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TRANSform 2021 Speakers
TRANSform 2021 SpeakersMarc Osman2021-11-08T20:02:35-05:00
Sean Adgerson
Sean Adgerson, Chief Operating Officer, Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA), has more than 25 years of progressively responsible experience directing as many as 3,500 employees in organizations with annual operating budgets in excess of $900 million. Sean has help to lead MDOT MTA through the COVID-19 pandemic as well as through the transformational bus service redesign, BaltimoreLink. Sean was named Chief Operating Officer (COO) at MDOT MTA in December of 2017. As the COO for MDOT MTA, Sean is responsible for the day to day operations for MDOT MTA’s six operational modes that include a (65) Route Local Bus system, a (32) Route Commuter Bus system, a Light Rail system, a Metro Subway system, Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) Train Service, and a comprehensive Paratransit system. Sean is a graduate of the 2014 Leadership Maryland Program. Sean also is a past Chair of the Rail Rodeo and Conference Planning Committee for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). He also sits on several APTA committees.
Mark Aesch
Mark Aesch is a big picture thinker who passionately believes that public sector agencies can operate as efficiently and as focused on meeting customer needs as private sector businesses. As CEO and founder of TransPro, Mark leads his team in guiding organizations nationwide to new levels of performance excellence with the 7 Steps to Success performance management model and with innovative customer satisfaction services. Mark has extensive experience facilitating meetings and retreats with Boards, management, staff, and community members. He also supports organizations in the development of incentive compensation programs and programs to improve operations. As a Senior Advisor at The Boston Consulting Group and a BCG certified executive coach, Mark has worked with dozens of executives nationwide in both group and one-on-one leadership development programs. Mark is the former CEO of the Rochester Transportation Authority where, under his leadership, the Authority introduced the concept of managing a public sector agency with a private sector mindset. Results included: a reduction in fares, multi-million dollar surpluses, and reduced reliance on taxpayer dollars. Mark’s efforts to drive change in public sector management have been covered in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Bloomberg TV and Radio, Fox National News, National Public Radio, the CBS News and many other media outlets. Mark is the best-selling author of two business books – Saving America (Bibliomotion, 2016) and Driving Excellence (Hyperion, 2011) – published in ten countries and rated by CNN as a Top 5 Business Book for 2011.
Andrew Aiello
Andrew Aiello, General Manager for the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky, is responsible for the overall management of the regional transit system which provides approximately four million passenger trips each year. Aiello has been with TANK since 2004, serving as Planning Manager and Deputy General Manager before being appointed General Manager in 2010. Prior to TANK, he served as Senior Planner for Atlanta’s metropolitan planning organization, the Atlanta Regional Commission. Aiello holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati and undergraduate degrees in Urban Planning and Philosophy from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Aiello is actively engaged in community activities including the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University, the Board of Directors for Kentuckians for Better Transportation, and the Board of Directors of the Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments.
Richard Andreski
Rich Andreski is Bureau Chief for Public Transportation for the State of Connecticut. In his 22-year career with NJ Transit and the Connecticut Department of Transportation, he has played critical roles in the development of rail and bus infrastructure in the greater New York metro area. In his role as bureau chief, Rich is responsible for the development of the statewide public transportation system including the Metro-North operated New Haven Line, the innovative CTfastrak bus rapid transit system, CTtransit services and Connecticut’s newest passenger rail line – Hartford Line. This statewide public transportation system serves more than 81 million people annually. Additionally, he oversees the state’s historic Connecticut River ferries and the regulation of taxi, livery and transportation network companies. Rich is motivated by a mission of public service. He believes transit plays a critical role in improving the quality of life for all residents, addressing climate change, and giving people access to employment, education, and other opportunities in their communities. He keeps the customer experience at the heart of every investment decision. Rich is active in the American Public Transportation Association, where he founded the APTA Emerging Leaders Program, an immersive year-long leadership development program and currently serves on the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Committee and the APTA Awards Committee. Rich holds a BS from Lafayette College and MCRP from Rutgers University. He resides with his family in Glastonbury, CT.
