FREDERICK C. SKAER

Highlights

• Federal Highway Administration senior executive with major environmental policy and project implementation responsibilities
• Key player in national responses to Hurricane Katrina and I-35W disasters.
  

Biography

During his 34 year career with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Fred had a central role in setting national policy for the planning and development of our nation’s highways and was instrumental in advancing major projects in virtually every State.  During the last 5 years of his FHWA career, Fred was Director of the Office of Project Development and Environmental Review, a career senior executive service position responsible for environmental rulemaking and for giving headquarters approvals for environmental impact statements on FHWA’s most complex and controversial projects.  Prior to this appointment, he was the Director of the Office of National Environmental Policy Act Facilitation, where he focused on developing and promoting strategies for environmental streamlining and environmental stewardship.  Fred also oversaw a multi-million dollar annual research and development program that included establishing full time liaison positions with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Due to his knowledge, experience and extensive federal and state contacts, Fred coordinated expedited highway reconstruction projects following Hurricane Katrina and the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis.  This involved devising a streamlined environmental review strategy and obtaining sign-offs from environmental review and permitting agencies in a fraction of the time normally required for such projects. 

In addition to various headquarters assignments, Fred worked in field offices in Maryland, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. 
Fred is a civil engineering graduate of Brown University and received a M.P.A. from the George Washington University.  He also did postgraduate studies in law at the University of Maryland.

Fred received numerous performance awards including the Secretary of Transportation’s Gold Medal in 2000, 2007, and 2008, the FHWA Administrator’s Award in 1990 and 1999, and the FHWA Engineering Excellence Award in 2007.