K. Jane Williams was appointed deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Williams will help lead the agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) that funds public transportation systems across the country and oversees their safety.

Prior to joining FTA, Williams was the director of the Washington Area Transit Office in the Maryland Department of Transportation. In that role, she worked closely with the leadership of the Maryland Transit Administration and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. She previously served in the Executive Branch at the Department of Energy and Department of Labor under President Reagan and the Department of Interior under President George H.W. Bush. She also served as a Senior Legislative Advisor in the office of U.S. House member Andy Harris.

The FTA is one of the U.S. DOT’s nine operating administrations and provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems, including buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, trolleys, and ferries. FTA is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with 10 regional offices that assist over 3,000 transit providers in all states and U.S. territories.