Marla Blagg
Marla Blagg is the outgoing Executive Director of Safety and Security at TriMet, in Portland Oregon. Marla has over 20 years of multi-disciplinary civil service experience in public health, EMS, Fire and Law Enforcement. She has over 9 years’ experience in transportation and most recently oversaw transit police, system safety, environmental services, security, emergency management, training, and the drug and alcohol program. Marla’s achievements at TriMet include changing a 40 year municipal police command structure to the Sheriff’s office. Included was re-branding an entire police department, building out and moving into a newly constructed $14 million Public Safety building, all in the middle of COVID. Other achievements include re-structuring the Fare Inspector Program and institutionalizing front line training to include incident command, de-escalation, cultural competency/humility, mental health first aid, and bias busting to name a few. Not only did Marla oversee the COVID response for TriMet, she successfully adopted the Agency Safety Plan and has fully developed the framework and structure of the SMS Implementation Plan. I would like to introduce Marla to present and share her success and achievements with Reimagine Public Safety where she was able to pass a $100M five-year police contract in the middle of “defund the police” movement.
Aileen Bouclé
Aileen Bouclé is the Executive Director for the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). Since joining the agency in 2016, she has been leading the charge, along with the Miami-Dade TPO Governing Board, to provide mobility choices for Miami-Dade County through the local transportation planning process, and more specifically the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit “SMART” Plan. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental and Urban Systems, with a specialty in Transportation Planning, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Florida International University. Ms. Bouclé is also a Certified Professional Planner with the American Planning Association Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
Louis Brown
Lou Brown is an experienced and dedicated transportation system safety engineer with more than 47 years of government and industry broad-based management and engineering expertise in many modes of transportation including: transit safety, transportation system safety, automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM), automotive and aviation safety, vehicle emissions, and energy policy, vehicle safety engineering, regulatory development and analysis, program management, vehicle product compliance and safety defects, full scale and laboratory scale testing, and crash testing. Lou works for Jacobs Engineering where he is involved with implementing Positive Train Control for Orlando’s SunRail. Lou is a licensed Professional Engineer in Florida, Virginia, Maryland and DC. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University and a Masters in Aviation Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. In his spare time, Lou is currently teaching a graduate level course in Transportation Safety Management at San Jose State University.
Nicole Bucich
Nicole Bucich has 30 years of experience in the transportation engineering and planning fields and is currently the Planning Director at the Northeast Corridor Commission. She is responsible for leading the development of CONNECT NECT 2035 —a 15-year strategic development plan for the Northeast Corridor—through the creation and facilitation of a highly participatory, consensus-driven planning process among USDOT, Amtrak, and eight state/commuter railroads. Prior to joining the Commission in December 2018, Nicole spent the majority of career as a consultant focused on transportation projects in the New York City metropolitan area. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and her Master of Science degree in Transportation from MIT. She is also an adjunct professor at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Damian J. Carey
Damian Carey is a Senior Program Director with Jacobs, based in Washington DC. His areas of specialization include program strategic planning, project delivery, and public-private partnerships. Damian has capital projects delivery experience in the transit and rail sector in Europe, Asia, and across North America. He is an active member of APTA’s Innovative Funding, Finance and Public-Private Partnership (IF2P3) Committee.
Dorval R Carter, Jr
Dorval R. Carter, Jr. is President of the Chicago Transit Authority, the nation’s second-largest transit agency, providing approximately 1.5 million rides on an average weekday and serving the City of Chicago and 35 surrounding suburbs. Overseeing more than 10,000 employees, President Carter carries out CTA’s mission of delivering quality, affordable transit services that link people, jobs, and communities. Appointed as CTA President in 2015, Mr. Carter has led the way for unprecedented investment in CTA. Under Mayors Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot, Mr. Carter has overseen more than $8B of projects completed, begun or announced—including the largest construction project in CTA history (the Red and Purple Modernization), the largest railcar order in the agency’s history, and the reconstruction/rehabilitation of more than 40 rail stations.
