Itzkoff joins GE Transportation

Donald M. Itzkoff, a nationally recognized rail policy expert with 25 years of experience in transportation and technology issues, has joined the executive staff of GE Transportation as Executive Counsel, Public Policy and Government Relations for North America, effective Oct. 25, 2010. He will be based in Washington, D.C.

Itzkoff previously was Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, from 1994-1999. From 1991-1994, he served as a staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where he was Senior Counsel to what is now the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security. Itzkoff is currently a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm Nossaman LLP, practicing in infrastructure and public policy. He has represented public and private sector clients on transportation policy, funding, and regulatory matters including: the California High-Speed Rail Authority, state departments of transportation and other public agencies, a Class I freight railroad and commuter rail authorities, transportation consulting and engineering firms, technology suppliers, and associations and coalitions including the American Public Transportation Association, the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership (OneRail), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the former High Speed Ground Transportation Association (now part of APTA). Complementing his background in surface transportation, he has experience with intermodal and maritime matters. He also has advised on energy and environmental regulatory and legislative issues.

Itzkoff is a former Railway Age columnist (“ High Speed Currents”) and has contributed numerous feature articles to the magazine. He is a frequent speaker at the magazine’s annual “Passenger Trains on Freight Railroads” conference and will be presenting at this year’s 17thn annual conference, Oct. 18-19, in Washington.

Itzkoff received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and his A.B. magna cum laude from Brown University. He resides in Bethesda, Md., with his wife Ann Morton and their two daughters.

“Don will be instrumental in advancing our business objectives in connection with higher and high-speed rail opportunities,” said GE Transportation President and CEO Lorenzo Simonelli. “In addition, he will spearhead GE Transportation’s public policy and government affairs initiatives to enable growth in the rail, signaling, marine, mining, drilling, wind, and energy storage industries in the U.S. market.”