Capitol Hill, DOT Veteran John Drake Joins ATA; Will Serve as Senior VP of Legislative Affairs
This story appears in the Jan. 23 print edition of Transport Topics.
In 2003, John Drake was a 27-year-old with a philosophy degree who drove from California to Washington, D.C., with little more than a keen desire to work for the federal government.
On Jan. 17, after a distinguished and varied career in transportation with regulatory agencies and on Capitol Hill, Drake was named senior vice president of legislative affairs for American Trucking Associations.
“ATA’s members deserve the very best representation on Capitol Hill, advocating on their behalf,” said ATA President Chris Spear, himself a Hill veteran. “I’m pleased that John will be joining our team, further elevating our talent pool and helping advance the trucking industry’s agenda.”
Drake began his Washington career as an intern for a Democratic congressman from his home state, a position whose paltry salary he supplemented with night shifts as a waiter. However, Drake soon moved to a full-time job for another House member and one role led to another.
“I got very, very lucky and I tried to work as hard as I could,” Drake told Transport Topics. “I tried to be what I think every public servant should be, which is open and accessible [while] making sure that the decisions you’re recommending are informed by the best possible information available.”
In 2006, Drake began working for the first of three transportation subcommittees, before switching to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2012. A year later, Drake was named deputy assistant secretary for transportation policy before becoming the deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration last February.
“My entire congressional career had a focus on transportation, and as that career progressed, my focus on trucking issues became more pronounced,” said Drake, who worked on the passage of freight policy legislation before leading the development of the National Freight Strategic Plan. “I spent a lot of time trying to learn from members of ATA and other trucking [entities]. You begin to understand just how rich and how fascinating this field is. If nothing else, coming to ATA is a desire for me to stay plugged in with this amazing community of folks.”
ATA Executive Vice President for Advocacy Bill Sullivan is happy to have Drake working the House side of the Hill with existing Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs Mike Joyce doing the same in the Senate.
“John’s skills and relationships with the executive branch and both the House and the Senate will help us make the case for trucking our members need us to make,” Sullivan said. “Just as importantly, John has the energy and intensity to help us win.”
