WTS praises Feinberg's appointment as USDOT chief of staff

WTS International officials hailed U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx's appointment of Sarah Feinberg as his chief of staff, a move that helps further WTS' mission of building the future of transportation through the advancement of women, the organization's officials said in a press release.

"Secretary Foxx's selection of a woman for an executive role illustrates his commitment to an administration led by a gender-diverse team," said WTS President and Chief Executive Officer Marcia Ferranto.

Historically, WTS has garnered support for its mission and programs from the U.S. Department of Transportation, WTS officials said. For example, under former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the department and WTS signed a memorandum of understanding to establish Transportation YOU, a program that has spread nationwide to educate 13- to 18-year-old girls on the availability of transportation careers.

"WTS looks forward to continuing our work to attract, retain and advance women in transportation with Secretary Foxx's team," Ferranto said.

Feinberg previously served in President Obama's administration as a special assistant to the president and senior adviser to White House Chief of Staff (now Chicago Mayor) Rahm Emanuel, serving as his liaison to the Obama economic team, the national security team, and the press and communications departments.

Most recently, Feinberg managed Facebook's Washington, D.C.-based outreach and communications, as well as the company's political and crisis communications.