Nicole Nason

Confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2006, Nicole R. Nason served as the youngest-ever Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency responsible for regulating the safety of our Nation’s vehicles. As the only Administrator certified to install child safety seats, Nason developed a rating system for car seats and implemented the first significant changes to school bus safety requirements in decades. She led the agency’s efforts on the international stage in bilateral negotiations and spoke in favor of international harmonization before the United Nations. As Administrator, she also launched a new campaign to combat drunk driving, entitled “Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” For her efforts at the Department of Transportation, Nason was a two-time recipient of the Secretary’s Gold Medal, the Department’s highest honor.    

Previously, Nason was confirmed as the Assistant Secretary of Governmental Affairs for the Department of Transportation from 2003-2006. She also served as an Assistant Commissioner and head of congressional affairs for the U.S. Customs Service. She began her career as an attorney for the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary.

Nason earned a law degree at Case Western Reserve University and earned an undergraduate degree at The American University in Washington, D.C. She and her husband, along with their three children, live in Connecticut.