Polly Ellen Trottenberg (born March 16, 1964)[1] is an American government official who is serving as Deputy Secretary of Transportation under Pete Buttigieg since April 14, 2021. She served as the acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration from June 2023 to October 2023. She previously served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation from 2014 to 2020.

Polly Trottenberg
Official portrait, 2021
13th United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation
Assumed office
April 14, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded bySteven G. Bradbury (acting)
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
Acting
In office
June 9, 2023 – October 27, 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byBilly Nolen (acting)
Succeeded byMichael Whitaker
Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation
In office
January 27, 2014 – December 11, 2020
MayorBill de Blasio
Preceded byJanette Sadik-Khan
Succeeded byMargaret Forgione (Acting)
Personal details
Born (1964-03-16) March 16, 1964 (age 60)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMark Zuckerman
EducationColumbia University (BA)
Harvard University (MPP)

Early life and education

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Trottenberg was born in Boston and grew up in Pelham, New York, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.[2] She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Barnard College of Columbia University in 1986 and a Master of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government.[3][4]

Career

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Early career

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During the Obama administration, Trottenberg was the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy, helping develop the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant program.[5][6]

Trottenberg also served as a transportation policy adviser for Senators Chuck Schumer, Barbara Boxer, and Daniel Patrick Moynihan, in addition to holding positions with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the nonprofit Building America's Future.[7]

NYC DOT

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Polly Trottenberg was appointed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on December 31, 2013, to replace Janette Sadik-Khan as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation.[8] Trottenberg was sworn in on January 27, 2014.[9][10]

Trottenberg was also a board member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, having been confirmed for a 10-year term on June 23, 2014.[9] Seen as a voice of "sanity" on the board,[11] she resigned from the position on June 3, 2019.[12] Trottenberg also served as the chair of TRANSCOM, a coalition of 16 transportation-related agencies in the New York metropolitan area, from 2015 to 2019.[13]

Deputy Secretary of Transportation

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In November 2020, Trottenberg was named a volunteer member of the Joe Biden presidential transition Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the United States Department of Transportation.[14] On January 18, 2021, it was announced that Trottenberg would serve as United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation in the incoming Biden administration.[15] On February 13, 2021, her nomination was formally submitted to the Senate for confirmation.[16] On April 13, 2021, Trottenberg was confirmed in a 82–15 vote.[17] She was sworn into office on April 14, 2021.[18]

Trottenberg was named acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration by President Biden on June 8, 2023.[19]

Personal life

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Trottenberg is Jewish.[20] She lives on Capitol Hill with husband Mark Zuckerman, president of The Century Foundation.[21]

References

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  1. ^ Nominations to NASA, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Maritime Commission, and the Department of Transportation: Hearing Before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, First Session, July 8, 2009. U.S. Government Printing Office. 2010. ISBN 9780160856518.
  2. ^ Wolfe, Kathryn a (24 March 2013). "Trottenberg: Tick tock on transportation". POLITICO. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  3. ^ "Founders Day | Barnard College". barnard.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  4. ^ "Polly Trottenberg". National Association of City Transportation Officials. 2015-06-01. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  5. ^ Fried, Ben (December 31, 2013). "NYC's Next Transportation Commissioner Is Polly Trottenberg". Streetsblog.
  6. ^ Hilburg, Jonathan (2021-01-21). "Former NYC transportation commissioner Polly Trottenberg nominated for deputy transportation secretary". The Architect’s Newspaper. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  7. ^ "De Blasio Picks Trottenberg to be NYC Transportation Commissioner | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News". WNYC.
  8. ^ Davies, Alex. "Bill De Blasio Has Named His Choice To Run Transportation In New York City". Business Insider.
  9. ^ a b "Polly Trottenberg". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  10. ^ "Polly E. Trottenberg". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  11. ^ Rubinstein, Dana (June 5, 2019). "Trottenberg, a voice of 'sanity' on MTA board, submits resignation". Politico. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  12. ^ Kuntzman, Gersh (June 6, 2019). "Anatomy of a Resignation: Why Polly Trottenberg Quit the MTA Board". Streetsblog. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  13. ^ "Commissioner Polly Trottenberg". New York City Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  14. ^ "Agency Review Teams". President-Elect Joe Biden. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Biden Names Polly Trottenberg as Deputy Secretary of Transportation". www.ny1.com. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  16. ^ "PN117 — Polly Ellen Trottenberg — Department of Transportation". U.S. Congress. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  17. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Polly Ellen Trottenberg, of New York, to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation)" United States Senate, April 13, 2021
  18. ^ "Polly Trottenberg Joins U.S. Department of Transportation as Deputy Secretary" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Transportation. April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  19. ^ "Biden picks longtime transportation official as acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration". Times Union. AP. June 8, 2023.
  20. ^ "Jews in the Biden Administration". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  21. ^ "The 7 Most Notable Homes in the Washington Area This Month—and Who Bought and Sold Them - Washingtonian". 2021-07-14. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
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Government offices
Preceded by Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation
2014–2020
Succeeded by
Margaret Forgione
Acting
Political offices
Preceded by United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation
2021–present
Incumbent