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Meet Our Leadership

Christopher J. Bonanti, M.Eng, MBA

CEO & Principal

Mr. Bonanti’s expertise encompasses over 25 years of professional experience in leading and managing regulatory, legislative, safety, and infrastructure projects for all modes of transportation, including motor vehicles, rail, and aviation. 

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Career Highlights

2023 - Present

College Park, MD

Adjunct Professor

The University of Maryland, School of Public Policy

2011-2014

Washington, D.C.

Associate Administrator of Rulemaking

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

2010-2011

Washington, D.C.

Congressional Fellow

U.S. House of Representatives

2008-2011

Washington, D.C.

Office of Hazardous Materials

Federal Aviation Administration

2007-2008

Washington, D.C.

Deputy Executive Director

National Surface Transportation Policy & Revenue Study Commissions

2005-2008

Washington, D.C.

2003-2003

Washington, D.C.

1987-1991

Multiple Locations

Special Assistant to the Administrator

Federal Railroad Administration

DC Congressional Fellow

United States Senate

Aviation Ordinance Munitions

United States Marine Corps

Education

Doctorate of Engineering from Pennsylvania State University (expected 2027)

Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on Finance, Marketing, and Innovation from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (2017)

Master of Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University (1995)

Bachelor of Science from Rutgers University (1993)

Professional Affiliations

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE),

  • Technical Chair of Washington, DC Section, Immediate Past Chair of Washington, DC Section

  • Chair of Washington, DC Section

  • Vice Chair of Washington, DC Section

MemberOperation Life Saver (OLI) Certified Volunteer who provides safety presentations

Areas of Specialization

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Active & Passive Safety

 

​Commercial Vehicle Regulations

Automotive Safety Regulation

Aviation Safety Regulations

Classical Building Columns

Publications &
Selected Presentations

Use of Accident Data for Litigation Purposes – DRI’s Product Liability Conference, Nashville, TN, August 2021 (presentation & Abstract)

 

Autonomuous Vehicles Overview – Insurance Value Proposition speech at Lloyds of London, London, UK, November 2019

 

Bonanti, Christopher, “The NHTSA Decision Tree and Its Effects on Biomechanics Analysis in the NCAP Program,” February 2017

 

Chapman, David A., Bonanti, Christopher J. “After the Call: Post-Accident FMCSA and NTSB Inquiries,” In Transit, The Newsletter of the Trucking Law Committee, Vol 20, Issue 1, March 2017.

 

Bonanti, C.J., "FAA's Hazardous Materials Compliance & Enforcement Program," American Bar Association, Transportation Committee Quarterly, Winter 2009, Vol. 2, No.1.

Bonanti, C.J., "A Methodology for Predicting the Acute Toxicity Dosage of a Fatal Chemical Exposure, Utilizing Risk Assessment Algorithms," The Pennsylvania State University Library, December 1995.

NHTSA’s School Bus Standards and Safety Programs, presented at the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, School Bus Summit, Washington, DC, December 2013

 

Your Other Full-Time Job: Keeping up with Changing Safety Regulations, presented at the American Trucking Association Annual Conference, October 2013

 

Rulemaking in the United States, presented at the ESV conference, Soul Korea, May 2013

 

Motor Carrier Regulatory Summary, presented at the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee, April 2013

 

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and How They Can be Benchmarked to Military Vehicles, presented at the Reliability, Maintainability and Supportability Partnership DOD/DOT workshop, Springfield, VA, September 2012

 

World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29), representing the UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission of Europe) presented at the inaugural Global NCAP meeting, Malaysia, May 2012

Current NHTSA Regulatory Issues with Tires, presented at the Clemson Tire Industry Conference, April 2012

 

Briefing for the NAS Committee on the Assessment of Technologies for Improving Fuel Economy of Light-Duty Vehicles – Phase 2, presented at the National Academy of Science, Washington, DC, March 2012

Other Research Contributions & Seminars

Hazardous Material/Waste Transportation Safety – Its Effect on the Environment,

Proceedings of the Air & Waste Management Association's Annual Conference, June

1998.

 

Selection of Emission Monitoring Systems for Open Burning/Open Detonation Facilities,

 

Proceedings of the American Defense Preparedness Association's 1997 Hazardous

Materials and Waste Management Conference and Exhibition, Portland, OR, January

1997.

 

Predicting Acute Toxic Exposures from Accidental Releases, Proceedings of the Air &

Waste Management Association's Annual Conference, June 1996.

 

Bioremediation of Trinitrotoluene (TNT), presented at the 1995 Annual Meeting of

A&WMA Conference, San Antonio, TX, June 1995.

Aerial View Interchange

Biography

As the CEO of the Baluster Group, a boutique consulting firm, he and his staff focus on management, engineering, and regulatory and compliance consulting.  Previously, he was a Director and Senior Managing Consultant at a major consulting firm in D.C. focused on regulatory and compliance matters and their integration into the management and business sectors of transportation.  He also recently served as the Director for Environmental Planning at All Aboard Florida, now Brightline/Virgin Rail, where he was accountable for the management, technical, and strategic direction of the company’s environmental regulatory strategy, schedule, mitigation and permitting processes. As a former member of the U.S. Senior Executive Service (SES) and the Associate Administrator for Rulemaking at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Mr. Bonanti was the senior executive responsible for developing, writing and implementing rules, regulations, and standards for all ground transportation vehicles sold within the U.S., including the auto, trucking, motor coach, and motorcycle industries. These regulations included all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), and the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standard regulations for automobiles and light trucks, as well as, fuel efficiency standards for medium and heavy-duty trucks. Mr. Bonanti was responsible for moving the Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) communication research and agency’s regulations forward as well as coauthored the agency’s original autonomous vehicle policy and guidance for the United States.  He also served as Head of the U.S. Delegation to United Nations World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations.  Previous work experience included serving as the Director for the Office of Hazardous Materials at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as a staff member on Committees of both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, as a Special Assistant to the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), as Deputy Executive Director for the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, and as an investigator-in-charge (IIC) at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). He is also a former U.S. Marine and served during Desert Shield.

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Office: (571) 469-9340

Fax: (571) 366-2012

cjbonanti@thebalustergroup.com

10432 Ball Ford Rd, Suite 300 Manassas, VA 20109

For any inquiries, questions or commendations, please call: (571) 469-9340

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