Senate confirms former highway administrator as Transportation chief
Mary Peters also has headed the Arizona Department of Transportation, and considered a race for governor.
By voice vote, the Senate early Saturday confirmed the nomination of Mary Peters to be Transportation secretary, filling a post left vacant since July by the resignation of former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta.
Peters has led both the Federal Highway Administration and Arizona Department of Transportation. She currently is the national director for transportation policy and consulting in the Phoenix office of HDR, an architectural and engineering firm.
Peters explored a possible race for Arizona governor last November, but dropped that after questions were raised about whether she could meet residential requirements.
President Bush said he was pleased by the confirmation. "Mary is an innovative thinker who will work with state and local leaders to confront challenges and solve problems," he said in a statement.