Today, President Barack Obama will nominate Charlotte, North Carolina Mayor Anthony Foxx as Secretary of Transportation.

If the Senate confirms Foxx, he will replace outgoing Secretary Ray LaHood and become Obama’s first black nominee for his second-term Cabinet picks.

The agency has been under intense pressure as of late to resolve flight delays caused by recent budget cuts. Foxx’s efforts to improve Charlotte’s transportation infrastructure caught the attention of the White House, which passed over leading contender Deborah Hersman, head of the National Transportation Safety Board, in its decision to nominate the mayor.

Foxx gained national attention when his city hosted the Democratic National Convention last summer, but raised eyebrows when he announced earlier this month that he would be stepping down from his post as mayor. Citing a desire to spend more time with his family, Foxx put to rest speculation that he was considering a gubernatorial run. The Senate Commerce Committee will hold his nomination hearing once the announcement is official, but the full Senate must approve the pick before he can lead the DOT.