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By a unanimous vote, the Senate yesterday confirmed former Rep. Ray LaHood’s (R-Ill.) nomination as U.S. transportation secretary.

He becomes the 16th transportation secretary since the U.S. Department of Transportation was created by Congress in 1967. LaHood, 63, had represented Illinois’ 18th congressional district from November 1994 to December 2008. He previously served as chief of staff for House Minority Leader Robert Michel (R-Ill.) and was a member of Illinois’ House.

Meanwhile, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland yesterday appointed Jolene Molitoris as director of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to succeed James Beasley, who will retire on January 30.

The first woman to lead the multi-modal agency, Molitoris most recently was ODOT’s assistant director. She previously chaired the Ohio Rail Development Commission, becoming the agency's second chairperson and first chairwoman in November 2007.

In 1993, Molitoris became the first woman to lead the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) after being appointed administrator by President Bill Clinton. She held the post for nearly eight years. In 2001, Molitoris became president and chief executive officer of GeoFocus L.L.C., an automatic vehicle location technology provider to the transportation industry. Prior to the FRA, she served as the Ohio Rail Transportation Authority's executive director and deputy director for rail.