Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx will be nominated transportation secretary by President Barack Obama according to the Washington Post.
Foxx will be the first African American nominee to Obama's second term cabinet. Obama has been under some criticism as of late for the lack of diversity in his cabinet, especially after the recent departure of several Latino, African American and female cabinet members.
In a radio address Rep Bennie Thompson, D-Miss, attacked the president for overlooking African American candidates for his cabinet.
"Four months into his second term, we look to the president's Cabinet appointments only to find that he has once again overlooked his most loyal constituency," Thompson said.
The lack of diversity in the Cabinet was used as fodder for a joke by Conan O'Brien at the White House Correspondents Association's dinner on Saturday.
"Mr. President, your hair is so white it could be a member of your cabinet," O'Brien joked.
Foxx's nomination should be able to alleviate some of the criticism. If confirmed Foxx will become the first African American to join the second-term cabinet as he succeeds Ray LaHood.
While serving as mayor of Charlotte, Foxx has been an outspoken advocate for public transportation and has done a great deal of work to expand it. Under Foxx, Charlotte started building the Charlotte Streetcar Project, an electric trolley system. Foxx has also worked to expand the LYNX light-rail system.
Christopher Leinberger, director of George Washington University's Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis, praised the work that Foxx has done with the mass transit system.
"He understands that rail transit, public transit, drives economic development," Leinberger said. "The goal of any transportation system, especially rail transit, is not to move people. That is not the goal. The goal is economic development at the stations. The means is by moving people."
A White House official who spoke with the Washington Post anonymously since the announcement had yet to be made lauded Foxx's achievements in Charlotte.
"As mayor of one of America's most vibrant cities, Anthony Foxx knows firsthand that investing in world-class infrastructure is vital to creating good jobs and ensuring American businesses can grow and compete in the global economy," the official said.
