President Trump plans to nominate Lyft’s general manager for the No. 3 spot at the Department of Transportation (DOT), the White House said in a statement.
Derek Kan, who works for the ride-hailing firm in Southern California, has been selected to serve as undersecretary of transportation for policy.
"Derek is a valued member of our team and we wish him luck in whatever path he chooses," Lyft said in a statement.
Staffing at the DOT has moved at a sluggish pace. Secretary Elaine Chao is the only top-level official in place, though a Senate panel approved Trump’s nominee for deputy secretary this week.
Kan, who has been a member of Amtrak’s board since 2015, previously served as a policy adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is Chao’s husband. Kan was also a presidential management fellow at the Office of Management and Budget.If confirmed, Kan would be responsible for providing policy guidance for the agency, including how to deal with emerging technologies. Chao said that the DOT is currently reevaluating self-driving car guidelines that were released by the Obama administration last fall.
