Summit Strategies Government Affairs Launches New Strategic Partnership

27 Sep Summit Strategies Government Affairs Launches New Strategic Partnership

Summit Strategies Government Affairs Launches New Strategic Partnership

Former Senior USDOT Official Robert A. Mariner to Amplify Summit Strategies  Transportation Practice

WASHINGTON (Sept. 27, 2018) – Robert A. Mariner, former deputy director of the Department of Transportation’s office of infrastructure finance and innovation, and Summit Strategies Government Affairs LLC today announced a new strategic partnership to amplify the decades of transportation experience both parties offer to transportation interests worldwide.

Mr. Mariner has over 20 years of experience in the transportation industry, including the development of USDOT’s signature $5.6 billion TIGER (now BUILD) discretionary grant program. Working with three secretaries of transportation in both Republican and Democratic administrations, Mr. Mariner led a more than 75-person, multi-modal team responsible for the implementation, administration, and delivery of over 420 surface transportation projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US Trust territories. Mr. Mariner is a national expert on the $4.5 billion INFRA (formerly FASTLANE) discretionary grant program, the CRISI grant program, and the Department of Transportation’s credit programs, including TIFIA, RRIF Loans, and Private Activity Bonds. Before his departure from USDOT in August, Mr. Mariner served from May 2013 until December 2014 as the acting director of the office of infrastructure finance and innovation.

Mr. Mariner established RAM Consulting Services in August. Since then, he has signed on as a senior advisor to the Orlando to Tampa high speed rail project, directing that project’s final environmental impact statement, and began advising municipalities and transportation clients on federal grant opportunities and international transportation policy issues.

Summit Strategies Government Affairs was founded in February 2015 by five partners with more than 160 years of combined experience working within government and government affairs, with a particular emphasis on transportation matters. With offices in Washington, D.C., and Portland, Ore., Summit partners include Jim Kolb, the former staff director of the Surface Subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and long-time transportation advocates Hal Hiemstra, Michelle Giguere, Mark Dedrick, and Jim Beall, all of whom have worked extensively on federal surface, rail, aviation, and maritime transportation matters.

Summit Strategies represents a wide variety of transportation interests including Norfolk Southern railroad, the Greenbrier Companies, Washington State DOT, Texas Central Partners, TriMet (the TriCounty Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon), numerous municipalities and counties, ports, trade associations, and U.S. Travel.

As strategic partners, RAM Consulting Services and Summit Strategies will offer transportation services that build on each firm’s expertise. RAM Consulting will focus on providing strategic advice on developing and implementing complex transportation projects and pursuing discretionary funding within USDOT. Summit Strategies will focus on generating congressional and administration support for projects, monitoring and analyzing federal transportation legislation and rulemakings, and advocating for changes to existing statutory language if such change would better position proposed projects for success.

Mr. Mariner’s efforts have been recognized by multiple secretaries of transportation through the receipt of awards at the highest levels of USDOT. He has represented USDOT as a speaker across the country and before foreign governments and organizations on various transportation policy matters in Afghanistan, China, Iraq, and Kenya. Mr. Mariner led the formation of the cabinet level committee on the Marine Transportation System, the USDOT’s pandemic flu continuity of operations plan, and the National Policy and Study Revenue Commission. He also managed the rollout of the department’s congestion initiative. Prior to his tenure at USDOT, Mr. Mariner served as the environmental program manager in the facilities management and engineering department within the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and as an airport environmental planner/project manager for airports across the nation. Mr. Mariner holds an M.A. in transportation policy operations and logistics from George Mason University and a B.S. in civil engineering from Morgan State University.

Summit Strategies partners are recognized experts in federal transportation, livability and sustainability programs, and environmental policy and funding. Summit Strategies has helped clients secure tens of millions of dollars in federal funding for priority transportation projects, including bus and bus facilities grants, streetcar and light rail transit funding, highway project funding, and funding for water and water resource related projects. Summit Strategies has also helped shape favorable federal and state policies that advance their client’s objectives and interests and ultimately bring about improved transportation solutions and more livable communities. Summit Strategies offers a full spectrum of advocacy services, including designing strategies to succeed in the short and long terms; monitoring and analyzing legislation, federal and state rulemakings; pursuing federal grant opportunities; and coordinating client meetings with Members of Congress, federal agencies and key administration officials.