President Bill Clinton Party Democratic Party Preceded by Federico Pena Succeeded by Norman Mineta | Political party Democratic Resigned January 20, 2001 Name Rodney Slater | |
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Born February 23, 1955 (age 69)
Marianna, Arkansas ( 1955-02-23 ) Alma mater Eastern Michigan University
University of Arkansas Role Former United States Secretary of Transportation Previous office United States Secretary of Transportation (1997–2001) Education University of Arkansas, University of Arkansas School of Law, Eastern Michigan University | ||
Rodney Earl Slater (born February 23, 1955) was the United States Secretary of Transportation under U.S. President Bill Clinton.
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Education
Slater graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1977, and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1980.
Early career
Slater became a research assistant to the State Judiciary Committee of the Arkansas Constitutional Convention in 1979–80, an assistant attorney general for the state of Arkansas in 1980. He was appointed to several state government positions in Arkansas by Bill Clinton. Positions included assistant to the governor between 1983 and 1987, and member of the Arkansas State Highway Commission between 1987 and 1993. Slater was also the director of governmental affairs for Arkansas State University during that time.
Appointment to federal positions
After Clinton was elected president, 1993 Slater became the first African-American Director of the Federal Highway Administration.
In 1997, Slater was appointed to be the Secretary of Transportation. He was the second African American to hold that post.
Projects
Slater was able to muster bipartisan support in congress for his projects including:
Private sector
Slater is part of a group of investors headed by Stan Kasten that successfully purchased the Major League Baseball team, the Washington Nationals.
Slater is a partner at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Squire Patton Boggs, where he is head of the transportation practice and works on projects related to the transportation infrastructure. He is also a partner in James Lee Witt Associates, a risk management firm headed by former Federal Emergency Management Agency director James Lee Witt.
He serves on the board of directors of Africare, a nonprofit providing development aid to countries in Africa, and The Dance Theater of Harlem, and is the chair of the Board of Trustees of United Way. Slater also serves on the corporate boards of Delta Air Lines and Verizon. He has been appointed to join the board of WS Atkins as a non-executive director effective 9 September 2011.
As of December 3, 2014 Slater was appointed to serve as special counsels to Takata Corporation in support with Takata's dealings on the 2013 airbag recall issues they are facing. They will advise the Company as they address the current challenges Takata faces. He also led a safety advisory panel for Toyota and served as independent monitor for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.