Flagler School Board member Derek Barrs has been selected by President Donald Trump to become the new Adminstrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The appointment appears to necessitate his resignation from the Flagler School Board, a position which he was just recently appointed to by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Prior to serving on the Flagler School Board, Barrs worked for as a Florida Highway Patrol officer from 2003 to 2020. He also has experience as a deputy with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, where he was a deputy for ten years. Since his retirement from FHP, Barrs has worked with the HNTB Corporation.
“I’m excited, I’m nervous, [it’s] like all different types of emotions wrapped up in one,” Barrs said. “But I’m excited to be able to hopefully be confirmed and get to work serving.”
Barrs ran for Flagler School Board in 2024, where he faced Janie Ruddy in the August primary election. Though Barrs lost to Ruddy in that race, he later found another way onto the Board – when Sally Hunt tendered her resignation, Barrs was selected by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill out the remainder of her term. Now, DeSantis will have to make yet another selection.
Despite the gravity of a federal appointment, Barrs admitted he considered staying put in Flgaler County. “It has been an honor for me to serve on the School Board, it’s been fantastic,” Barrs continued. “But throughout my career, this is the highest position in my field of work that you could ask for. And when I was offered this, I didn’t feel like I could turn down a position if the president offered me to serve. I just didn’t think I could do that.”
For now, it appears Barrs will be staying on the School Board as the federal appointment process works toward completion. Trump’s initial nominees for executive branch positions are still continuously being evaluated by Congress over two months into his second administration. For Barrs to become administrator, he’d have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
In his role with the FMCSA, Barrs would be in charge of overseeing an agency which regulates trucking safety in the United States. Currently Adrienne Camire serves as acting administrator, an appointment she received on March 7th. The last four administrators including Camire have all been acting; the last permanent administrator was Robin Hutcheson who served from September 2022 to January 2024.
Prior to Barrs’ selection, Flagler County lost its thrice-elected congressman Michael Waltz when he was named Trump’s national security adviser in November. Waltz, who is currently embedded in scandal after reportedly adding a reporter to a text chain about upcoming national security actions, left a vacancy in the area’s congressional representation when he resigned. Another local vacancy occurred when Palm Coast City Council member Ray Stevens resigned in February due to health concerns, though that will be filled in April. Barrs’ departure would be yet another hole to fill.
