Rodney E. Slater
Encyclopedia
Rodney Earl Slater was the United States Secretary of Transportation
under U. S. President Bill Clinton.
in 1977, and received his Juris Doctor
degree from The University of Arkansas
in 1980.
. Positions included assistant to the governor between 1983-87, and member of the Arkansas State Highway Commission between 1987-93. Slater was also the director of governmental affairs for Arkansas State University
during that time.
.
In 1997, Slater was appointed to be the Secretary of Transportation. He was the second African American to hold that post.
that successfully purchased the Major League Baseball
team, the Washington Nationals
.
Slater is an attorney with the firm of Patton Boggs, LLP., where he heads their 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
head James Lee Witt
. He currently serves on the board of directors of Africare
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.
United States Secretary of Transportation
The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966,...
under U. S. President Bill Clinton.
Education
Slater graduated from Eastern Michigan UniversityEastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
in 1977, and received his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from The University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
in 1980.
Early career
Slater became a research assistant to the State Judiciary Committee of the Arkansas Constitutional Convention in 1979 - 1980, an assistant attorney general for the state of Arkansas in 1980. He was appointed to several state government positions in Arkansas by Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. Positions included assistant to the governor between 1983-87, and member of the Arkansas State Highway Commission between 1987-93. Slater was also the director of governmental affairs for Arkansas State University
Arkansas State University
Arkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and third largest university by enrollment. It is located atop on Crowley's Ridge at Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA...
during that time.
Appointment to federal positions
After Clinton was elected president, 1993 Slater became the first African-American Director of the Federal Highway AdministrationFederal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...
.
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:- The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st CenturyTransportation Equity Act for the 21st CenturyThe Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century was enacted June 9, 1998, as Public Law 105-178. TEA-21 authorized the Federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and transit for the 6-year period 1998-2003...
(TEA-21), making a record $200 billion investment in surface transportation. - The Wendell H. FordWendell H. FordWendell Hampton Ford is a retired politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served for twenty-four years in the U.S. Senate and was the 53rd Governor of Kentucky. He was the first person to be successively elected lieutenant governor, governor, and U.S. senator in Kentucky history...
Aviation Investment Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR-21), which provides a record $46 billion to provide safety and security of the nation's aviation system. - Negotiation of 40 Open skies agreements with other countries.
After politics
Slater is part of a group of investors headed by Stan KastenStan Kasten
Stan Kasten is the former President of the Washington Nationals and a founding partner of FanDriveMedia. He became president of the Nationals after the ownership group led by Theodore N...
that successfully purchased the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team, the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
.
Slater is an attorney with the firm of Patton Boggs, LLP., where he heads their 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
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
head James Lee Witt
James Lee Witt
James Lee Witt was Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency during the administration of President Bill Clinton....
. He currently serves on the board of directors of Africare
Africare
Africare is a non-profit organization based in the United States which provides development aid for Africa. Africare was founded in 1970 by former Peace Corps members who had worked in eastern Niger, as well as a Nigerian diplomat. Africare now provides aid for approximately 25 countries in every...
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
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
and Verizon. He has been appointed to join the board of WS Atkins as a non-executive director effective 9 September 2011.