Announcing New U.S. DOT Volpe Center Director: Gregg Fleming
The U.S. DOT Volpe Center is pleased to announce that Gregg G. Fleming has been named the new U.S. DOT Volpe Center director, effective October 1, 2024. He replaces longtime director Anne Aylward who announced her retirement in Spring 2024.
As U.S. DOT Volpe Center Director, Fleming is responsible for overseeing 700 staff applying innovations to address challenges across all modes of transportation. He provides strategic direction to the U.S. DOT Volpe Center goals, objectives, programs, and resources to support U.S. DOT’s strategic goals and help the transportation community navigate its most challenging problems.
Fleming has more than 36 years of experience in a wide range of leadership and managerial roles. Throughout his career as a federal employee—all with the U.S. DOT Volpe Center—he has earned a reputation as a transformational leader and effective problem-solver, with excellent communication skills and business acumen. Fleming’s responsibilities and contributions as a leader support unbiased, data-driven policy and regulatory decisions at the highest levels of the U.S. government.
“Gregg has a reputation for being a results-driven executive with a proven record of leading highly diverse national and international programs, resources, and staff. He is well known by you all, trusted by those of us at the Office of the Secretary and our modal partners, and well respected throughout industry and government,” said U.S. DOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology and Chief Scientist Robert C. Hampshire, PhD. “He’s spent his entire federal career as a public servant at the U.S. DOT Volpe Center, so he understands Volpe, its staff, and how to run it well. I have every confidence that we are in good hands with Gregg.”
As the former director of the U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s Center for Policy, Planning, and Environment, Fleming has guided the work of numerous multifaceted teams on projects supporting government, industry, and academia, including OST, the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), FAA, FHWA, National Park Service, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and National Academy of Sciences.
In his role as director for the Technical Center for Policy, Planning, and Environment, Fleming oversaw the Economic Analysis, Policy Analysis and Strategic Planning, Transportation Planning, Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Energy Analysis and Sustainability, Environmental Science and Engineering, and Program Development and Capacity Building Divisions—as well as the CAFE Program Office. The Center for Policy, Planning, and Environment provides a full range of planning, evaluation, compliance, and implementation assistance to transportation decision makers at the local, regional, state, and federal levels. The Center for Policy, Planning, and Environment also maintains an extensive laboratory of measurement and monitoring instrumentation, including a quick-response capability to support all aspects of transportation-related environmental measurements.
As Technical Center Director, he provided executive leadership and strategic vision for the diverse, 240+ person federal staff, which includes engineers, scientists, economists, planners, biologists, environmental protection specialists, information technology specialists, and mathematicians, as well as a contractor base of 50+ employees.
Fleming held responsibility for the design, development, and deployment of internationally recognized analysis tools, including FAA's Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) and FHWA’s Traffic Noise Model (TNM). AEDT is used for establishing national and international policies pertaining to aviation and the environment, including environmental stringencies and and fuel burn, noise and emissions trends out to 2070. TNM is used for designing highway noise barriers and informing the federal distribution of noise mitigation funds related to highway noise barrier construction.
Fleming was also responsible for evaluating, establishing, and maintaining standardized procedures for national and international aircraft noise certification. Most recently, he has been working with government, industry and academia on projects related to alternative fuels, with particular focus on approaches to achieving carbon-neutral growth.
Fleming currently co-chairs the ICAO Modeling and Databases Group and represents FAA at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He is chairman emeritus of the Transportation Research Board's Committee for Transportation Related Noise and Vibration and is active in the Society of Automotive Engineers, as well as numerous other technical organizations.
Fleming holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (Lowell, MA). He has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and participated substantially in the development of national and international standards and policy documents pertaining to transportation-related issues.
“I’m eager to roll up my sleeves and put my perspective and years of experience to good use as the new Volpe Center director—to really listen, learn, and grow from the brilliant minds and excellent work happening throughout the Center,” said Fleming. “I’m here to collaborate with, support, and advocate for our staff and to make sure we can continue to deliver excellence to U.S. DOT and all our sponsors.”
About the U.S. DOT Volpe Center
Celebrating more than 50 years of federal service to the nation, the U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s mission is to transform transportation for all.
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