NHTSA Leadership
Meet Key Officials
Steven Cliff
Deputy Administrator
Cliff oversees NHTSA, the nation’s vehicle safety agency that sets vehicle safety standards, identifies safety defects and manages recalls, and educates Americans to help them drive, ride, and walk safely. NHTSA’s work also includes establishing fuel economy regulations and helping facilitate the testing and deployment of advanced vehicle technologies. Full bio
Ann Carlson
Chief Counsel
Carlson oversees legal services across the agency, including the agency’s statutory authorities. Her office supports NHTSA’s mission in a variety of ways, including setting and enforcing fuel economy standards for cars and trucks, setting and enforcing vehicle safety standards, and overseeing investigations and litigation. Full bio
Ron Thaniel
Director, Governmental and External Affairs
Thaniel leads NHTSA’s Office of Governmental Affairs, Policy and Strategic Planning. He works closely with the Office of the Secretary of Transportation and other modal leadership to ensure strategic alignment, coordination and focus on transportation safety priorities. Full bio
Jack Danielson
Executive Director
Danielson oversees the agency’s daily operations, program offices, and mission support programs, and provides executive direction over NHTSA’s eight associate administrators, chief financial officer, and chief technology officer. Full bio
Regina Morgan
Director, Civil Rights
Morgan serves as the principal staff advisor on civil rights and equal opportunity matters to the agency’s administrator and deputy administrator. Full bio
Rachel Milberg
Acting Chief Financial Officer
Hector Huezo
Acting Associate Administrator, Administration
Rajeev Dolas
Chief Technology Officer
Dolas provides leadership and oversight for the agency’s information technology systems and services that provide essential support for NHTSA’s mission to save lives and prevent injuries on our nation’s roads. Full bio
Julie Vallese
Associate Administrator, Communications and Consumer Information
Vallese manages the office responsible for providing accurate and timely vehicle and traffic safety information to consumers, media, and partner organizations. Full bio
Nanda Srinivasan
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development
Srinivasan oversees four offices within the agency that formulate, implement, and evaluate traffic safety programs. Full bio
Barbara Sauers
Acting Associate Administrator, Regional Operations and Program Delivery
Chou-Lin Chen
Associate Administrator, National Center for Statistics and Analysis
Chen oversees the agency’s critical data collection and analysis portfolio in support of NHTSA’s mission of reducing deaths, injuries, and economic losses from motor vehicle crashes. Full bio
Cem Hatipoglu
Associate Administrator, Vehicle Safety Research
Hatipoglu is responsible for the agency’s vehicle safety research activities, which are focused on achieving NHTSA’s mission of reducing fatalities and injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes. Full bio
Ryan Posten
Associate Administrator, Rulemaking
Posten leads the development and delivery of NHTSA’s rulemakings and policy, including setting the nation’s vehicle safety standards and fuel economy regulations. Full bio
Anne Collins
Associate Administrator, Enforcement
Collins is the principal advisor to the agency’s senior leaders on matters related to enforcement actions. Full bio