Jim Cook currently serves as the Assistant Chief of Police for the Amtrak Police Department. In his role Chief Cook is responsible for directing the day-to-day operations of the Amtrak Police Department, which is comprised of 431 sworn police officers operating in 46 states. Chief Cook holds multiple degrees including a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Social Deviance from the University of Minnesota, a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of Phoenix, a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from Boston University, and a Master of Arts in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School. In addition, Chief Cook is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. Chief Cook is an active member of the Police Executive Research Forum, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Crime Analysts, and the American Society for Industrial Security.
Kevin S. Corbett
Kevin was appointed to lead NJ TRANSIT in February 2018, and is responsible for the nation’s largest statewide public transportation system, and third largest overall. He currently serves as the North American Representative to the Policy Board of UITP, as a member of APTA’s 2020-2021 Board of Directors, and as Co-Chair of the Northeast Corridor Commission. Before joining NJ TRANSIT, Kevin served as Vice President at AECOM, leading important projects that included the first phase of the Moynihan Station. Prior to AECOM, Kevin served as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of the Empire State Development Corporation and as Executive Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Economic Development, where he led the economic recovery efforts in Lower Manhattan following the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. In the civic realm, Kevin has served on the Executive Committee of the Regional Plan Association and as Co-Chair of its Transportation Committee. He has served as President of the Board of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey, as a Board member at the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, and as Chairman of the Board of the New York League of Conservation Voters. Kevin is a graduate of Georgetown University and proudly serves as a Blue and Gold Officer for the U.S. Naval Academy.
Carlos Cruz-Casas
Carlos Cruz-Casas, P.E. is the Assistant Director over Strategic Planning for Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works. His primary focus is to introduce mobility innovation and plan for a fully integrated transportation system. His career includes both public and private sector experience ranging from conceptual design to implementation of pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and traffic projects. As a professional engineer dedicated to the development of Livable Transportation, Carlos seeks to achieve the right balance between mobility and livability. Carlos received his Master’s degree in urban transportation planning from University of Florida’s College of Engineering, and his Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Puerto Rico. Carlos now serves as a Board Member for the Open Mobility Foundation and The Underline Conservancy
Bob Dean
Bob Dean joined the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) in 2018 as its Chief Executive Officer. CNT is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to deliver innovative analysis and solutions that support community-based organizations and local governments to create neighborhoods that are equitable, sustainable, and resilient. CNT works where urban form – the built environment and infrastructure of our cities – intersects with disparities by race and income. We work across sectors, on topics including climate resilience, environmental justice, healthy housing, transportation equity, community-based planning, and nature-based solutions. Prior to CNT, Bob served as the Deputy Executive Director for Planning for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), where he created and then oversaw the Local Technical Assistance program, which has offered planning assistance to local governments across the region through over 200 local planning projects. Before initiating the LTA program, Bob managed GO TO 2040, the award-winning comprehensive plan for the Chicago metropolitan area that was adopted in October 2010. After leaving CMAP in 2017, he consulted for Chicago’s Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) and RW Ventures on local governance and economic development projects during 2018. Prior to CMAP, Bob worked in municipal government for five years in suburban Chicago. Bob holds a Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts in American History from the University of Delaware.
Congressman Peter DeFazio
Congressman Peter DeFazio has spent his time in Congress working for Oregonians. As the dean of the Oregon House delegation, he has developed a reputation as an independent, passionate, and effective lawmaker.
In 2019, DeFazio was elected to the powerful position of Chair of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, which has jurisdiction over the nation’s highways, public transit, rail systems, airports, pipelines, and seaports, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, and other agencies. Coast Guard, highways and transit, ports and water resources, railroads, aviation, and economic development.
As Chair, and previously as Ranking Member, DeFazio has taken the lead role on several multi-billion-dollar laws that have created jobs, improved transportation options, kept our ports open, ensured clean drinking water, and kept the airline industry accountable.
