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Chairman Phil Mendelson 2
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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 6
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 10
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To recognize, honor, and express gratitude to Mr. Christopher A. Hart for his years of service to 14
the District of Columbia as a member and chair of the Washington Metrorail Safety 15
Commission (WMSC). 16
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WHEREAS, Mr. Hart holds a law degree from Harvard University and Master's and 19
Bachelor's degrees (magna cum laude) in Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University . He 20
is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association; 21
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WHEREAS, over the course of his career, Mr. Hart has served in a variety of positions 23
including Deputy Director, Air Traffic Safety Oversight Service Federal Aviation Administration 24
(FAA); Assistant Administrator for System Safety, FAA ; Deputy Administrator for the National 25
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ; Deputy Assistant General Counsel to the 26
Department of Transportation; managing partner of Hart & Chavers, a Washington, D.C., law firm; 27
and attorney with the Air Transport Association , as well as an initial stint as a member of the 28
National Transportation Safe ty Board (NTSB) in 1990, having been nominated by President 29
George H.W. Bush.; 30
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WHEREAS, Mr. Hart also is the founder of Hart Solutions LLP, which specializes in 32
improving safety in a variety of contexts, including the safety of automation in motor vehicles, 33
workplace safety, and process safety in potentially hazardous industries; 34
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WHEREAS, on August 12, 2009, Mr. Hart was sworn in as a member of the NTSB (for a 36
second time) and designated by President Obama for a two-year term as vice chairman of the board 37
on August 18, 2009. Four years later, in August 2013, President Obama nominated Mr. Hart for a 38
second term as board member and after Senate confirmation of his nomination, designated him for 39
a third term as vice chairman. Mr. Hart also served as acting NTSB chairman beginning in April 40
2014; 41
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WHEREAS, in July 2014 , Mr. Hart was nominated by President Obama to serve as 43
chairman of the NTSB. He served as chairman until August 2017; 44
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WHEREAS, after his tenure with the N TSB, Mr. Hart was appointed by the C ouncil in 46
2018 to the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, a three -jurisdictional agency (MD, VA, 47
DC) that was created to oversee the safety of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Agency’s 48
(WMATA) subway system, better known as Metrorail. 49
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WHEREAS, sho rtly after his appointment to the W MSC, Mr. Hart was elected Board 51
Chairman, a position he maintained until the end of his tenure on the Commission in 2026. 52
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WHEREAS, in 2019 Mr. Hart was asked by the Federal Aviation Admin istration (FAA) 54
to lead the Joint Authorities Technical Review that was created to bring together the certification 55
authorities of 10 countries, as well as NASA, to review the robustness of the FAA certification of 56
the flight control systems of the Boeing 737 MAX and make recommendations as needed to 57
improve the certification process. He also joined the Board of the Joint Commission on 58
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the organization responsible for accrediting hospitals, 59
to help improve healthcare safety; and 60
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WHEREAS, Christopher A. Hart is a distinguished attorney, en gineer, pilot, and 62
administrator with exceptional professional credentials who has dedicated his career to improving 63
the safety and effectiveness of all modes of transportation in the United States. 64
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RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 66
resolution may be cited as the “Christopher A. Hart Ceremonial Recognition Resolution of 2026”. 67
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Sec. 2. The Council recognizes and thanks Christopher A. Hart for the distinguished service 69
and valuable contributions he has made to the District of Columbia and its citizens, both before 70
and while as a member and the chair of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. The Council 71
commends Mr. Hart for devoting his career and professional endeavors to making transportation 72
safer and more efficient for District residents and all users across the United States. 73
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Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 75