PHMSA 6-06
Contact: James Wiggins
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Tel.: (202) 366-4831
Stacey Gerard Begins Role as First Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration Assistant Administrator/Chief Safety Officer
Acting Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino announced the appointment of
Stacey Gerard as the assistant administrator and chief safety officer of the
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA). She will be
the first person to hold this position. Prior to this announcement, Gerard had
served as the acting assistant administrator and chief safety officer and as the
associate administrator for pipeline safety since PHMSA’s reorganization on Feb.
20, 2005.
As part of the 2004 Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement
Act, Congress established the position of chief safety officer within PHMSA in
order to ensure the highest degree of safety in pipeline and hazardous materials
transportation.
“We have Stacey to thank for the many significant improvements that have been
made to pipeline safety over the past few years,” said Acting Secretary Cino.
“Her record of accomplishment will serve this nation well in this latest
challenge.”
Gerard started her new duties July 24 and is charged with establishing and
overseeing agency-wide safety and security policies, objectives and priorities
for the transportation of hazardous materials by all modes of transportation,
including pipelines.
Ted Willke, PHMSA’s deputy associate administrator for pipeline safety, will
serve as the acting associate administrator for pipeline safety and will manage
PHMSA's pipeline safety program for the nation's 2.3 million miles of natural
gas and hazardous liquid pipelines.
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Briefing Room