He authored and passed in the House the Moving Forward Act, transformative legislation that addresses the climate crisis head-on by creating new programs to cut carbon pollution and mitigate the threat of extreme weather; investing in clean fuel infrastructure; providing more zero-emission and clean transportation choices; and harnessing American ingenuity in our fight against climate change. In addition, the bill invests more than $760 billion over five years to bring our nation’s transportation infrastructure up to a state of good repair, reducing gridlock for commuters and business, investing in rural communities, strengthening Buy American standards, and creating millions of jobs.
Charles Di Maggio
Charles Di Maggio is the Chief Executive Officer of Greystone Management Solutions, which provides real estate portfolio monetization, occupancy, financing, and disposition strategies to public, not for profit and private sector clients nationwide. Mr. Di Maggio, an attorney and urban planner, has been actively involved in real estate, management, law and construction in both the public and private sectors since 1980. He has served as the City of New York’s lead housing and real estate lobbyist in Albany, the Assistant Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and Contract Management for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and as the Assistant Representative to the Board of Estimate for the Mayor’s Office of the City of New York under the administration of Edward I. Koch. Additionally, Mr. Di Maggio is an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Urban Planning at UMASS/Boston, where he instructs courses in Real Estate Finance and Transit Oriented Development. He serves as the Co-Chair of the APTA IF2P3 Real Estate Subcommittee and Chair of the BMBG Development Committee.
Kenneth A. Divers
Kenneth A. Divers, B.A. Business Management Assistant Director and Vulnerable Population Team Leader My passion for safety and innovation drives my obsession for improvement. During my 27-year career at the nation’s sixth largest transportation agency, I have gained skills and abilities that have helped me identify challenges and seek new and effective ways to strengthen our system. The opportunity to keep learning and initiating change, coupled with my great team of co-workers, makes my work fulfilling and impactful. In my new role as the Vulnerable Population Team Leader, I have been tasked with addressing the complex issue of homelessness on our system. It is a challenge that is not unique to SEPTA, and I have come to appreciate the high-level demand and responsibility that so many of our industry leaders must navigate to address it. What is needed most urgently is collaboration. For this reason, I have worked to build a community of partners across government, nonprofits, academia, and other sectors. Together, we will achieve my goal of making homelessness on SEPTA, rare, brief, and non-recurring. Other highlights of my SEPTA career include leading high-profile, world-stage events, such as the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, the U.S. Open Golf Tournament, the APTA International Rail Rodeo, the Democratic National Convention, the Philadelphia Eagles Championship Parade, the Made in American event, and so much more. I have B.A. in Business Management from Pierce College, and the mantra I live by is “Let safety consume us, innovation define us, and our customers drive us.”
Mark Dowd
Mark K. Dowd joined the MTA in November 2019 as its first Chief Innovation Officer. Mark led several technology initiatives including bringing in over fifteen new technology companies, worked on developing a New York regional transportation as a service model, and was deeply involved in spearheading innovative approaches to the COVID crisis in New York. Prior to joining the MTA, Mark was the founder and Executive Director of Smart Cities Lab, a city-facing nonprofit helping eleven national cities forge new solutions to their stubborn challenges, and providing policy support and a venue for cities to share what works and what does not work. He received a grant from the National Science Foundation to help design the Civic Innovation Challenge that required universities and cities to partner to solve civic problems related to resiliency and transportation. Mark is also a Visiting Scholar at University of California Berkeley where he was working with cities to find innovative ways to accelerate the adoption of new mobility technologies. Prior to founding Smart Cities Lab, Mark served as a Senior Advisor to U.S. Department of Transportation’s Secretary Foxx where he was the architect of the Smart City Challenge that fundamentally changed the way American cities approach mobility. He also served several different roles in the Obama Administration including the three positions in the White House and served as a senior member of the President’s Auto Task Force, where he worked on the historic restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler.
