People News: NTSB, RTA, HDR, Holland & Knight

Pictured (left to right): William Thomas (Tom) McMurry Jr., National Transportation Safety Board; Rob Nash, Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois; Alejandro Solis, HDR; and Benjamin Allen, Holland & Knight.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) appoints a General Counsel and a Director for the Office of Research and Engineering. Also, there is a new Director, Government Affairs at the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Northeastern Illinois; leader for HDR’s Transportation Economics and Statistics Services practice; and Litigation Section Partner at global law firm Holland & Knight.

NTSB

The NTSB on July 31 reported appointing William Thomas (Tom) McMurry Jr. to General Counsel, and promoting Barbara A. Czech to Director of the Office of Research and Engineering, succeeding Jim Ritter, retired.

McMurry served previously as Deputy General Counsel for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Chief Counsel and Deputy Chief Counsel for NASA Langley Research Center, and as a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He earned a bachelor’s in political science from James Madison University, a master’s in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a law degree from the University of Richmond.

Czech had been Deputy Director of the Office of Research and Engineering since 2016. She joined NTSB in 1996 as a Survival Factors Investigator in the Office of Highway Safety and has been an Associate Managing Director and the Deputy Director of the Office of Railroad, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Investigations. She has a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland.

“NTSB personnel are truly dedicated to our mission of improving safety, protecting the public and saving lives, and I know these proven leaders share that commitment,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said. “I would also like to recognize Jim Ritter for his deep commitment to improving safety for over 35 years at the NTSB. I thank him for his service and expertise and wish him all the best in his retirement.” 

Ritter had held the Director role at the Office of Research and Engineering since 2016. He served previously in the Office of Aviation Safety; as the Deputy Director of the Office of Railroad, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Investigations; as Chief of Vehicle Performance Division and Flight Data Recorder Laboratory; and as NTSB’s first National Resource Specialist in aircraft performance.

RTA

RTA on July 28 welcomed Rob Nash as Director, Government Affairs. He will help set and implement strategic legislative priorities; collaborate on developing long-term, system-wide regional funding solutions; and work across internal departments and with Chicago Transit Authority, Metra commuter railroad, Pace bus and other stakeholders on legislation, coalition building and strategic communications.

Nash served most recently as Partner and Executive Vice President at Resolute Public Affairs in Chicago, and was part of the team that worked with RTA in 2008 to address needed changes to state law impacting transit funding. Before joining Resolute 17 years ago, Nash directed Government Relations for the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and worked as a staff member within the Illinois General Assembly House of Representatives. He is a graduate of Marquette University.

“Rob’s background in the public and private sector has uniquely qualified him to tackle this role at the RTA,” RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden said. “More than ever, our transit system depends on our ability to work with legislators at all levels of government, and Rob is ideally suited for the task.”

HDR

HDR has elevated Alejandro Solis to lead its Transportation Economics and Statistics practice.

From the engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services firm’s Washington, D.C. office, Solis has served in a leadership role for many major transportation projects, including as Project Manager for the Texas-Mexico Border Transportation Master Plan. His industry publications and presentations include two to the Transportation Research Board: first related to localized U.S.-Mexico trade and then on the quantification of benefits realized from deploying Wi-Fi to U.S. inland waterways. Prior to joining HDR in 2010, Solis served in the administration of Mexican President Felipe Calderón as Chief Adviser to the Undersecretary of Transportation. His areas of specialization include monetization of social benefits, estimation of financial feasibility, identification of business opportunities, analysis of cross-border initiatives, and handling of risk and uncertainty in infrastructure projects.

“Alejandro is highly motivated, intellectual and analytically oriented, and I couldn’t be more pleased that he is taking on this role,” said Janet González Tudor, HDR’s Transportation Advisory Services Director. “He will continue to build and lead a growing team of best-in-class experts to provide stellar economic and statistical work to our existing and future transportation clients.”

Holland & Knight

NTSB veteran Benjamin Allen is a new Partner in Holland & Knight’s Litigation Section. Based in the Washington, D.C. office, he will be part of the firm’s 200-plus-member Transportation & Infrastructure Industry Sector Group. Allen has more than 20 years of aviation experience, and served as Assistant General Counsel for NTSB since 2013. In that role, he led legal support for accident investigations in all modes of transportation, including engaging with numerous companies and their counsel to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and addressing issues related to public communications and release of information, civil litigation and discovery obligations, export control restrictions, protection of confidential business and commercial information, and participation in NTSB investigative hearings.

Allen has experience handling on-scene crisis coordination with federal, state and local authorities, and private companies, and has been involved in federal investigations conducted by U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) agencies (FAA, FRA, FMCSA, OIG and PHMSA), foreign civil accident investigation authorities, the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), the U.S. Coast Guard, and other military departments. He also was Agency Counsel in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Coast Guard and USDOT in numerous administrative actions, criminal prosecutions and civil cases.

“Having someone with Ben’s experience providing first-rate legal support in NTSB investigations and emergency response is an important part of maintaining and growing Holland & Knight’s capabilities and reputation for transportation litigation,” said Christopher G. Kelly, Leader of Holland & Knight’s Litigation Section. “We pride ourselves in providing these leading services to our transportation and insurance clients during the critical moments after an incident. The unique opportunity to hire Ben allows us to strengthen this hallmark of our litigation practice.”

“After a decade at NTSB, I’m excited to join Holland & Knight where I can apply my knowledge and experience navigating the complexities of NTSB investigations to help clients prepare for and respond to transportation disasters,” said Allen. “Holland & Knight’s excellent reputation and its representation of the world’s leading transportation and infrastructure companies make the firm the perfect choice for the next step in my career.”