Chao appoints federal reps to WMATA's board

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao yesterday announced the appointment of David Horner and Steve McMillin to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) board.

Effective yesterday, the appointments come at a critical time for WMATA, Chao said in a press release.

Horner is a partner at Hunton & Williams law firm in Washington, D.C., where he focuses on public-private partnerships and the development of transportation infrastructure in the United States. He served as deputy assistant secretary for transportation policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation and chief counsel at the Federal Transit Administration during President George W. Bush's administration.

McMillin is a partner at U.S. Policy Metrics in Washington, D.C. He has more than 20 years of policy experience, including serving as the deputy director of the White House Office of Management and Budget from 2006 to 2009.

As federal representatives on WMATA's board, Horner and McMillin succeed Carol Carmody, former vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, and David Strickland, former administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Carmody and Strickland were appointed to the board in April 2016.

WMATA's board consists of eight voting and eight alternate directors. Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and the federal government appoint two voting and two alternate directors each.