Anthony Foxx

Anthony Renard Foxx (born April 30, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the United States Secretary of Transportation from 2013 to 2017. Previously, he served as the Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, from 2009 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party.[1][2][3] First elected to the Charlotte City Council in 2005, upon his 2009 mayoral victory he became the youngest mayor of Charlotte[4] and the second African American mayor.[5]

Anthony Foxx
17th United States Secretary of Transportation
In office
July 2, 2013 – January 20, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
DeputyJohn Porcari
Victor Mendez
Preceded byRay LaHood
Succeeded byElaine Chao
54th Mayor of Charlotte
In office
December 7, 2009 – July 1, 2013
Preceded byPat McCrory
Succeeded byPatsy Kinsey
Personal details
Born
Anthony Renard Foxx

(1971-04-30) April 30, 1971
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Samara Ryder
Children2
EducationDavidson College (BA)
New York University (JD)

President Barack Obama nominated Foxx to the post of U.S. Secretary of Transportation[6][7] in April 2013, and he was confirmed by a 100–0 vote in June 2013.[8][9]

Early life

Foxx was born on April 30, 1971, in Charlotte, North Carolina.[10] He was raised by his mother, Laura Foxx, and his grandparents, James and Mary Foxx,[11] and graduated from West Charlotte High School.[1][12] He graduated from Davidson College, where he was the first African American student body president,[13] in 1993. Foxx majored in history,[14] and went on to earn a J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1996.[12][14]

After law school, Foxx returned to Charlotte to work for a short time at the Smith, Helms, Mullis, and Moore law firm, and left to become a clerk for Judge Nathaniel R. Jones of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. Later he worked for the United States Department of Justice and the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee.[12] In 2004, he was the campaign manager for Representative Mel Watt.[13]

In 2001, he returned to Charlotte to work as a business litigator for Hunton & Williams.[12] While a member of the city council, he retained his position as a litigator at Hunton & Williams, switching to part-time status.

Political career

Municipal government

Foxx was first elected to the Charlotte City Council in 2005 to an at-large seat, and was re-elected in 2007. He won election as Charlotte's 54th and youngest mayor in 2009 and was re-elected in 2011; he became the city's first Democratic mayor since Harvey Gantt left office in 1987.

Upon becoming mayor, Foxx faced Charlotte's the worst recession in more than 80 years. As the nation's second largest financial services center, the city lost more than 25,000 jobs in the recession. Foxx reformed the city's public safety pay plan and developed a demand-driven approach to workforce development that has become a national model.[15] Foxx also announced the creation of more than 4,000 new jobs. He hosted a series of town hall meetings with unemployed workers, pushed for changes to the city's small business loan program, and pressed White House officials for economic recovery spending measures.

From a transportation perspective, Foxx helped salvage the city's largest single capital project: The Blue Line Extension, which was threatened by lower than anticipated sales tax revenue.[16]

Secretary of Transportation

On April 29, 2013, President Barack Obama announced that he would nominate Foxx to the post of the Secretary of Transportation. On June 27, 2013, the Senate confirmed the nomination by a unanimous vote.[8] Foxx resigned from his elected position as mayor to accept the federal appointment.[17]

Foxx prepared and advocated for the Obama Administration's first surface transportation bill, the Grow America Act, in 2014,[18][19] and worked to get its congressional incarnation, the FAST Act, passed.[20] He consolidated the Department's financing programs and accelerated permitting policies.[21] Foxx also put forth new rules governing the commercial use of drones,[22] blueprinted a comprehensive national policy on autonomous vehicles,[23] and launched the Department's first Smart City Challenge, engaging more than 70 cities to develop their own strategies to incorporate new technologies into their transportation networks.[24]

Foxx was the designated survivor for the 2015 State of the Union Address on January 20, 2015.[25][26]

Private sector career

Foxx joined Lyft in October 2018 as the company's chief policy officer.[27]

Personal life

Foxx is married to Samara Ryder,[13] also an attorney; they have a daughter Hillary and a son Zachary.[28]

See also

References
  1. Morrill, Jim; Lyttle, Steve (November 3, 2009). "Foxx elected Charlotte's mayor". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved November 3, 2009.
  2. Spanberg, Erik (November 6, 2009). "Pat McCrory: Seven terms and not (quite) done yet". Charlotte Business Journal. Retrieved November 11, 2009.
  3. "Charlotte Mayor-Elect Anthony Foxx Sits Down For Exclusive Interview With Channel 9". WSOC-TV. November 5, 2009. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved November 9, 2009.
  4. "Mecklenburg - Election Results". results.enr.clarityelections.com.
  5. "Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx cites family in announcement he won’t run for third term" (Charlotte Business Journal article)
  6. Baker, Peter (April 29, 2013). "Charlotte Mayor Is Chosen as Transportation Chief". The New York Times.
  7. "Nomination of Mayor Anthony Foxx to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation".
  8. "Cabinet post caps Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx's steep ascent". Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  9. "Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx Sworn in as 17th U.S. Secretary of Transportation". July 2, 2013.
  10. Laurel (October 18, 2009). "Charlotte's Next Mayor".
  11. "Where Politics is a Family Affair". The Charlotte Observer. February 6, 2007. p. 1B.
  12. Harrison, Steve (October 18, 2009). "Anthony Foxx, Democrat - Describes Himself as Mediator, Ready to Speak Out on Issues". The Charlotte Observer. p. 1A.
  13. Rubin, Richard (September 29, 2005). "Grandfather's Lessons Pay Off for City Council Contender - Grandson of Stalwart of Democratic Party Leads Primary At-Large Ticket". The Charlotte Observer. p. 1B.
  14. "Anthony R. Foxx". Hunton & Williams. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
  15. "Mayor Foxx on Charlotte's "herculean" efforts to promote training". The Washington Post.
  16. "Charlotte's Once Ambitious Rapid Transit Plan Faces Budget Ax". November 19, 2010.
  17. "Anthony Foxx resigns as mayor, Patsy Kinsey named new mayor".
  18. "This Week in Infrastructure: White House offers bill to grow America". May 2, 2014.
  19. "Foxx Ends Bus Tour by Asking People to Send Congress 'Picture of a Pothole'". February 20, 2015.
  20. Goad, Ben (December 4, 2015). "Obama signs $305B highway bill".
  21. "Martin Klepper to lead USDOT Build America Bureau". March 2, 2019.
  22. "FAA Expects 600,000 Commercial Drones In The Air Within A Year".
  23. "US DOT unveils 'world's first autonomous vehicle policy,' ushering in age of driverless cars".
  24. Newcomb, Doug. "Transportation Secretary Foxx On Why Columbus, Ohio Won The DOT's $40 Million Smart City Challenge". Forbes.
  25. "Obama's 'designated survivor:' Anthony Foxx". USA Today. January 20, 2015.
  26. Jackson, David (January 20, 2015). "O". NationalJournal. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  27. "Anthony Foxx, Secretary of Transportation Under President Obama, Joins Lyft". Lyft. July 15, 2013. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  28. "Meet the Secretary". United States Department of Transportation. July 15, 2013. Archived from the original on July 15, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
Political offices
Preceded by
Pat McCrory		 Mayor of Charlotte
2009–2013		 Succeeded by
Patsy Kinsey
Preceded by
Ray LaHood		 United States Secretary of Transportation
2013–2017		 Succeeded by
Elaine Chao
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