Rodney Earl Slater (born February 23, 1955) is an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the United States Secretary of Transportation under President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001.

Positions included assistant to the governor between 1983 and 1987, and member of the Arkansas State Highway Commission between 1987 and 1993.

[4] After Clinton was elected president, 1993 Slater became the first African-American Director of the Federal Highway Administration.

He served on the board of Northwest Airlines, continuing on with Delta Air Lines after their merger in 2008.

[8] He also led a safety advisory panel for Toyota and served as independent monitor for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.