President George Bush intends to nominate Annette Sandberg to fill the vacant administrator position heading the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, according to a White House statement.

Sandberg has served as the agency’s deputy director since Nov. 25, when U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced former Administrator Joseph Clapp’s plans to retire in December.

Sandberg had served the previous nine months as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s deputy director. Before joining the federal agency, she had been chief of the Washington State Patrol for six years. Sandberg holds a law degree and a master's in business administration.

Bush appointed Clapp in October 2001 to become the first administrator of the agency, which has more than 1,000 employees.