WASHINGTON — Former NHTSA chief Steven Cliff said his decision to leave the nation's top auto safety regulator in September and return to the California Air Resources Board was not taken lightly.
"It was a very tough decision, I'll be honest," Cliff, now CARB's executive officer, told Automotive News this month. "When I was recruited for this role, I had to really think long and hard about where I wanted to see my career go, where I thought I could add the most value."
Cliff, 52, had been NHTSA's acting administrator since February 2021, and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2022 as its 16th administrator. The agency had been without a permanent leader since 2017.
In August — less than three months after the Senate confirmation — CARB announced Cliff's departure from NHTSA to run the state agency, replacing its previous executive officer, Richard Corey, who retired in June.
"To be able to set the path for us to achieve public health benefi…