Sherry E. Little, Managing Partner
With top-level experience in both the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government, Sherry spent 15 years on Capitol Hill, including 9 years as senior staff to the Senate Banking Committee, which has jurisdiction over transportation and transit matters. She then served as Deputy Administrator and Acting Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) under President George W. Bush.
Sherry authored the Section 5309 New Starts statutory language and then administered that program as the nation’s top transit official. Her FTA and congressional perspectives allow her to appreciate the pressure of navigating the Federal transit program, and to work with clients to build technical capacity for this highly complex industry.
While serving as senior staff to the Senate Banking Committee, Sherry wrote the legislative framework for the establishment of the FTA’s first innovative project delivery program – the Public-Private Partnership Pilot Program. It was designed to promote the greater use of private sector capital and technical expertise in the development, financing, construction, and maintenance of public transportation throughout the country. As Deputy Administrator of FTA, she designed the key features and eligibility criteria and selected the participants for the pilot program. As a result of her leadership with the three selected projects, a new public-private partnership model has gained acceptance and is being pursued as a procurement mechanism throughout the county.
Sherry provides expert guidance through the statutory and regulatory components of federal infrastructure funding and financing, including the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and public-private partnerships. Outside of her passion for improving transit, Sherry is an avid equestrian, dog lover, book lover, and world traveler, and she relishes time with her family on John's Island, South Carolina.