FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 12, 2000
Contact: Jim Pinkelman
Tel.: 202-366-0660
FHWA 4-00

Sutton Named Acting Deputy Administrator
At Federal Highway Administration

U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater today announced the appointment of Walter Sutton as acting deputy administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Sutton had been head of policy at the FHWA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

"Walter's work at the FHWA, coupled with his overall background in transportation and his knowledge and experience in environmental and legal issues, will be major assets as we work, with vision and vigilance, to advance transportation excellence in the 21st century," Slater said.

Sutton replaces Gloria Jeff, who served as deputy administrator for more than two years before resigning in January 2000 to join the private sector.

Sutton was named to the policy position in September 1998. He came to Washington from Dallas, where he was senior environmental attorney with Fina Oil and Chemical Company. Before that, he was regional counsel and deputy regional counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and practiced environmental law with Hughes and Luce, L.L.P., in Dallas.

Sutton spent several years as adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University and was a lecturer at the University of Texas at Dallas. He also has held positions with Texas Instruments in Dallas, Tenneco Oil Co. in Houston, and Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Mich.

Sutton holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Denver, a master's degree in business administration from the University of Dallas, a Ph.D. in management science from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a law degree from the University of Michigan.

Sutton, a native of Marshall, Texas, has a number of professional affiliations in legal and environmental organizations. He was president of the National Bar Association from 1987-88.

The FHWA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It has 3,500 employees, a field office in every state, and an annual budget of more than $28 billion.