Rodney E. Slater

:"For the British Musician, see Rodney Slater (musician).Infobox US Cabinet official
name=Rodney Earl Slater


order=13th
title=United States Secretary of Transportation
term_start=February 14, 1997
term_end=January 20, 2001
predecessor=Federico Peña
successor= Norman Mineta
birth_date=Birth date and age|1955|2|23|mf=y
birth_place=Marianna, Arkansas
death_date=
death_place=
party=Democrat

Rodney Earl Slater (born in Marianna, Arkansas on February 23, 1955) was the United States Secretary of Transportation under U. S. President Bill Clinton.

Slater graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1977, and received his Juris Doctor degree from The University of Arkansas in 1980.

Slater became an assistant attorney general for the state of Arkansas in 1980. He was appointed to several state government positions in Arkansas by Bill Clinton, whowas then the governor of Arkansas. Slater was also the director of governmental affairs for Arkansas State University during that time.

After Clinton became president, Slater became the first African American Director of the Federal Highway Administration.

In 1997, Slater was appointed to be the Secretary of Transportation.

Slater was able to muster bipartisan support in congress for his projects including:

* The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), making a record $200 billion investment in surface transportation.
* The Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR-21), which provides a record $46 billion to provide safety and security of the nation's aviation system.
* Negotiation of 40 Open Skies Agreements with other countries.

As of 2005 Slater is an attorney with the firm of Patton Boggs, LLP., where he works on projects related to the transportation infrastructure. He is also a partner in James Lee Witt Associates, a risk management firm headed by former Federal Emergency Management Agency head James Lee Witt. He currently serves on the board of directors of Africare and is the chair of the Board of Trustees of United Way.

In late July 2006, it was announced that Slater was part of a group of investors headed by Stan Kasten that successfully purchased the Major League Baseball team, the Washington Nationals.

Persondata
NAME=Slater, Rodney Earl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=U.S. Secretary of Transportation, 1997-2001
DATE OF BIRTH=February 23, 1955
PLACE OF BIRTH=Marianna, Arkansas
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=