Joshi to vacate nomination to lead FMCSA after accepting position in NYC

Washington — Meera Joshi is withdrawing her candidacy as nominee to lead the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration after accepting an offer to serve as New York City’s deputy mayor for operations.

Joshi, former chair and CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, was appointed deputy administrator and senior official of FMCSA in January. In April, President Joe Biden nominated her to lead the agency on a permanent basis. Joshi will remain at FMCSA for the next month, a Department of Transportation spokesperson confirmed.

On Oct. 20, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee voted 22-6 to advance Joshi’s nomination to a full Senate vote. FMCSA has lacked a Senate-confirmed leader since Raymond Martinez resigned in October 2019. Jim Mullen and Wiley Deck served as acting agency administrators after Martinez’s resignation.

“We are very grateful for deputy administrator Meera Joshi’s leadership this past year at FMCSA and know that she will bring the same commitment, expertise and vision to her new role,” the DOT spokesperson said. “She has engaged with truck drivers and the motorcoach industry to chart a clear path for FMCSA to address our supply chain challenge, improve driver safety and job quality, and has built a strong team at FMCSA who will help build on this foundation.”

Before her time with the commission, Joshi worked as general manager in the New York Office of Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants and was a visiting scholar at the New York University Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management.

“As Deputy Mayor for Operations, Meera Joshi will ensure that our City is able to respond in real time to meet and exceed the needs of every community and be a model of excellence for all urban centers,” New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams tweeted on Dec. 20.