jack Lew (1998–2001) Director of National Drug Control Policy Lee P. Brown (1993–1995) Barry McCaffrey (1996–2001) Trade Representative Mickey Kantor (1993–1997) Charlene Barshefsky (1997–2001) Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency James L. Witt (1993–2001)* Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey, Jr. (1993-1995) John M. Deutch (1995–1996) George Tenet (1997–2001) Chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers Laura Tyson (1993-1995) Joseph Stiglitz (1995-1997) Janet Yellen (1997-1999) Martin Neil Baily (1999-2001) Administrator of the Small Business Administration Philip Lader (1994–1997) Aída M. Álverez (1997–2001) * took office in 1993, raised to cabinet-rank in 1996