Obama Names Hersman to Chair NTSB

President Obama picked Deborah Hersman to chair the National Transportation Safety Board, drawing quick praise from labor, and said he will renominate former airline union executive Harry Hoglander to a new term on the National Mediation Board.

The choices, both subject to Senate confirmation, continue a pattern of Obama retaining or recruiting new people to various transportation-related posts who either have experience in or the backing of unions, along with demonstrated expertise in the industries they will work with.

Hersman has been on the safety board since June 2004, and before that was a senior staff aide specializing in transportation issues for the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

At the NTSB, she has been the board’s representative at 15 accidents, the White House said, including the collision of a container ship with the San Francisco Bay Bridge and some airplane crashes. Hersman also chaired various NTSB-hosted events including public hearings on two significant aviation accidents.

Edward Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department, said Hersman is “the ideal choice” to the board, given her “detailed knowledge and extensive experience in transportation safety.

She has also, he said, “been a strong advocate for key safety reforms, including combating worker fatigue and raising awareness about dangers posed by inadequately regulating transportation companies.”

At the NMB, Hoglander has been a member since August 2002 of the body that tries to resolve labor disputes involving airlines or railroads, and has twice chaired the board. He had earlier worked on aviation trade talks for Secretary of State James Baker, and been a legislative aide to U.S. Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., where his duties included aviation, rail and maritime issues.

He was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, spent 28 years flying passenger planes for Trans World Airlines, and was executive vice president of the Air Line Pilots Association.

Last month, the Senate confirmed Linda Puchala as the president’s choice to chair the NMB. She had already been a senior mediator there, and had long labor experience as international president of the Association of Flight Attendants and as staff director for the Michigan State Employees Association.

Obama has also installed former labor officials to head the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Railroad Administration.

Contact John D. Boyd at jboyd@joc.com.