Governor Wes Moore appointed Kathryn “Katie” Thomson as secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation on December 18, 2025. Secretary Thomson brings more than 30 years of experience in transportation, aviation, energy, and sustainability law, policy, and operations to the role. She most recently served as deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, where she acted as chief operating officer for an organization of more than 45,000 employees. In that role, she oversaw a $20 billion annual budget and led initiatives to enhance safety oversight, modernize national airspace infrastructure, and strengthen workforce pipelines. A veteran of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Secretary Thomson previously served as the department’s general counsel, where she supervised 500 attorneys and coordinated legal work across all modes of transportation. She also served as the director of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s implementation, managing the strategic investment of $660 billion in federal funding to modernize the nation’s infrastructure. In the private sector, Secretary Thomson served as vice president and associate general counsel for worldwide transportation and sustainability at Amazon, leading the legal team supporting global logistics and the company’s climate commitments. Her career also includes serving as a partner at the law firms Sidley Austin and Morrison & Foerster, with a focus on environmental and transportation law. Secretary Thomson earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.