Construction Super Conference 2018

James Ray
Senior Advisor for Infrastructure
United States Department of Transportation


With over twenty years of leadership experience in the United States Department of Transportation, the White House Office of Management and Budget, on Capitol Hill and in the private sector, Jim Ray possesses a keen understanding of the legal, regulatory, policy and business frameworks underpinning infrastructure and transportation policy, project development, public-private-partnerships (“PPP”) and other innovative delivery models. Jim currently serves as Secretary Elaine Chao’s Senior Advisor for Infrastructure at the United States Department of Transportation. In this capacity, Jim leads the Secretary’s infrastructure agenda across all modes of transportation, sits on the Department’s council on credit and finance, leads the Department’s policy leadership council and supports the Department’s interagency coordination efforts. Prior to his return to government in 2017, Jim worked as a partner in KPMG’s infrastructure practice. In that capacity, Jim worked with government clients to deliver large-scale projects through innovative delivery methods and co-founded KPMG’s infrastructure strategy business to drive cost-savings and efficiencies in infrastructure-intensive organizations. Before to his tenure in consulting, Jim served the Bush Administration in various capacities, including Deputy General Counsel for the White House Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”). Jim also served as Chief Counsel and as both Deputy Administrator and Acting Administrator for the Federal Highway Administration (“FHWA”). Jim joined the USDOT from the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign where he served as Deputy General Counsel. Before joining President Bush’s campaign, Jim worked at the law firm of Alston & Bird, LLP, representing clients in a wide range of legal issues including mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactional matters.

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