Joel Szabat is a former American government official and military officer serving on the Amtrak Board of Directors since 2024.

[4] In August 2018, Szabat was nominated by President Donald Trump to become Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and International Affairs.

[9] He announced efforts to limit airline passengers from infected parts of the globe from travelling to the United States, early in the pandemic, at a White House press conference in January, 2020.

[2] He was a cavalry officer in the U.S. Army, commanding soldiers patrolling the East-West German border during the Cold War.

[13] Szabat and his wife, Chiling Tong,[14] founded the International Leadership Foundation,[15] a non-profit corporation that promotes the civic awareness, involvement and effectiveness of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.