L.A. Metro’s Washington to lead Biden-Harris transportation agency review team
The Biden-Harris Transition Team released members of the incoming administration’s agency review teams that will evaluate operations of government agencies and offer guidance to ensure a smooth transfer between the Trump and Biden Administrations.
The Biden-Harris Transition Team described the agency review teams as being composed of “highly experienced and talented professionals with deep backgrounds in key policy areas across the federal government.”
The transition team has named Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) CEO Phillip A. Washington as the team lead for the Department of Transportation review team. In addition to reviewing the Department of Transportation, the 18-member team will review the National Transportation Safety Board, Amtrak and the Federal Maritime Commission.
In addition to Washington, the members of the USDOT transition team include:
- Dave Barnett, United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters of the US and Canada
- Austin Brown, University of California, Davis
- David Cameron, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
- Florence Chen, Generate
- Brendan Danaher, Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO
- Paul Kincaid, The Association of Former Members of Congress
- Gabe Klein, Cityfi
- Jeff Marootian, District Department of Transportation
- Therese McMillan, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
- Brad Mims, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials
- Robert Molofsky, Amalgamated Transit Union
- Patty Monahan, California Energy Commission
- Mario Rodriguez, Indianapolis Airport Authority
- Mike Rodriguez, Texas A&M University System (Retired)
- Nairi Tashjian Hourdajian, Figma
- Polly Trottenberg, New York City Department of Transportation
- Vinn White, State of New Jersey
All 18 members of the transportation transition team are listed as volunteers, which means they are not being paid for their work and serving in a personal capacity.
In addition to the Department of Transportation transition team, the transit industry is represented on the transition teams for the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget with Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Samantha Silverberg listed as a volunteer for both teams.
The Biden-Harris Transition Team explains the agency review teams will work with former agency officials and experts who closely follow federal agencies, and with officials from think tanks, labor groups, trade associations and other non-governmental organizations until the administrator of the General Services Administration ascertains the election, which would allow the agency review teams to work directly with federal agency staff.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
