NHTSA Executive Director Jack Danielson oversees the agency’s daily operations, program offices, and mission support programs, and provides executive direction over NHTSA’s eight associate administrators, chief financial officer, and chief technology officer. In this capacity, Danielson serves as the agency’s senior career official supporting NHTSA’s administrator in providing leadership and establishing direction on policies, budgets, and the strategic priorities of a multifaceted organization with an annual budget of more than $1 billion and more than 600 full-time employees located throughout the country.
In 2017, Danielson served as NHTSA’s acting deputy administrator for eight months. He led the agency in the execution of NHTSA’s safety mission of promoting vehicle safety innovations, identifying safety defects and overseeing safety recalls, setting vehicle safety standards, and educating Americans to help them drive, ride, and walk safely.
Danielson began his federal career more than two decades ago as an active-duty service member in the U.S. Army, serving in both Operation Joint Endeavor and Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia. Following his military service, he joined the policy staff of U.S. Congressman Jim Oberstar, his home-district congressman and the ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Over the course of the next 15 years, he served in policy and management positions in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, developing policy initiatives and legislation, and overseeing office budgets, staff, and field offices.