Former DOT Chief Burnley Named to Board of Transportation Think Tank
James Burnley IV, the former secretary of transportation who lobbies on behalf of trucking and logistics company Con-way Inc., joined the Eno Center for Transportation’s board of directors this month, according to the nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based think tank.
Burnley became the third former DOT chief to have a seat on the center’s board, joining Norman Mineta and Mary Peters.
Burnley said he will offer expertise about the impact the cost of fuel has on the trucking industry, as well as regulations aimed at the freight sector. He also will offer views on aviation matters and public-private partnerships. Eno’s board meets four times a year to advise staff on ways to improve the efficiency of intermodal transportation.
This summer, Burnley joined other former transportation secretaries in urging Congress to adopt a long-term funding plan. Congress instead approved a 10-month funding patch in late July.
“The short-term funding fixes affect trucking profoundly over time because they make it very difficult for the grantees — the states — to get the federal aid to do longer term planning,” Burnley told Transport Topics on Aug. 20.
Burnley’s other clients have included American Airlines, the American Moving and Storage Association, Lockheed Martin and Norfolk Southern, according to a review of public records.
He ran the Department of Transportation from 1987 to 1989 during the final years of the Reagan administration. Prior to that, he served as DOT deputy secretary and general counsel. Before working at the Transportation Department, Burnley was an associate deputy attorney general at the Justice Department. He is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School.
Lillian Borrone, Eno Center’s chairwoman, said Burnley brings “extraordinary transportation expertise” and “his judgment and counsel will be invaluable contributions.”
