Krayem named DOT Deputy Chief of Staff

Norma M. Krayem, former Chief of Staff at the Federal Railroad Administration, has been named to be the Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). As Deputy Chief of Staff, Krayem will provide strategic oversight of DOT's key priorities and programs as they deal with their impact on the economy, the environment and the workforce. She also will help develop and oversee specific policies that advance the 2025 strategic visioning process for DOT, creating a new transportation policy architecture for the 21st century.

In concert with the Chief of Staff, Krayem also will serve as the manager of Secretary's Slater's immediate staff and will provide direct policy, program and managerial support to the Secretary in administering all operations of the Department, including all secretarial offices and operation administrations. These include the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Research and Special Programs Administration, the Maritime Administration, the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Drawing on her previous international experience at the U.S. Departments of Commerce and State, Krayem will work closely with the Secretary to further his goals on transportation issues throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Russia.

In 1997, Krayem was appointed Chief of Staff at DOT's Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the chief safety regulatory agency for all passenger and freight railroads. Overseeing 800 FRA employees nationwide, Krayem provided strategic oversight and direction for the agency on all Congressional and intergovernmental policies as well as on regulatory policy and community outreach efforts, working closely with labor and management on issues such as high speed rail, grade crossing safety, maglev and nationwide railroad mergers. Krayem also directed the first ever 1999 National Transportation Safety Conference, with over 600 individuals nationwide and including an interactive satellite network with links around the country. This effort earned Krayem one of Secretary Slater's Partnering for Excellence Team Awards.

Track record of appointments to federal posts
Prior to joining DOT, Krayem worked at the U.S. Department of State as the Director of Special Projects for the G7 Summit, which included the leaders of the seven industrialized nations, including Russia. From 1993-1996, Krayem was a legislative assistant at the U.S. Department of Commerce, both at the International Trade Administration and within the Office of the Secretary under-then Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. In 1992, Krayem served at the Democratic National Convention and later at the Democratic National Committee (DNC). In 1994, she worked as the Deputy Director of the Health Care Campaign at the DNC. She served on the 1993 and 1997 presidential inaugural committees, most recently serving as the Senior Advisor to the Executive Director, overseeing Vice President Gore's inaugural events. In 1996, she ran the coordinated campaign in the state of Washington.

A native of Ledyard, Connecticut, Krayem held a series of key positions within the Connecticut General Assembly, where she worked for the Deputy Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House. Krayem holds a BA in political science from the University of Connecticut and a Masters of Public Administration from the George Washington University.

Edited by Bob Arguero, Managing Editor, GovCon