Council for Economic Resilience (CFER) Appoints Jim Mullen as Executive Director
Veteran Trucking and Transportation Expert Will Lead Efforts to Support Automation and Autonomy as Growth Drivers for U.S. Economic Prosperity
WASHINGTON, May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council for Economic Resilience (CFER), the nation's leading voice in advancing automation and autonomy to drive economic prosperity, announced today that Jim Mullen has been appointed Executive Director.
Council for Economic Resilience (CFER) Appoints Jim Mullen as Executive DirectorMr. Mullen's decades of experience infusing autonomous innovations into the trucking and transportation sectors make him uniquely qualified for the CFER leadership position. He is a former Acting Administrator and Chief Counsel at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), where he advanced frameworks for autonomous trucking. He was also a key contributor to the U.S. Department of Transportation's AV 3.0 guidance, which spurred significant investments in autonomous vehicle and truck technologies.
Mr. Mullen's corporate experience is equally relevant to his new post. He is former Chief Legal and Administrative Officer for one of the autonomous trucking industry's pioneering companies and spent more than a decade as General Counsel for Werner Enterprises, the third-largest truckload transportation company in the U.S.
"Jim's leadership comes at a pivotal time for CFER and our nation's economy," said Grayson Brulte, CFER founder and Board Chair, as well as founder and CEO of the Road to Autonomy. "His deep domain knowledge, extensive industry experience, and clear vision of the enormous potential of an autonomous future give us a compelling advantage. With Jim at the wheel, CFER is poised to accelerate the growth of the autonomy economy, supporting new and emerging technologies that empower businesses, workers and communities to ensure that America continues to have the strongest economy in the world."
CFER plays a central role in advancing automation and autonomy initiatives across the U.S., partnering with businesses and communities to champion the benefits of automation and autonomy, to foster new industries, create new high-value jobs, and stabilize costs, extending the country's leadership position in this emerging industry.
"I'm excited to lead CFER into the next phase of growth and solidify the role of automation and autonomy as cornerstones of a thriving, resilient economy," Mr. Mullen said. "CFER has built a strong foundation. Now it's time to expand our network of partnerships with industries and communities to deliver on the promise of economic prosperity in an autonomous future."
Recent data underscore the transformative effects of automation and autonomy on economic stability and opportunity. A 2024 report from McKinsey & Company projects that autonomy could add $10 trillion to global GDP by 2030, with the U.S. gaining 3.3–6 million jobs in automation-related sectors. The USDA's Economic Research Service reports that robotic harvesting cut labor costs by 15 percent in 2024, reducing food-at-home inflation to 1.2 percent from 5 percent in 2023.
Automation-related jobs saw 3.8 percent wage growth in 2024, keeping pace with inflation, while retail price growth was limited to 2 percent, below the 3 percent Consumer Price Index, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
About CFER
The Council for Economic Resilience (CFER) is a 501(c)4 organization dedicated to advancing automation and autonomy to drive economic prosperity for the American people. Through public education, industry partnerships, and innovation support, CFER champions technologies that strengthen the economy, create jobs, and enhance resilience.
CFER Contact
To learn more about supporting CFER please visit https://cnfer.org or contact:
Dawn Sugasa
Director of Development & Strategic Engagement
Media Contact
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SOURCE Council for Economic Resilience, Inc.