James Hall

Jim Hall is the former chairman of the National Transportation and Safety Board and is one of the nation’s leading authorities on transportation safety, intelligent transportation systems, crisis management, and government relations.

Mr. Hall offers passionate, informed insights on safety and security issues to a wide range of audiences, serving as a national voice for safety, especially for those who cannot effectively speak for themselves, including children.

Today, Hall is managing partner of Hall & Associates, a Washington, D.C. based consultancy specializing in transportation safety and security issues, crisis communication and management, as well as U.S. and international regulatory and governmental affairs.

In an age when safety and security are at the forefront of attention for leaders in a variety of fields, Jim Hall’s experience and knowledge of building safety cultures and the value of independent investigative bodies is timely and significant. Hall served on the National Academy of Engineering’s Committee on Combating Terrorism, was co-chair of a U.S. Forest Service blue-ribbon safety review committee, and serves on the Aviation Institute Advisory Board of George Washington University.

A frequent media commentator, panelist, and keynote speaker, Mr. Hall has served government and private clients for more than 35 years. He was Chair of the NTSB under President Clinton from 1994-2001. During his tenure, Hall worked tirelessly to improve the safety of all modes of transportation, issuing landmark safety studies on commuter airlines, the air tour industry, the proper use of child restraint systems, the dangers to children of passenger-side air bags, and personal watercraft safety.

Mr. Hall also led the investigations into several major transportation accidents, including the ValuJet Flight Everglades crash, USAir Flight 427, TWA Flight 800, EgyptAir Flight 990, the fatal crashes involving John F. Kennedy, Jr. and John Denver, as well as train, cruise, and pipeline accidents in the U.S. and overseas.

A 1967 graduate of the University of Tennessee, Jim Hall served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army from 1967-1973, receiving the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service in Vietnam in 1969. He later served as a staff member for U.S. Senator Al Gore, Sr., as a cabinet member for former Tennessee Governor Ned McWherter, and chief of staff for U.S. Senator Harlan Mathews.