On Sept. 8, 2017, the White House announced that CSU alumnus, Howard (Skip) Elliott was nominated to be the administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
This nomination, made by President Trump, comes after Elliott’s 40-year career in the U.S. freight rail industry, where he began working as a midnight shift railroad police officer in Elkhart, Indiana. Most recently, Elliott has served as vice president of public safety, health, environment and security at CSX Transportation, where he has been for the past 10 years.
The U.S. Senate held a nomination hearing on Sept. 27, where members of the Commerce, Science and Transportation committee had an opportunity to hear from Elliott and the three other nominees for this position. The committee will hold another hearing in October.
“I continue to believe in the value of hard work, perseverance when things get tough, never compromising my ethical values, and in being a compassionate and strong leader,” said Elliott during his opening statement at the Senate hearing. “If confirmed, I will do my best to earn the confidence placed in me by the president, the secretary and by this committee.”
The administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is a prestigious position that must be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. This position oversees more than 600 employees whose mission is to “protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives.”
Elliott graduated from Columbia Southern University in 2011 with a master’s degree in criminal justice administration. He received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
