Kowalewski Named Acting Director

In November 2002, BTS Deputy Director Rick Kowalewski was named acting director of BTS. Kowalewski has served as the bureau’s deputy director for three years. His experience in federal government and transportation data spans 28 years.

Acting Director, Rick Kowalewski

A career officer in the Coast Guard, he worked mostly in the maritime safety programs. For two years, he helped manage the Army Corps of Engineers' navigation program. He developed information systems for collecting data, and led strategic planning and analysis for major operating programs.

Kowalewski's work on a Business Plan for Marine Safety grew into one of the early pilot projects under the Government Performance and Results Act—selected by OMB as one of 10 exemplars and cited by GAO to illustrate "best practices" in performance measurement. His 1996 paper "Using Outcome Information to Redirect Programs: A Case Study of the Coast Guard Pilot Project Under the Government Performance and Results Act" has since been used as the basis for a Harvard case study developed by the Kennedy School of Government.

After retiring from the Coast Guard, Kowalewski joined the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary as Deputy Budget Director. He joined BTS in October 1999.