The longest-serving administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Anne Ferro, announced her resignation on Friday, July 25. Here is the full text of the letter to her colleagues announcing her resignation.

Dear FMCSA Colleagues,

It has been my greatest privilege to serve side-by-side with you to advance FMCSA’s life saving mission. And in keeping with my pledge to be open and transparent with you about the things that affect your workplace, I’m writing to personally let you know that I will be leaving the agency towards the end of August to take on a new role as President and CEO of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

While the opportunity to assume this position at AAMVA is another personal dream come true, no job can match the immense honor I have had serving President Obama, and Secretaries Foxx and LaHood with you — the dedicated individuals who persevere every day to make safe transportation a reality for all of us.

Together, we have made a difference for countless families across the country by raising the bar for safety in motor carrier operations. We have worked to ensure that companies and drivers are more accountable for their actions, strengthened our oversight of high-risk carriers, created better tools for our law enforcement partners, and opened up a new world of useful  data to educate both businesses and consumers alike.  On a daily basis we have also recognized the significant contributions that commercial truck and bus drivers make to roadway safety and our nation’s economic vitality. As part of that effort, we have highlighted the daily demands and economic pressure drivers often face because they are paid by-the-mile or load instead of their total time on-duty. In the GROW AMERICA Act we are seeking to change that compensation model so drivers receive fair wages for every hour they spend working — including time detained unloading and loading at the mercy of shippers and receivers.

I hope you are proud of the life-saving work you accomplish and look forward to tackling more tough challenges ahead.  I certainly am proud to have served as your Administrator.  You are professionals united in a single mission — to save lives — and I encourage you to continue to rely on each other’s strengths and redouble your energy toward that highest of goals.

With about a month left in my federal service, I will get to thank many of you in person.  For today, please accept my sincere gratitude and admiration for the remarkable work you do and for what we have accomplished together.

Thank you!

Anne