Therese W. McMillan: Deputy Administrator

Therese McMillan joined FTA as Deputy Administrator on July 2, 2009. Deputy McMillan assists the Administrator in leading a staff of more than 500 in the Washington D.C. headquarters office and 10 regional offices throughout the United States, and implementing an annual budget approximating $10 billion. With the passage of a new surface transportation authorization, MAP-21, she has assumed a key role in guiding FTA’s implementation of transit-related provisions in the law and overseeing the development of critical guidance.

During her tenure, Deputy McMillan has also played an integral leadership role in advancing several critical FTA priorities to improve the quality and delivery of transit services to the American public, including:

Leading a major reassessment and reform of FTA’s Civil Rights responsibilities, including new guidance for transit grantees in Title VI and Environmental Justice.
Overseeing the restructuring FTA’s grant oversight and compliance programs.
Assisting in the development of a new, streamlined process for the New and Small Starts program, and new funding opportunities for State of Good Repair of transit assets.
Working closely with FTA’s staff across the country to ensure the timely, accurate allocation of $8.78 billion for 1,072 Recovery Act grants that created or retained over 12,500 jobs and strengthened and enhanced public transportation for working Americans and their communities.
Representing federal transit interests on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities with fellow DOT colleagues, EPA and HUD.
Launching a national conversation and research effort to help transit agencies adapt to changing weather patterns and natural disasters.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. McMillan was the Deputy Executive Director-Policy at the San Francisco Bay Area Region's Metropolitan Transportation Commission, where she was responsible for strategic financial planning and MTC’s management of federal, state and regional fund sources for transit, highways, roadways and other modes; state and federal legislative advocacy, and public affairs and community outreach.

Ms. McMillan received her B.S. degree in Environmental Policy and Planning Analysis from the University of California, Davis (1981) and a joint M.C.P./M.S. in city planning/civil engineering science (1984) from U.C. Berkeley.