Gregory Elsborg
Gregory Elsborg joined Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) in 2019 as Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer. As Chief Innovation Officer, Gregory’s responsibilities include driving new business partnerships, growing DART’s Mobility as a Service (MaaS) offering and leveraging technology to facilitate innovation across the enterprise. Greg has a strong track record of driving ecommerce, mobile and innovation initiatives across a variety of industries throughout his career. His background includes Fortune 500 and global leadership roles in digital innovation and brand strategy spanning various industries. Originally from the United Kingdom, Gregory studied Marketing at Lancaster University Management School, a Top 5 UK Business School, graduating with multi-disciplinary Honors. After a successful career in the UK, including general management and marketing leadership roles in the transit industry, he relocated to the United States in 2011.
Ronald Ester, Jr.
As the Chief Safety Officer at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Ronald Ester, Jr. has over 30 years of experience in public transit. Prior to his work at the T, Ronald served in a variety of senior executive roles at the Chicago Transit Authority, including Vice President of Rail Operations, VP of Control Center Operations and Chief Safety/Security Officer. He has an extensive background in transit safety, rail operations, control center operations, transit security, service restoration and capital projects. Ronald is an innovative leader with a proven ability to strategically leverage resources and drive change to yield desired results.
Inez Evans
Inez Evans was selected as IndyGo’s President and CEO in summer 2019, becoming the first minority woman President and CEO for the transit agency. Evans manages an agency of more than 800 employees, a fleet of more than 200 vehicles, averaging 9 million trips annually. During Evans short time at IndyGo, she has ushered in their first all-electric bus rapid transit line, recruited emerging leaders to the executive team, maintained and innovated service during a pandemic, developed and executed the purchase of a new headquarter location to meet the growing needs of the agency, put new vehicles into service moving IndyGo towards it’s clean fleet goals, enforced vendor accountability, enhanced improvements with paratransit services and championed diversity and workforce development within the agency. With more than 25 years of experience, Evans career has been rooted in her ability to build and nurture relationships, bring communities together, and affect organizational change. Before joing IndyGo, Evans began her career in customer service and most recently was the Chief Operating Officer for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Evans serves on the Indianapolis Arts Council board of directors and on their diversity and inclusion committee. As the co-chair for the American Heart Association’s Circle for Red Committee she is able to champion heart health to her community. Evans was appointed by Mayor Hogsett to the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee board of directors in 2019. She also serves as a board member for American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and committee member for Leadership APTA, a program that grooms transit professionals aspiring to become leaders within their organizations. In 2021 Evans was the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from, Miz CEO, a local institution focused on uplifting women in the community. Evans is a mother of four boys and a native of Texas. In her free time, she enjoys singing and gardening.
Nuria Fernandez
Nuria Fernandez was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 15th Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on June 10, 2021. She was previously appointed as Deputy Administrator and senior FTA official on January 20, 2021. With more than 35 years of experience, Fernandez made a name for herself as an inspiring leader in the transportation industry. She came to FTA after serving as General Manager and CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), where she was responsible for 2,100 employees and oversaw projects, programs, and transit services that provide mobility solutions for more than two million people who live and work in the Silicon Valley.
Among the highlights of her tenure at VTA was the completion of the first Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) heavy rail service into Silicon Valley, a 10-mile, $3 billion line that opened to passenger service in June 2020. She also received federal approval in 2018 to extend the heavy rail service for another six miles. When completed in 2026, the heavy rail service will total 16 miles of rail and six stations that will provide transit alternatives for tens of thousands of commuters in and around the Silicon Valley.
Fernandez is also responsible for the creation of VTA’s Innovation Center, an incubator to encourage collaboration, test the latest technology, and imagine new ways to keep the valley moving forward by leveraging the expertise of Silicon Valley’s high-tech corporations and universities.
Prior to leading VTA, Fernandez served in leadership positions at some of the busiest transit agencies in America, including Chief Operating Officer of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and Senior Vice President of Design and Construction for the Chicago Transit Authority and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, consecutively. She also served as Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Aviation, overseeing O’Hare and Midway Airports.
