On June 2, 2002, Charles D. "Chip" Nottingham joined the management ranks at the Federal Highway Administration as the Associate Administrator for Policy. He reports directly to Administrator Mary E. Peters and is responsible for coordinating and directing FHWA's policy development (including preparing for the reauthorization of the six year transportation program), Congressional affairs, international programs, and several other issue areas. Prior to his appointment by President George W. Bush to this Senior Executive Service position, Nottingham served in several senior positions as a Congressional staff member and state transportation leader.

Immediately prior to his appointment at FHWA, Nottingham served as Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Government Reform where he worked primarily on federal agency information security issues, federal procurement policy, and Homeland Security initiatives.

Between 1999 and early 2002, Nottingham served as Virginia's Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner and vice chairman of Virginia's Commonwealth Transportation Board. In his role as Transportation Commissioner, he served as the chief executive officer of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) with 10,500 employees and an annual budget of more than $3 billion. During his tenure at VDOT, he implemented a sweeping environmental stewardship initiative, which resulted in significant and lasting improvements in the agency's environmental compliance record. He also successfully lobbied for significant increased transportation funding from Virginia's General Assembly. VDOT maintains the third largest highway system in the United States with more than 56,000 miles of highways maintained and operated by the state.

A number of innovative projects and initiatives were either completed or initiated under Nottingham's leadership at VDOT, including: The Smart Road near Blacksburg - a state-of-the-art highway dedicated to research and managed in partnership with Virginia Tech; several major public-private partnership projects such as the Pocohantas Parkway and Route 288 projects near Richmond and the Route 28 widening project near Dulles Airport (all advanced pursuant to Virginia's Public-Private Transportation Act); and an interstate asset management program that produced significant maintenance savings.

On September 11, 2001 and in the days and weeks following the tragic attack on the Pentagon, VDOT earned high praise for quickly responding and assisting in the evacuation and traffic management efforts in the vicinity of the Pentagon. VDOT's Smart Traffic Center located near the Pentagon was immediately transformed into an emergency command center for the U.S. Navy on September 11th and the Pentagon Day Care Center was temporarily relocated to VDOT's nearby area headquarters to provide a safe haven for dozens of young children of pentagon employees on September 11. Nottinham worked closely with senior Pentagon officials to address highway-related security concerns adjacent to the Pentagon in the aftermath of September 11th.

Prior to serving as Commissioner of VDOT, Nottingham worked in Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore's Cabinet as the Assistant Secretary of Transportation from early 1998 to mid 1999. In this capacity he was the principal deputy to the Secretary of Transportation and worked extensively with Virginia's Port Authority, Rail and Transit Department, Department of Motor Vehicles, Aviation Department, as well as VDOT. During 1998, he served on the team of senior officials who successfully implemented the "No Car Tax" initiative that resulted in the largest tax cut in Virginia history.

From January 1997 until January 1998, Nottingham served as chief of staff for Congressman Bob Goodlatte (VA-6). From May 1994 until January 1997, he worked for Congressman Tom Davis (VA-11) as a campaign advisor, counsel, and eventually as chief of staff. In 1995 and 1996, Nottingham managed Congressman Tom Davis' successful efforts to reform the government of Washington, D.C. by enacting legislation creating a federal control board and new chief financial officer position. He also worked extensively with Congressman Davis to enact legislation that achieved the long-awaited closure of the D.C. Correctional Complex in Lorton, Virginia.

Nottingham is a member of the Virginia Bar Association and is a graduate of the George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, VA. He earned his B.A. degree with a major in U.S. History from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. Prior to enrolling in law school, he worked for three years in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Department of Justice, at a private law firm, and for American International Group, Inc. In each of these positions he worked on environmental policy, regulatory, and legal issues.

Chip Nottingham and his wife Catherine reside in Fredericksburg, Virginia with their two sons born in 1997 and 2000.

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