Senate confirms Christopher Hart as NTSB chairman

Washington – In a 97-0 vote on March 12, the Senate confirmed Christopher A. Hart to a two-year term as chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Senate also confirmed Bella Dinh-Zarr as an NTSB member by way of a voice vote. Dinh-Zarr’s term on the board will run through Dec. 31, 2018.

Hart, a licensed pilot who holds a law degree from Harvard University, has served as the agency’s acting chairman since April. He replaced former chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman when she resigned to become president and CEO of the National Safety Council.

Prior to becoming acting chairman, Hart served as an NTSB member and vice chairman since 2009. He also has worked for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, and was a member of NTSB from 1990 to 1993.

Dinh-Zarr is the director of the FIA Foundation’s U.S. office. She has focused on traffic safety throughout her career, which has included stops at NHTSA and AAA.

“The Senate action allows the NTSB to move forward under Chairman Hart’s able leadership and with member Dinh-Zarr’s valuable expertise in the highway safety area – where 95 percent of fatalities in transportation occur,” Hersman said in a press release.