Sophie Shulman, NHTSA’s Deputy Administrator, provides executive leadership for the nation’s vehicle safety agency that sets and enforces vehicle safety standards, administers hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to State Highway Safety Offices, and educates Americans to help them drive, ride and walk safely. NHTSA’s work also includes establishing fuel economy regulations and helping facilitate the testing and deployment of advanced vehicle technologies.
Prior to joining NHTSA, Shulman was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation. This was a return to USDOT for Shulman, who previously served in several roles within USDOT including as Acting Assistant Secretary for Research & Technology and as a senior policy advisor in the Secretary’s office. Her federal service includes the U.S. Department of Energy, the Office of Management and Budget and White House Domestic Policy Council. Shulman’s experience extends to the state level where she worked as Chief of Innovative Mobility for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University.
Barbara Rooney was elected Chair of GHSA in 2022. She previously served as Vice Chair in 2020 and 2021. She is currently Regional Representative for Region 9 and previously served as Chair of the association’s Federal Relations Committee and Workforce Development Committee.
Rooney was appointed Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) by Governor Gavin Newsom in August 2019. With over 29 years of experience in state government programs aimed at serving and improving the quality of life for California’s residents, Rooney brings a wealth of experience and energy to highway safety. Prior to this appointment, she served as Deputy Director of Legislation at the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), where she represented the CHSRA on all legislative matters before the California Legislature and Congress. Rooney was instrumental in navigating numerous regulatory, environmental, political, funding and other challenges. She also oversaw the CHSRA’s management of $3.5 billion in federal grants awarded to California’s High-Speed Rail Program.
Rooney previously served in multiple positions at the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) including Training Officer, Principal Legislative Analyst, Chief of the Departmental Training Branch, and Deputy Director of Legislation where she was successful in achieving favorable outcomes regarding hundreds of legislative measures aimed at improving traffic safety. Most notably, Rooney was widely recognized as the DMV’s expert in the body of law designed to discourage drivers from operating vehicles under the influence and was instrumental in crafting and securing the passage of numerous other traffic safety measures. Rooney also previously served as Policy Chief for the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division where she managed policy development related to residential care facilities for children, adults, and seniors.
As the OTS Director, Rooney manages nearly $100 million in federal funding annually for traffic safety grants across the state.
Barbara Sauers, NHTSA’s Associate Administrator for Regional Operations and Program Delivery, oversees the agency’s 10 regional offices and NHTSA’s grant management and operations office. Her team is responsible for a significant portion of NHTSA’s budget, which is provided to State Highway Safety Offices to advance traffic safety across the country. States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, territories, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs use the funds to implement evidence-based, data-driven highway safety programs to address traffic safety concerns.
Over the course of Sauers’s 35-year career at NHTSA, which started with an internship, she has held a variety of positions and led many initiatives. Most recently, she led the development of NHTSA’s first national field operations safety strategy including a technical assistance program to assist states in addressing an alarming rise in traffic deaths that began at the onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Prior to her current position, Sauers served as the director of the agency’s grants management and operations office, where she led enhancements to improve NHTSA’s grants oversight and compliance program. Her work at NHTSA has also included safety countermeasures, addressing impaired driving, communications and outreach.
Sauers holds a bachelor’s degree in health education from Towson State University and a master’s degree in policy sciences from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Caroline Cash has served as a Highway Safety Specialist in the Impaired Driving Division at NHTSA for 10 years. She has received multiple Secretary awards and was named NHTSA Employee of the Quarter for her efforts on the Lifesavers Planning Committee. Prior to joining NHTSA, Caroline served as the MADD Maryland Executive Director for 6 ½ years and taught middle school for 7. She has also enjoyed 25+ years in the theatre community both as a professional actress and voice-over artist.
Cash holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from Florida State University.
