Long-time veteran FAA executive Lynn Osmus has been named acting FAA Administrator, replacing acting FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell, who resigned January 16 after failing to win Senate confirmation to become the agency’s permanent administrator for five years.

Sturgell was named acting FAA Administrator in September 2007. He had served as deputy to former FAA Administrator Marion Blakey since 2003. Although he received a Senate confirmation hearing in February 2008, his bid was stalled when Sens. Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg, both New Jersey Democrats, placed a “hold” on the confirmation in a dispute with the FAA over several issues.

An executive with the FAA since 1990, Osmus has served in a variety of positions, including as senior advisor to then-deputy Administrator Sturgell. But her expertise is grounded in security issues. She took over the Civil Aviation Security Program just before 9/11 and led the agency’s post-9/11 response, as well as the transfer of airport security functions to the Transportation Security Administration.
She also has served as FAA transition executive for the Obama transition team, and from 1995 to 1998 she was chief of staff to administrators David Hinson and Jane Garvey.

During her career, her duties have included responsibility for the internal security programs of the FAA, including security of agency facilities, personnel security, investigations, the drug interdiction support program and security of classified material. She also manages the agency’s Hazardous Materials Program, which provides oversight of rules governing the transportation of hazardous materials by air.