FHWA names Kristin White Acting Federal Highway Administrator
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) named Kristin White as Acting Federal Highway Administrator, which came into effect Sept. 11, 2024.
White previously served as FHWA deputy administrator since May 2024 and originally joined FHWA as chief counsel in July 2023. Throughout her time at FHWA, White has helped lead the agency to oversee key FHWA programs and new initiatives created under President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“I am honored and humbled to lead the Federal Highway Administration at this pivotal time as we deliver on the promise of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” White said. “I am passionately committed to serving alongside the incredible leaders and public servants at FHWA to promote our mission of a world-class system that is safe, efficient, equitable and sustainable for all. The dedicated public servants of FHWA are working tirelessly each and every day to improve the lives of the American people.”
As FHWA deputy administrator and part of the FHWA senior leadership team, White worked to advance key initiatives, from advancing the agency’s mission and strategic direction to ensuring FHWA meets its commitments to deliver Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs under the Biden-Harris Administration.
In her role as chief counsel, White oversaw all aspects of FHWA’s legal work to advise the federal-aid highway program and U.S. Department of Transportation leadership on matters relating to the 2,900-person agency and its $71 billion annual budget. White provided legal advice and strategic guidance on grant and program administration, federal legislation, regulatory affairs, environmental compliance and all related litigation.
Prior to joining FHWA, White served as the chief operating officer of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), a nonprofit founded by Congress to advance safety and mobility through transportation technology and innovation. She was also the co-founder and executive director of Minnesota’s Office of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV-X), one of the nation’s leading tech startups and idea incubators within government that research and deploys transformational technology and policy. White began her career as a Fulbright Fellow with the State Department in Japan.
White holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Olaf College, a law degree from Hamline University School of Law and global arbitration certification from Queen Mary University of London. Originally from South Dakota, White lived in Minnesota for nearly two decades before moving to Washington, D.C.
