Intermodal groups applaud White House pick for new Multimodal Freight Office

Freight industry groups are applauding the White House’s choice of a leader for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)’s new Multimodal Freight Office, one of the initiatives of the Biden Administration’s sweeping plan announced this week to improve the nation’s supply chain resilience.

Allison Dane Camden was appointed to lead the DOT’s Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy (Freight Office) as the first Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multimodal Freight. She had most recently served as the deputy assistant secretary of Multimodal Development and Delivery for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

Prior to that role, she served as WSDOT’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multimodal Development and Delivery, where she helped lead a team of 800 professionals in eleven divisions that worked daily to drive sustainable, integrated, equitable, multimodal transportation solutions across Washington. She also spent nearly a decade on Capitol Hill, where she worked as a policy advisor to three members of Congress, including four years as Professional Staff for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, according to the DOT.

In response, the intermodal freight trade group The Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) called Camden a proven leader with extensive experience. “Over the years, CAGTC has had the pleasure of working with Ms. Camden in her various roles. Her comprehensive policy expertise and strong understanding of our nation’s complex and multifaceted freight infrastructure needs will prove valuable to the Administration and freight community alike,” CAGTC Executive Director Elaine Nessle said in a release.

According to CAGTC, the Freight Office will serve as an essential resource in facilitating improved modal alignment and coordination among federal agencies, overseeing the administration of multimodal funding programs, and guiding national freight planning and policy development.

Likewise, the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) also applauded the move. “The needs of the intermodal industry require a strategic, multimodal approach at the federal level to address growing demands and support the national freight network. The Association looks forward to furthering its relationship with USDOT by collaborating with Deputy Assistant Secretary Camden to promote the long-term growth and efficiency of intermodal freight transportation,” Joni Casey, president and CEO of IANA, said in a release. “The Freight Office will serve as a fundamental resource to the intermodal industry as it coordinates across USDOT’s modal agencies to enhance information sharing, and guide investments in intermodal projects.”