PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: November 1, 2021
Contact: Andrew Jefferis, ajefferis@aii.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 1, 2021) – Former Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Robert Sumwalt, joins the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) Board of Directors.
“Robert will be a wonderful, and prestigious addition to the Board,” said Aii Chairman Chris Kilgore. “As a 15-year veteran of the NTSB, he is intimately familiar with infrastructure safety issues.”
Sumwalt has a strong record of being a fierce advocate for improving transportation across all modes. He provided a key voice in Board deliberations and formal determination of probable causes for more than 250 major transportation accidents and advocated for the adoption of thousands of safety recommendations. With a solid safety background, Sumwalt finds a fitting home with Aii and its longstanding focus on improving infrastructure safety through innovation.
A national think tank, Aii explores the intersection of economics, law, and public policy in the areas of climate, damage prevention, energy, infrastructure, innovation, technology, and transportation. With a mission to help foster innovative solutions to current and future infrastructure challenges, Aii engages through awareness, education, and research.
“There’s a strong linkage between having a robust infrastructure and transportation safety, and I’m excited to join the Aii Board of Directors,” said new Aii Board Member Robert Sumwalt. “I look forward to continuing to push for innovative infrastructure improvements.”
Sumwalt is a veteran aviator and transportation expert. In 2006, Robert was appointed to the NTSB by President George W. Bush and later reappointed by Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Robert was nominated in 2017 to become the 14th Chairman of the NTSB, where he served until 2021. Prior to joining the NTSB, Robert was an aviator for 32 years, including 24 years with U.S. Airways. Robert has also served as a consultant to NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting Systems (ASRS). He currently serves as a transportation safety analyst for CBS News and was recently selected by Embry-Riddle to launch their new global Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety, where he will serve as Distinguished Fellow in Aviation Safety and Executive Director.
To read more about Aii and Robert’s full bio, visit www.Aii.org.
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The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) is an independent, national research and educational organization dedicated to identifying our nation’s infrastructure needs, creating awareness of those needs, and finding solutions to critical public policy challenges. Aii strives to promote proven, innovative technology and higher safety standards in a non-partisan manner to achieve excellence nationwide. The Alliance is a think tank consisting of two non-profits: the National Infrastructure Safety Foundation (NISF) 501(c)(4) and the Public Institute for Facility Safety (PIFS) 501(c)(3).