Ron Thaniel is the Senior Director for Policy and Regulatory Affairs at Zoox. Zoox was founded in 2014 to make personal transportation safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable. To achieve that, Zoox has created a purpose-built robotaxi that gives the world a better way to ride. Thaniel was a Presidential political appointee to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States Department of Transportation as Director of Governmental and External Affairs. He also served as Vice President of Public Policy and Legislative Affairs for the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, and was Assistant Executive Director to the United States Conference of Mayors in Washington, DC. In New York, Thaniel held prominent positions such as Deputy Secretary for Transportation to the Governor of New York and Executive Director of the National Association of City Transportation Officials. Thaniel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Morgan State University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Hamline University.