Senate Also Confirms Her Membership To Run Through 2013

Deborah A.P. Hersman was confirmed Friday as chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. Hersman was nominated by President Barak Obama in June of this year. She has been a member of the Board since 2004, having been first nominated by then-President George W. Bush.

“Transportation unions are pleased the Senate has confirmed Deborah Hersman to lead the National Transportation Safety Board,” Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, said in a prepared statement. “Hersman is deeply committed to the safety mission of this agency and has demonstrated her passion to learn from accident investigations and advocate federal safety policies that make the U.S. transportation system safer.  And rather than simply assigning blame to individuals, she investigates the policies, procedures and practices that threaten safe operations."

NTSB Chair Hersman

At press time, the aviation community had not begun to react to the confirmation, though the industry was generally supportive when she was nominated a month and a half ago. “The Air Line Pilots Association applauds the Obama administration’s nomination of Deborah Hersman as Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)," the organization said in a prepared statement. “Since her initial appointment to the NTSB, Member Hersman has exhibited tireless dedication to gaining a thorough understanding of the most pressing aviation safety issues of our time. Her willingness to take on safety challenges with new approaches and her enthusiasm in pursuing every opportunity to enhance safety will serve the airline industry well in the future."

FMI: www.ntsb.gov