Derek Barrs was confirmed on Tuesday as the new Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The U.S. Senate voted Barrs in as one of the top officials in the U.S. Department of Transportation under Secretary Sean Duffy, an appointee of President Donald Trump.
Prior to this appointment Barrs served on the Flagler School Board for under a year. He was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill the vacancy left when Sally Hunt resigned in September 2024, with the term expiring in 2026. Barrs previously attempted to run for a different seat in the 2024 election cycle, losing narrowly to Janie Ruddy.
There will now likely be another Flagler School Board appointment by Gov. DeSantis, with Barrs having moved from Flagler County to Washington D.C. at the end of September.
“I’m honored by the confidence President Trump and Secretary Duffy have placed in me to lead FMCSA,” Barrs said. “My mission is clear — to strengthen safety, demand accountability, and deliver results that make a real difference. Working alongside law enforcement and industry partners, I am committed to making bold progress that keeps Americans safer on our roads and our nation moving forward.”
In his law enforcement career Barrs spent a decade with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, before later joining the Florida Department of Transportation in 2001. He worked with Florida Highway Patrol in the final stint of his career, having been promoted to chief before his 2020 retirement.
Barrs was confirmed in a single vote for four total U.S. DOT nominees among dozens of others. “[Derek and his fellow DOT nominees] are accomplished leaders in their fields who will help us advance the transportation, safety, and infrastructure needs of the American people,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Barrs’ new boss. “Welcome aboard!”
The vote to confirm Barrs and the many other appointees being voted on was 51-47, with a simple majority required. Two senators did not vote. The vote was entirely along party lines – every single yes vote came from a Republican senator, while every no vote came from a Democrat (plus Angus King and Bernie Sanders, independents who caucus with Democrats).
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.
