Cynthia L. Quarterman was sworn in November 16, 2009, by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood as the third Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Nominated by President Barack H. Obama on August 14, 2009, Ms. Quarterman was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 5, 2009.

Ms. Quarterman was most recently a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where she was a member of the Regulatory & Industry Affairs Department. Ms. Quarterman's practice focused on litigation and administrative law. She litigated and advised clients on matters associated with pipeline safety, royalty valuation, federal land minerals management, pipeline acquisitions, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and natural gas facilities, the jurisdictional status of pipeline assets, as well as surface transportation, alternative energy and telecommunications. 

Ms. Quarterman was a member of the Obama Administration Transition Team at the US Department of Energy. She is a former Director of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) in the US Department of the Interior (DOI) March 1995-August 1999. In that capacity, she administered the programs to manage the mineral resources located on the nation's OCS, including leasing, exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, sulfur, and other minerals, and to collect and distribute revenues for oil, gas, coal, geothermal, and mineral development on Federal and Indian lands. As Director, she was responsible for ensuring compliance with many environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the Endangered Species Act. From 1992-1995, Ms. Quarterman served in various capacities at DOI, including as Deputy Director of MMS, and as a member of the Office of Surface Mining's Interim Management Team.

Ms. Quarterman previously practiced at a law firm in Kansas City, Missouri. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the Columbia University School of Law. While at Columbia, she served as Executive Editor of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law. Prior to law school, she received an Industrial Engineering degree from Northwestern University and worked as an engineer for IBM.