In 1997, Fernandez was appointed by President Bill Clinton as Acting Administrator of FTA, where she led the agency’s programs, including $1 billion in annual grant funding to local communities for planning, design, and construction of new and expanding rail and bus systems.
She served as Chair of the American Public Transportation Association from 2019-2020 and on the boards of the Mineta Transportation Institute, The Transportation Learning Center and on the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board.
Fernandez was born and raised in Panama City, Panama. She holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, and an M.B.A. from Roosevelt University in Chicago.
Mike Finnern
Mike is the Vice President of Customer Success and Program Management for Proterra, a leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles. In this role Mike leads his team to deliver successful electric bus fleet deployments to transit agencies, airports, universities and others moving their fleets and operations to this new, innovative technology. Mike joined Proterra in 2009 as a Systems Engineer and served as the project manager responsible for developing and launching the world’s first fast-charge, all-electric city transit buses in Pomona, CA in 2010. After several years in various engineering roles, he was asked to lead the Customer Service team. As Proterra grew, Mike built the Customer Service team to scale along with the company — developing processes, training, resources, and a skilled workforce to support the transit industry’s transition to clean propulsion. Mike has worked in the field of advanced, clean propulsion for over 20 years and in public transportation for over 10 years. He began his career in engineering with Ford Motor Company where he was responsible for developing advanced engines and clean powertrains. While at Ford, Mike received the Henry Ford Technology award for his contribution to the development of the world’s first Partial Zero Emissions V6 engine. As an engineering consultant, he also worked on some of the earliest clean-propulsion heavy-duty vehicles on the road. In 2016, Mike was recognized as one of Mass Transit Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40, The Best and Brightest award recipients. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Valparaiso University and is a Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout. In his off time, Mike enjoys spending time with his wife and working hard not to be driven fully crazy by his two young daughters (6yo and 9yo). He and his family enjoy camping and hiking. Mike also spends time building and racing cars in various endurance car racing series.
Yonah Freemark
Yonah Freemark is senior research associate in Metropolitan Housing and Communities at the Urban Institute. His research focuses on the intersection of land use, affordable housing, and transportation. He has published peer-reviewed scholarship in numerous journals, including Urban Affairs Review, Politics & Society, Housing Policy Debate, and the Journal of the American Planning Association. Previously, Freemark worked for Chicago’s Metropolitan Planning Council and has written for the New York Times, Next City, and CityLab, among others. He holds master’s degrees in both city planning and in transportation, as well as a PhD in urban studies from MIT.
Oliver G. Gilbert III
Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners Vice Chairman and Miami-Dade TPO Governing Board Chairman, Oliver G. Gilbert III, was born and raised in the City of Miami Gardens and is a graduate of Florida A&M University. Upon graduating, he attended the University of Miami School of Law where he graduated with honors. He has been licensed to practice law throughout the State of Florida for 20 years. In 2012, Chairman Gilbert was elected Mayor of his hometown, Miami Gardens, where his efforts helped the City earn “All-America City” in 2020. In November 2020, he was sworn in as Miami-Dade County Commissioner District 1 and was unanimously chosen as Vice Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. He is a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.
Laura Grams
Laura is the South Central Transit Market Sector Lead for HDR. In this role she is responsible for leading the transit group in the Gulf Coast as well as expanding HDR’s client base in the South Central region of the US. Prior to joining HDR over 10 years ago, Laura served as the General Manager for Texas A&M University’s Transit System managing a fleet of 100 buses and supervising 400 drivers. Laura’s primary technical focus is in transit service planning and operations. Currently, she serves as the Deputy Program Manager for HDR’s long standing General Planning Consultant Services contract with Houston METRO. Having worked on both the public and private sides of the industry she brings a unique perspective as both a transit planner and advocate. Laura is a member of the Leadership APTA Class of 2020/2021 as well as a mentor for the APTA Emerging Leaders Program. She also volunteers as a Vice Chairman for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo School Art Committee, the Scholarship Committee and is a creative entrepreneur with a patent-pending transit solution.
