Vice Admiral Thomas J. Barrett, USCG (Ret.) was confirmed as the Deputy Secretary of Transportation on August 8, 2007. Earlier, he became the Acting Deputy Secretary of Transportation on March 3, 2007.

In his role as Deputy Secretary, Barrett is helping the President and Secretary Mary E. Peters ensure that the United States and its citizens have a safe, efficient, and reliable transportation system that meets vital national interests and enhances the quality of life for Americans today and into the future.

Deputy Secretary Barrett serves as the Department’s chief operating officer, responsible for the day-to-day management of DOT’s $61.1 billion budget, 10 modal administrations, and approximately 60,000 employees.

Barrett was sworn in May 31, 2006, by then Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta as the first administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The PHMSA Administrator is the agency's Chief Executive Officer and advises the Secretary on all matters falling within PHMSA's jurisdiction. The Administrator directs the agency's national program for protecting against risks to life and property inherent in the transportation of hazardous materials in commerce and the transportation of liquid, natural gas, petroleum, and other hazardous liquids by pipeline.

Before becoming PHMSA Administrator, Barrett was the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. Prior to that, he served 35 years in the United States Coast Guard and attained the position of Vice Commandant. In that capacity, he served as second in command, Agency Acquisition Executive, coordinated the Coast Guard Leadership Council, and co-chaired with the Vice Chief of Naval Operations the Navy-Coast Guard Board, an inter-service policy coordination body. He was instrumental in improving maritime security post 9/11, expanding Coast Guard support to the National Foreign Intelligence Community, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, and smoothly transitioning the Coast Guard into the new Department of Homeland Security.

Barrett earned a B.S. in Biology from LeMoyne College, Syracuse, N.Y., and a Juris Doctor with honors from the George Washington University. He is a graduate of the Army War College and the National Defense University Capstone Course in National Security Strategy and Military Capabilities.

Barrett is married to the former Sheila Walker of Syracuse, N.Y. They are proud parents of four children, Tom, a Major in the United States Army, Matt, Rebecca and Paul, a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corp Reserve. Both Tom and Paul are Iraq veterans.

Pete is the President and CEO of ARTBA, a 104-year old national federation of public and private transportation construction interests with over 5,000 members. He has over 35 years of experience in economic development, transportation and construction fields. Prior to joining ARTBA, he served as President/CEO of the National Moving & Storage Association and Deputy Director of the Office of Economic Adjustment, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the President’s Economic Adjustment Committee. He received numerous awards, including the top two government-wide management awards made available to a young federal executive. He is a graduate of Loyola College of Baltimore, holds a masters degree from Pennsylvania State University and a doctorate from George Washington University.

John Horsley has been the Executive Director of AASHTO since 1997. Horsley served at the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1993 to 1999. As Associate Deputy Secretary, he was an advocate for intermodal policies, quality of life initiatives, and liaison to state and local governments, U .S . Congress, and transportation constituencies.

A native of the Northwest, Horsley was elected to five terms as County Commissioner in Kitsap County, a community just west of Seattle. He is a graduate of Harvard University, an Army veteran, a former Peace Corps volunteer and Congressional aide. Horsley completed graduate study at Georgetown University. And he’s a past President of the National Association of Counties, and the founding Chairman of the Rebuild America Coalition.

Mal Kerley, Chief Engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), is a member of the AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways and has served as Chair of the AASHTO Highway Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures (SCOBS) since 2002. In July 2002, he was named Chief Engineer at VDOT, accountable for the quality, cost and timeliness of all engineering plans associated with the design of, and right-of-way acquisition for, VDOT transportation projects. He had served as Administrator of VDOT’s Structure & Bridge Division from 1992 to 2002, responsible for planning, design, construction, maintenance and inspection of more than 20,000 bridges and overpasses. He began his career with VDOT in 1971. He has a civil engineering degree from the Virginia Military Institute (BSCE, 1971) and Master’s degree from the University of Virginia (MECE, 1973).