American Railroad Daily

The Surface Transportation Board announced today that Francis P. Mulvey has been designated Acting Chairman of the agency by President Barack Obama, succeeding former Board Chairman Charles D. Nottingham. The announcement follows the Board's receipt of an official order signed by the President on March 12, 2009 and delivered to the Board in the late afternoon on March 13, 2009. Former Board Chairman Nottingham plans to continue serving as a Member of the Board through the end of a term to expire on December 31, 2010.

Regarding his elevation, Acting Chairman Mulvey said:

"I am honored to receive this designation by President Obama, and I look forward to serving the Board and the public in this capacity. I believe that my long record of public service, especially in the transportation area, qualifies me for the work ahead. I expect to work closely with Members of Congress to achieve the twin goals of ensuring that shippers pay reasonable rates for quality rail service and that railroads earn an adequate rate of return on capital. I look forward, as well, to undertaking the new statutory responsibilities that Congress has entrusted to the Board."

Acting Chairman Mulvey, a Democrat from Maryland, was nominated as a Member of the Board by President George W. Bush on November 17, 2003, for a four-year term ending December 31, 2007, that was confirmed by the United States Senate. On November 30, 2007, President Bush nominated Mulvey to a second term of office, and the Senate confirmed that nomination for a term expiring December 31, 2012.

Prior to joining the Board, Acting Chairman Mulvey was Staff Director, Railroad Subcommittee, and Staff Director, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, for the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. In those positions, he was responsible for all railroad legislative matters for the Ranking Democratic Member of the Committee and served as advisor to the Ranking Member on overall transportation-policy issues.

Other positions held by the Acting Chairman were Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Rail, Transit, and Special Programs, Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation; Assistant Director for Social Security and Pension Issues at the former U.S. General Accounting Office; Assistant Director for Competition, Economic and Regulatory Analyses in the Transportation Issues Area, U.S. General Accounting Office; Director of Economic Research for the New York State Legislative Commission on Solid Waste Management; Programs Manager, Transportation Research Board, at the National Academy of Sciences; and Vice President for Research at the American Bus Association.

Additionally, Acting Chairman Mulvey served as an Adjunct Faculty member at the R.H. Smith School of Business Administration at the University of Maryland. He also taught economics and statistics at Northeastern University, Wheaton College and Bowling Green State University.

The Acting Chairman holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Washington State University (1974); a B.S. in Economics from New York University (1966); and an M.A. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley (1968). Acting Chairman Mulvey and his wife, Petra, live in Maryland.