New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission chief administrator Raymond Martinez has been nominated by the Trump Administration to lead the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

He previously served as the New York State Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and Chairman of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee as well as Deputy Chief of Staff and Special Counsel to the New York State Attorney General.

American Trucking Associations supports the President's pick for FMCSA head, expressing congratulations for Martinez who has long been a part of the transportation industry. President Trump's pick for FMCSA head is subject to Senate confirmation. 

“Mr. Martinez is well-known to our industry from his work in New Jersey and New York, and exudes the kind of professionalism, integrity and focus on safety that FMCSA needs,” said Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO. “On behalf of ATA, I congratulate him on his nomination, and urge the Senate to quickly confirm him so we can begin working together on important highway safety issues.”

Martinez has twice served on the board of directors of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. He has also served as Deputy United States Chief of Protocol at the Department of State, Deputy Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady, and as a Special Assistant at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“As the NYSDMV Commissioner, Ray Martinez proved to be a fair regulator, working to continually improve the safety of the trucking industry without implementing unnecessary or burdensome regulations,” said Kendra Hems, president of the Trucking Association of New York. “He always made the safety of the motoring public his top priority, and I am confident that he will continue that focus as the FMCSA Administrator. I encourage the Senate to confirm his nomination and look forward to working with him in his new role.”

Martinez earned a J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law in New York and a B.A. from Long Island University’s C.W. Post College, where he later served on the adjunct faculty in Public Administration.

“ATA looks forward to Mr. Martinez’ confirmation, and to working with him on the myriad of issues facing our industry as we work together toward our mutual goal of zero highway fatalities,” said Dave Manning, ATA first vice chairman, president of TCW Inc., Nashville, Tenn.