I understand you FlyHound, but the Administrator isn't really in the same class as the bulk of the SES. They have deputies who usually come up through the ranks who have the bureaucratic experience. Only Lynne Osmus came up through the FAA ranks, Huerta was the deputy administrator. At least my sparring partner had been the NTSB chair.
Here's roughly what we've had over the years:
Quesada- AF Lt. General
Halaby - Navy Test Pilot (went on to be CEO of PanAm after the FAA)
McKee - AF (four star) General, NASA assistant administrator
Shaffer - AF Lt. Col (decorated), CEO of TRW
Butterfield - AF Col., aid to the Halderman in the Nixon White House
McLucas - Navy officer, VP of HRB, Director of the NRO, Secretary of the AF, president of Mitre
Bond - Illinois Secy of Transporatoin
Helms - Marine Lt. Col, Engineer, President of Norden and Piper
Engen - Navy vice admiral, Test Pilot, Piper Lakeland manager, NTSB board (went on to be director of the National Air and Space Museum)
McArtor - AF pilot, Thunderbirds pilot, Fedex senior management,
Busey - Navy admiral
Richards - AF General
Hinson - Navy pilot, NW pilot, direct at Hughes Airwest, founder/chairment of Miday Airlines, EVP of McDonnell Douglas [Looks cool in a Duke]
Garvey - Highway safety administrator, director of Logan airport
Blakey - NHTSA administrator, various other jobs in the federal bureaucracy, NTSB chairman
Sturgill - Navy pilot, United pilot/supervisor, failed run at state senate
Osmus - FAA in various positions
Babbitt - Eastern Airlines Pilot, ALPA founder and president
Huerta - NY Port commissioner, ED of Port of San Francisco, Senior DOT position, acting secy of transportation, deputy FAA admin
Note that Sturgill, Osmus, and Babbitt only served as acting administrator.
Actually, of all the recent ones, I liked Randy Babbitt the best. Alas, he was scuttled by a drunk driving arrest that was thrown out in court (both because there was no probable cause for the start and the fact that the BAC test was challenged.