President Barack Obama has chosen to nominate Anne Ferro as administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, according to a White House announcement Thursday.


Ferro has been president of the Maryland Motor Truck Association since 2003. She holds positions on several regional advisory committees relating to freight planning, highway safety and transportation funding. The organization represents more than 1,000 members in the trucking industry, which Ferro advocates for.

Prior to joining the association, she was Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administrator for six years. At the agency, she was responsible for 1,700 employees, 25 offices in the state and an annual budget of $125 million. She had a strong role in promoting highway safety and contributing to regulatory compliance in the state. Maryland's 2008 Port Woman of the Year, Ferro was known for creating a graduated licensing program for new drivers in Maryland and launching a system for research on older drivers.

She also boasts stints at the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland and the Maryland General Assembly, where she worked as a fiscal committee staff member. Her experience also includes past memberships with Leadership Maryland, the Tricentennial Committee for the Port of Baltimore and the Council of Minority Transportation Officials.

Ferro didn't always have a passion for government or the transportation industry. Growing up in Maryland and Larchmont, N.Y., she developed an interest in horses, which led her to explore California and Wyoming. After traveling abroad a while with her parents, Ferro decided to attend St. John's College in Annapolis, Md., where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.

In 1980, she volunteered with the Peace Corps in West Africa, and her experience drove her back to school to earn a master's degree in Public Management from the University of Maryland. This launched her career in government.

Rose McMurray has been serving as acting administrator for the FMCSA.