WASHINGTON (TIP): President Joe Biden is tapping two Indian American women already working in his administration as part of a 10-member team to lead on climate and transportation matters across key agencies. While Meera Joshi is being named as Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, Radhika Fox would become Assistant Administrator for Water, Environmental Protection Agency.

Biden’s intent to elevate Joshi, an attorney with over 16 years of experience leading government oversight agencies, and Fox, a water issues expert, both working for his administration since January 20 inauguration day, was announced by the White House Wednesday. Appointed as the Deputy Administrator and senior official of the agency she would now head on day one, Joshi was previously Chair and CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.

At the nation’s largest for-hire transportation regulator, Joshi spearheaded novel Vision Zero campaigns using data tools to keep high risk drivers and unsafe vehicles off the road, according to his official biography. She also led landmark policy, including establishing robust open transportation data standards for app-based providers; enacting the nation’s first for-hire driver pay protection program and providing broad access to for-hire transportation for passengers who use wheelchairs. Prior to transportation regulation, Joshi was the Inspector General for New York City’s Department of Corrections, responsible for investigation of corruption and criminality at all levels of New York City’s jail operations and the First Deputy Executive Director of New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, leading investigations of police misconduct.

In addition to her government positions, Joshi served as General Manager for the New York Office of Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants and was a visiting scholar at New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy. Joshi was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She holds a BA and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania.

Appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water at the Environmental Protection Agency on Jan. 20, Fox currently serves as the Acting Assistant Administer for Water.

The EPA’s Office of Water works to ensure that drinking water is safe, wastewater is safely returned to the environment, and surface waters are properly managed and protected.

Prior to joining EPA, Fox served as Chief Executive Officer for the US Water Alliance, where she established herself as a widely recognized national thought leader on complex water issues, from equitable water management to investing in our nation’s water infrastructure. Her work has helped address the most salient water issues facing the nation—including climate change, affordability, equity, governance, innovative finance, and the evolution of the One Water movement.

Fox previously directed the policy and government affairs agenda for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which is responsible for providing 24/7 water, wastewater, and municipal power services to 2.6 million Bay Area residents.

She also served as the Federal Policy Director at PolicyLink, where she coordinated the organization’s policy agenda on a wide range of issues, including infrastructure investment, transportation, sustainable communities, economic inclusion, and workforce development.

Fox holds a BA from Columbia University and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley where she was a HUD Community Development Fellow.