Meet the New Federal Committee on Automation

The U.S. Department of Transportation a new Federal Committee on Automation, gathering 25 experts in the field of vehicle technology to help keep the government in front of a rapidly approaching era.

2 minute read

January 12, 2017, 10:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) announced today that it is establishing a new advisory committee focused on automation across a number of modes," according to a press release on the U.S. DOT website.

The committee will meet for the first time on January 16, 2017. The tasks before the committee include "determining the needs of the Department as it continues with its relevant research, policy, and regulations" on the subject of automated vehicles.

The committee members are listed below:

  1. Co-Chair: Mary Barra - General Motors, Chairman and CEO
  2. Co-Chair: Eric Garcetti - Mayor of Los Angeles, CA
  3. Vice Chair: Dr. J. Chris Gerdes - Stanford University, Professor of Engineering
  4. Gloria Boyland - FedEx, Corporate Vice President, Operations & Service Support
  5. Robin Chase - Zipcar; Buzzcar; Veniam, Co-founder of Zipcar and Veniam
  6. Douglas Chey - Hyperloop One, Senior Vice President of Systems Development
  7. Henry Claypool - Community Living Policy Center, Policy Director
  8. Mick Cornett - Mayor of Oklahoma City, OK
  9. Mary “Missy” Cummings - Duke University, Director, Humans and Autonomy Lab, Pratt School of Engineering
  10. Dean Garfield - Information Technology Industry Council, President and CEO
  11. Mary Gustanski - Delphi Automotive, Vice President of Engineering & Program Management
  12. Debbie Hersman - National Safety Council, President and CEO
  13. Rachel Holt - Uber, Regional General Manager, United States and Canada
  14. Lisa Jackson - Apple, Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives
  15. Tim Kentley-Klay - Zoox, Co-founder and CEO
  16. John Krafcik- Waymo, CEO
  17. Gerry Murphy - Amazon, Senior Corporate Counsel, Aviation
  18. Robert Reich - University of California, Berkeley, Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy, Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy
  19. Keller Rinaudo- Zipline International, CEO
  20. Chris Spear - American Trucking Association (ATA), President and CEO
  21. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger - Safety Reliability Methods, Inc., Founder and CEO
  22. Bryant Walker Smith - University of South Carolina, Assistant Professor, School of Law and (by courtesy) School of Engineering
  23. Jack Weekes - State Farm Insurance, Operations Vice President, Innovation Team
  24. Ed Wytkind - President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO
  25. John Zimmer - Lyft, Co-founder and President

Extra points for noticing that Capt. Sully made the list. One thing missing, however: a representative from a transit agency. That fact was not lost on Yonah Freemark, who responded to the announcement in a Tweet.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 in U.S. Department Of Transportation

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 10, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Bronze statue of homeless man (Jesus) with head down and arm outstretched in front of St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington D.C.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.

15 minutes ago - The New York Times

Historic stone structure surrounding natural spring in India with plaques.

Restoring Northern India’s Himalayan ‘Water Temples’

Thousands of centuries-old buildings protect the region’s natural springs and serve as community wells and gathering places.

1 hour ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Blue Bublr bikes parked at station on sidewalk in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Milwaukee to Double Bike Share Stations

Bublr Bikes, one of the nation’s most successful, will add 500 new e-bikes to its system.

2 hours ago - OnMilwaukee