Federal Nominees for Infrastructure and Environment Posts Announced

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

James J. Markowsky, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy--Markowsky is currently a consultant in the energy and electric power generation area, a member of the National Research Council's Committee on America's Energy Future and a Member and the Chair of the National Academy of Engineering's Section 6 - Electric Power/Energy Systems Committee. Previously, Markowsky was the President of Research and Development Solution, LLC, from 2004 - 2005 where he was involved in providing technical support services, including R&D technology planning and analysis; R&D project planning and analysis; and R&D operations and process engineering, design and analysis to DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratories. Before that he was executive vice president of power generation, at American Electric Power Service Corporation(AEP), where his responsibilities included providing overall administrative, operational, and technical direction for the AEP System's 21,000MWe coal and 800 MWe hydro power generating facilities. Markowsky's career with AEP extended from 1971 - 2000, and his other positions included; executive vice president of engineering and construction, senior vice president and chief engineer, vice president - mechanical engineering, assistant vice president - mechanical engineering, AEP Sloan Fellow, and section manager.

Markowsky received several awards including the Washington Coal Club's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 and has 26 publications in the area of power generation and fossil energy. He earned degrees from: Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MS in Industrial Management -1981; Cornell University - Ph.D. in 1971 and MS in 1970, both in Mechanical Engineering; and Pratt Institute - Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering -1967.

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy--Trottenberg serves as Executive Director of Building America's Future, a national bipartisan coalition that supports U.S. infrastructure investment and a more accountable, sustainable and performance-driven national transportation policy. Building America's Future is chaired by Governor Edward G. Rendell, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and has a membership of elected officials from across the U.S. Prior to joining Building America's Future, Trottenberg served in the U.S. Senate for 12 years, most recently as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Senator Barbara Boxer, and worked extensively on transportation policy.

She also served as Legislative Director for Senator Charles Schumer and as Legislative Assistant for Transportation, Public Works and Environment for the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Trottenberg previously worked at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Massachusetts Port Authority on aviation and transportation finance issues, and on the Joint Commerce and Labor Committee of the Massachusetts State Senate. She received her Master's in Public Policy from Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government and her BA in American History from Columbia University, Barnard College.

Read the original news release here.