Anthony Foxx

Anthony Foxx
Department of Transportation · Public domain · source
Name	Anthony Foxx
Birth date	30 April 1971
Birth place	Charlotte, North Carolina
Nationality	United States
Occupation	Politician, Lawyer
Office	United States Secretary of Transportation
Term start	2013
Term end	2017
Predecessor	Ray LaHood
Successor	Elaine Chao

Anthony Foxx

Anthony Foxx is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 17th United States Secretary of Transportation from 2013 to 2017 and as the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina from 2009 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he led municipal initiatives on transportation, economic development, and public safety before managing federal programs related to aviation, highways, transit, and infrastructure. After leaving government service he entered the private sector with roles in finance and technology.

Early life and education

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Foxx attended Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and later graduated from Davidson College with a Bachelor of Arts. He earned a Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law. His formative years in Charlotte, North Carolina exposed him to civic leaders and community organizations such as Habitat for Humanity affiliates and local chapters of NAACP and United Way of America.

Legal and early political career

Foxx began his career practicing law at firms and as corporate counsel working with clients linked to municipal development and public finance, engaging with institutions like Wachovia and regional banks. He served as an aide and policy advisor to officials in North Carolina state and local government, connecting with entities including the North Carolina General Assembly, Mecklenburg County, and the officeholders in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was active in nonprofit boards and civic groups such as Local Initiatives Support Corporation and collaborated with leaders from Brookings Institution-linked municipal programs and urban policy initiatives associated with Harvard Kennedy School fellows.

Mayor of Charlotte

Elected mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina in 2009, Foxx succeeded Pat McCrory and presided over a period of growth involving projects tied to Bank of America Stadium, Spectrum Center, and expansions of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. His administration negotiated public-private partnerships with firms like Duke Energy and Nucor affiliates for economic development and worked with regional transit authorities including the Charlotte Area Transit System to advance light rail extensions. He engaged with federal programs administered by agencies such as the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and collaborated with mayors from Cleveland, Ohio, Portland, Oregon, and Atlanta, Georgia through networks led by U.S. Conference of Mayors and initiatives supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. During his tenure he addressed public safety issues in coordination with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and regional law enforcement partners such as the FBI Charlotte Field Office.

United States Secretary of Transportation

Nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate, Foxx led the United States Department of Transportation overseeing agencies including the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He managed implementation of programs funded under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act and coordinated infrastructure priorities with governors and mayors from states such as California, Texas, Florida, New York (state), and Illinois. Foxx emphasized safety programs tied to organizations like the National Transportation Safety Board and pursued modernization projects involving partnerships with corporations such as Boeing, Airbus, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and technology firms including Google and IBM on smart city and autonomous vehicle initiatives. He engaged with international counterparts at institutions like the International Civil Aviation Organization and attended global forums including the World Economic Forum to discuss urban mobility and trade corridor logistics involving ports like the Port of Los Angeles and Port of New York and New Jersey.

Post-government career and corporate roles

After leaving the Trump administration transition period he joined the private sector, taking positions with financial and technology companies and serving on corporate boards, advising firms linked to infrastructure investment funds, and engaging with venture capital firms and consultancies such as McKinsey & Company-affiliated projects and Boston Consulting Group initiatives. He worked with multinational corporations in sectors including aviation and automotive industry supply chains, collaborating with groups such as Siemens, General Electric, and Honeywell International. Foxx has been involved with nonprofit and academic partners including Brookings Institution, Aspen Institute, and university transportation centers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of California, Berkeley.

Political positions and public policy

Foxx advocated for policies supporting multimodal transportation, sustainable urban development, and infrastructure finance mechanisms such as public-private partnerships and surface-transportation reauthorization tied to the Surface Transportation Board framework. He supported investments in transit systems like Metropolitan Transportation Authority projects, promoted aviation safety enhancements with the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 context, and engaged on emerging technology regulation affecting companies such as Uber and Lyft. On economic development he favored incentives used by cities such as Seattle, Denver, and San Francisco to attract corporate headquarters and spoke at forums alongside leaders from U.S. Chamber of Commerce and labor organizations such as the AFL–CIO.

Personal life and honors

Foxx is married and his family has been active in civic life in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has received honors and awards from organizations including the U.S. Conference of Mayors, regional chambers such as the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, and academic institutions including Davidson College and New York University. He has delivered commencement addresses and keynote speeches at universities such as Dartmouth College, North Carolina State University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and participated in panels with figures from The Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Knight Foundation.

Category:United States Secretaries of Transportation Category:Mayors of Charlotte, North Carolina Category:Living people Category:1971 births