Nason sworn in as FHWA administrator

   Nicole R. Nason was sworn in last week as the 20th administrator of the Federal Highway Administration by U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the Transportation Department announced Tuesday.
   She was confirmed in March by a 95-1 vote by the Senate. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., cast the lone “nay” vote.
   Nason has served as assistant secretary of the Bureau of Administration at the State Department since June 2017. She previously served as the administrator of the Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from 2006 to 2008 and was the department’s assistant secretary for governmental affairs from 2003 to 2006.
   “We welcome Nicole back to the U.S. Department of Transportation,” Chao said in a statement. “Her record of experience in the transportation sector and proven leadership skills will help this administration’s efforts to streamline the permitting process, engage with innovative technologies and enhance mobility on our nation’s highways.”
   She also has worked as counsel for the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary and as press secretary for Rep. Porter Goss, R-Fla.