A Biden administration official has been tapped by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott to lead the city’s Department of Transportation, his office announced Monday — just days after the resignation of the city’s last director.

Veronica P. McBeth, the deputy assistant secretary for transportation policy with the U.S. Department of Transportation, will start with the city in January, according to a news release from Scott’s office.

McBeth, whose nomination must be confirmed by the City Council, will replace Corren Johnson, who led the agency for about two years, first as interim and then permanent director. The City Council does not yet have a hearing or vote scheduled for McBeth.

In a news release, Scott said the city needs a transportation leader who “will transform the operations of the department, bring new, inventive ideas that will modernize our transportation infrastructure and strengthen the delivery of the department’s core services.”

“Veronica P. McBeth is that leader,” Scott said. “Veronica will lead the department into the future.”

Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2023, McBeth was a senior advisor for the Federal Transit Administration.

She also has local experience. From 2014 to 2018, McBeth served as Baltimore’s Transit Bureau chief. She also worked for the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Administration.

“I am excited about this opportunity to come home and take all the best practices from around the country and make safe and impactful changes that my fellow Baltimoreans can see and experience daily,” McBeth said in the news release. “Baltimore is a top tier city that needs to show the capabilities of our transportation resources by proper planning, investment, funding and execution.”

Late last week, Johnson announced she was resigning from the department. While she made some strides to combat staffing and organizational issues during her tenure, the department has faced chronic bureaucratic inefficiencies that have slowed projects like bridge work, road resurfacing and the installation of bike lanes.

Councilman Ryan Dorsey, chair of the council’s new Transportation and Land Use Committee, said he supports McBeth’s selection.

“I’ve known Veronica McBeth since my first term on the council and think she’s a great pick to lead the department,” he said. “She has the mindset we need to enact visionary change as well as operational productivity. I’m looking forward to working in partnership with my colleagues and the administration to give her the support she needs to be transformative.”

McBeth will begin her work with the city on Jan. 13. Veobia Akilo, who was appointed interim director after Johnson’s departure, will continue to serve in the role until McBeth’s arrival.