FMCSA Appoints Lawless As Assistant Administrator And Chief Safety Officer

The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced Sue Lawless as the Assistant Administrator and Chief Safety Officer for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Lawless will officially assume the position on September 10, 2023.

In this role, Lawless will serve as FMCSA’s chief safety officer to promote the Agency’s safety mission, collaborate with federal, state, and local governments, and provide direction to all national commercial vehicle safety programs.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Sue in this position at FMCSA. Her experience in the industry and her years of service at FMCSA will ensure the agency is well-positioned to continue its safety mission,” FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson said. “Sue is a smart, savvy and steadfast strategist who can hit the ground running on FMCSA’s priorities, and I look forward to working with her in this role.”

Prior to her appointment, Lawless served as the Director of FMCSA’s Motor Carrier, Driver, and Vehicle Standards Division. She first joined FMCSA in 2001, but later transitioned to the private sector where she was a partner in a law firm and represented motor carriers, motor carrier drivers, and various transportation businesses. Lawless rejoined FMCSA in 2010. She now brings more than 20 years of experience from the private and federal motor carrier safety industry to her new role having engaged with nearly every FMCSA program as a trial attorney, Assistant Chief Counsel, Division Chief, and Director within the Office of Policy.

Lawless is originally from southern Maryland. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from McDaniel College and law degree from the University of Baltimore.