On April 3, 2026, the White House appointed Michael Graham as National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) vice chairman for a three-year term.

Graham succeeds Alvin Brown, a Biden appointee, who served as vice chair from December 2024 to May 2025, when he was removed prior to his term ending. The position was vacant until now.

Jennifer Homendy serves as chair of NTSB.

Who is Michael Graham?

Graham was previously appointed as the 45th NTSB board member by President Donald Trump, and took the oath of office on Jan. 3, 2020.

During his time on the board, Graham served as the member on scene for several major accident investigations. According to a press release, Graham has also been a dedicated advocate for advancing connected vehicle technology and reducing distracted driving on our nation’s roads.

He played a key role in supporting the NTSB’s efforts to promote the broader adoption of safety management systems across all modes of transportation.

Before NTSB, he served as director of flight operations safety, security and standardization at Textron Aviation and served in the Navy.

Graham holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico and is a certified airline transport pilot with more than 10,000 flight hours.

Where Does Michael Graham Stand on School Bus Safety?

Graham presented an agency update at the 2025 NASDPTS conference in Washington, D.C. last fall, where he shared agency findings from the Leander, Texas, school bus accident, and reiterated NSTB’s pro-seat belt stance.

He shared that compartmentalization alone “still doesn’t work very effectively, especially in a rollover,” referencing crashes in Anaheim, California, in 2012; Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 2016; and Helena, Montana, in 2017.

“That's why, in 2018, we recommended states specifically require lap and shoulder belts on new buses,” he said. “While some have taken action, most have not at this point. So that's why I'm here.”

At NASDPTS, Graham urged attendees to support the use of lap-shoulder belts to improve student safety, including training drivers and parents to encourage kids to wear them properly and adopting policies on their use.

“We're long past the time to know that seat belts work,” he said. “I don't care what you're on, what kind of bus. We know they work; you should be wearing them.”

“I know there's always going to be the naysayers out there,” he added. “Nobody is going to force you to always keep your seat belt on an airplane, either. At some point you … understand that you are accepting the risk. … Sometimes you just can't fix stupid. We can't put all the safety systems out there for people that are not willing to abide by what's out there already, or use what's available. You do what you can.”

Graham and NTSB also supports other safety technologies on school buses such as electronic stability control, collision avoidance systems, and cameras.

On a September 2020 NTSB podcast episode, Graham also discussed the importance of a team approach and reporting to increase safety and manage risk. “Everybody has a role in this,” he said. “There should be a non-punitive reporting system for the drivers to let their company or district know of the hazards out there. The students and the parents should be able to do the same.”