Personnel.

Mineta Sworn in as 14th U.S. Transportation Secretary

Norman Y. Mineta was sworn in as the 14th U.S. Secretary of Transportation, following a unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

On January 24, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee approved Mineta's

At his confirmation hearing, Mineta said transportation challenges facing the department include guaranteeing the safety of the traveling public, closing the gap between the demand for transportation and the capacity of the transportation infrastructure, applying new technology to complex real-world transportation problems and keeping the protective function of the U.S. Coast Guard up to its law enforcement task.

Prior to joining President Bush's administration as U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Mineta served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Clinton, becoming the first Asian Pacific American to serve in the cabinet. He became the first Secretary of Transportation to have served in a cabinet position. Prior to joining the Commerce Department, he was a vice president at Lockheed Martin Corporation.

From 1975 to 1995 he served as a member of U.S. House of Representatives, representing the heart of California's Silicon Valley. He co-founded the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and served as its first chair. Mineta also served as chairman of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee between 1992 and 1994. He chaired the committee's aviation subcommittee between 1981 and 1988, and its Surface Transportation Subcommittee from 1989 to 1991.

ASCE Names Assistant Executive Director

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the oldest national engineering society in the United States, named nationally recognized civil and geotechnical engineer Lawrence H. Roth as assistant executive director and chief operating officer.

A fellow of ASCE, Roth has held the highest national office for both the Association of Engineering Firms Practicing in the Geosciences and for the ASCE GeoInstitute, which he helped found. For his accomplishments and contributions to ASCE and to the profession, Roth received the 1998 ASCE President's Medal. In October 2000, he received the prestigious Distinguished Service Citation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering, his alma mater.

During his career, Roth has contributed to several high-profile projects, including the seismic retrofitting of the Golden Gate Bridge, the environmental review of a major Chilean copper mine, and the preliminary design of new offshore runways for San Francisco International Airport.

Miller Promoted to Division Administrator

Philip Miller was promoted to division administrator in Cheyenne, Wyo. Miller previously served as assistant division administrator in St. Paul, Minn. In the past, he held several other key positions in FHWA, such as director, Office of Planning and Program Development in the former Region 5 Regional Office at Olympia Fields, Ill., and district engineer in the Kansas Division. Miller has been with FHWA for 27 years and is a graduate of the Highway Engineer Training Program.

Hamby Selected for SES Position

Gary N. Hamby was selected for advancement into the senior Executive Service (SES) position of director of field services -- West, effective Oct. 22, 2000. The director of field services -- West serves as an extension of the Office of the Executive Director, Federal Highway Administration. His duties include assisting the executive director in the leadership of the federal-aid field offices and providing administrative supervision of division administrators and the manager of the Western Resource Center.

Hamby had been serving as acting director of field services -- West since July 2000. His previous position was manager of the Western Resource Center. Prior to joining the western resource center, he worked at FHWA headquarters as the chief, State Programs Division, National Highway Institute. Hamby also served in other field positions, such as division administrator in Connecticut and in New Jersey and deputy regional federal highway administrator in the former Region 4 Regional Office in Atlanta, Ga. He began his career as a highway engineer trainee in 1969.