Anthony Foxx

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Anthony Foxx
Anthony Foxx official portrait.jpg
17th United States Secretary of Transportation
In office
July 2, 2013 – January 20, 2017
President Barack Obama
Deputy John Porcari
Victor Mendez
Preceded by Ray LaHood
Succeeded by Elaine Chao
54th Mayor of Charlotte
In office
December 7, 2009 – July 1, 2013
Preceded by Pat McCrory
Succeeded by Patsy Kinsey
Personal details
Born Anthony Renard Foxx
(1971-04-30) April 30, 1971 (age 53)
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Samara Ryder
Children 2
Alma mater Davidson College
New York University

Anthony Renard Foxx (born April 30, 1971) is an American politician who served as the United States Secretary of Transportation from 2013 until 2017. He served as the Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, from 2009 to 2013. He was first elected to the Charlotte City Council in 2005, and he was elected as Mayor on November 3, 2009, winning 51.5%[1] of the vote and defeating his City Council colleague, Republican John Lassiter. He won a second term on November 8, 2011, winning more than two-thirds of the vote against Republican Scott Stone.[2] He is a member of the Democratic Party.[3]

Originally elected at the age of 38, Foxx was the youngest mayor of Charlotte,[4][5] and was the first Democrat to hold the office since Harvey Gantt left office in 1987.[6] He was Charlotte's second African American mayor, as well as its first newly elected mayor since 1995, when Pat McCrory began the first of his record seven terms in office. On April 5, 2013, he announced that he would not seek reelection as Mayor in 2013.[7]

On April 29, 2013, President Barack Obama said he would nominate Foxx to be the Secretary of Transportation.[8][9] On June 27, 2013 the Senate confirmed the nomination of Foxx to the post of Secretary of Transportation on a vote of 100-0.[10] He was sworn into the position on July 2, 2013.[11]

Early life

Foxx was born on April 30, 1971 in Charlotte, North Carolina.[12] He was raised by his mother, Laura Foxx, and his grandparents, James and Mary Foxx,[13] and graduated from West Charlotte High School.[3][14] He graduated from Davidson College, where he was the first African American student body president,[15] in 1993. Foxx majored in history,[16] and went on to earn a J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1996.[14][16]

Legal career

After law school, Foxx returned to Charlotte to work for a short time at the Smith, Helms, Mullis, and Moore law firm, and left to become a clerk for Judge Nathaniel R. Jones of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. Later he worked for the United States Department of Justice and the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee.[14] In 2004, he was the campaign manager for Representative Mel Watt.[15]

In 2001, he returned to Charlotte to work as a business litigator for Hunton & Williams.[14] While a member of the city council, he retained his position as a litigator at Hunton & Williams, switching to part-time status.[17] In 2009, he left Hunton & Williams to join DesignLine Corporation, a hybrid electric bus manufacturer, as its Deputy General Counsel. In August 2015, the Trustee for DesignLine filed suit for $420000, clawback against Foxx on the allegation that Foxx didn’t actually do the job he reportedly held at DesignLine.[18]

Political career

Municipal government

Foxx was first elected to the Charlotte City Council in 2005 to an at-large seat, and was re-elected in 2007. He won election as Charlotte's mayor in 2009. Early in his political career, Foxx gained a reputation as a quick study of local policy and led a number of City Council initiatives, including the development of policies to enhance job creation into the urban core of Charlotte, environmental efforts that led to a single stream recycling program and greenhouse gas reduction policies and acceleration of the region's transit plan.

Beginning his tenure as mayor while facing a nearly 13% area unemployment rate, Foxx has announced the creation of more than 4,000 new jobs, has worked to reinforce Charlotte's role as a critical energy industry hub, hosted a series of town hall meetings with unemployed workers, pushed for changes to the city's small business loan program to create new jobs, saw the completion of a new runway at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and led a delegation of Charlotte business leaders to meet with senior White House officials to press for several economic recovery spending measures. Three weeks later, President Barack Obama traveled to Charlotte to visit the new Duke Energy headquarters and to highlight the first positive monthly job growth figures in 18 months.

Secretary of Transportation

President Obama said April 29, 2013, that he would nominate Foxx to be the Secretary of Transportation. On June 27, 2013, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Foxx to the Secretary of Transportation by a vote of 100-0.[10] Foxx resigned from his elected position as mayor to accept the federal appointment.[19] He announced his transportation priorities on 15 January 2014 at the 93rd Annual Transportation Research Board Chairman’s Luncheon in Washington, DC.[20]

On September 12, 2014, Foxx announced 72 projects that were going to receive Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grants to help fund rapid transit projects.[21]

On September 16, 2014, Foxx gave the keynote address at a rail signing ceremony in Detroit's Grand Circus Park, which will be a terminus of the new Detroit Streetcar route.[22][23][24][25][26]

Foxx was the designated survivor for the 2015 State of the Union Address on January 20, 2015.[27][28]

July 14, 2015, Foxx assumed the keynote speaker during the inaugural ride of the Charlotte, NC streetcar. This was a $37 million transportation project he supported while holding office as the Mayor of Charlotte prior to his appointment of Secretary of Transportation.

Personal life

Foxx is married to Samara Ryder,[15] also an attorney; they have a daughter Hillary and a son Zachary.[29]

References

  1. State Board of Elections - Nov. 3 Mecklenburg election results
  2. Mecklenburg - Election Results
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  7. "Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx cites family in announcement he won’t run for third term" (Charlotte Business Journal article)
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  9. Nomination of Mayor Anthony Foxx to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation: Hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, May 22, 2013.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Cabinet post caps Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx's steep ascent | CharlotteObserver.com
  11. Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx Sworn in as 17th U.S. Secretary of Transportation | Department of Transportation
  12. Blogger: Inloggen
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  20. Secretary Anthony Foxx: Remarks at the 93rd Annual Transportation Research Board Chairman’s Luncheon, Transportation Research Board
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  28. {{cite web|last=Jackson|first=David|title=O|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/white-house/if-the-worst-happens-at-the-state-of-the-union-anthony-foxx-will-lead-the-country-20150120%7Cpublisher=NationalJournal%7Cdate=20 January 2015|accessdate=20 January 2015}}
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External links

Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Charlotte
2009–2013
Succeeded by
Patsy Kinsey
Preceded by United States Secretary of Transportation
2013–2017
Succeeded by
Elaine Chao