Collie J. Greenwood
Collie Greenwood is a 33-year Transit veteran with operations, administrative, and transformation experience. Through his career at the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), Collie led over 9,500 men and women to provide top-notch bus, subway, streetcar, accessible transit, station services, transit security, and a structured maintenance program for all modes. Notably, as the Chief Service Officer, he oversaw several transformative initiatives, including stations transformation, mobility service consolidation, and reduced overtime costs through the organized distribution of transitional work. He joined MARTA as the Chief of Bus Operations and Urban Planning in July 2019 and was appointed Deputy General Manager Operations and Urban Planning in December 2020. Greenwood is accountable for bus, rail, facilities, and transit infrastructure for the growing City of Atlanta and surrounding areas. Responsibilities include daily operation and maintenance of the MARTA Bus network, Mobility service, Rail System and Atlanta Streetcar while ensuring stations, facilities, vehicles, systems, and the right of way remain in a safe and secure state of good repair. In his new role, Greenwood will also help develop and deliver major capital projects to enhance the customer experience, including the largest in MARTA’s history, the procurement of new railcars, and the addition of electric buses to MARTA’s fleet. Collie will also work closely with the senior leadership team to ensure that operating departments have the resources they need, provide management, and focus on building a customer-centric, safety-driven, performance management culture. Collie holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Jeff Hiott
Jeff Hiott is the Vice President, Imagination, Research, and Industry Benchmarking at Capital Metro where he oversees performance management, strategic planning, and new and innovative projects. Prior to joining CapMetro, Jeff spent 14 years at the American Public Transportation Association leading their Technical Services and Innovation Department. Jeff holds a BS in Civil Engineering with a transportation focus from Georgia Tech.
Kammy Horne
As Senior Vice President of Development and Planning for VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio Texas, Kammy Horne is responsible for service and capital planning, capital engineering, passenger amenities, and real estate acquisition and management. Kammy currently leads many of the VIA efforts implementing new developments for the agency under Keep San Antonio Moving, the voter-approved plan designed to improve the transit system by expanding trip options, investing in capital projects, exploring new technology, and putting resources where they are needed. Kammy and her team are also responsible for planning the expansion of the agency’s newest mobility service, VIA Link, on-demand transit, currently operating in the Northeast, Northwest, and Sandy Oaks portions of VIA’s service area. Kammy currently serves as the Vice Chair of the American Public Transportation Association’s Policy, Planning, and Program Development Committee and was appointed to represent VIA on the City of San Antonio’s Climate Ready Technical Advisory Committee. Kammy is also currently chairing the WTS San Antonio Region’s Leadership Development Program. Previously working in the private sector, Kammy has worked on numerous programs and projects directly for agencies around the country including the Utah Transit Authority, Utah Department of Transportation, Arizona Department of Transportation, Valley Metro in Phoenix, Arizona, Washington DC Department of Public Works, Capital Metro, and Dallas Area Rapid Transit. She earned a Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Long Island University in Southampton, New York.
Gary Howard
Gary Howard Director, Rail Transportation Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County • Gary Howard is currently the Director of Rail Transportation for the Metropolitan Transit Authority in Houston, Texas. Where he manages the day to day operation of the light rail system with a team of superintendents, controllers, supervisors and trainers. Together they ensure an emphasis on safe operation, on-time performance, and customer service. While maintaining positive relationships with the local Transit Workers Union, government representatives and stakeholders. During his thirty-year career he has worked in front line positions as well managing and overseeing operation control centers, supervised union and non-union employees and has worked with planning and project engineers to develop and implement new rail line operations and safety improvements. • Gary currently serves as the Vice Chair for APTA’s Operating Practices Working Group (OPWG). The APTA OPWG promotes the exchange of information and research on the development, technological advances, and management of rail, rapid transit projects, and systems; and provides a forum for discussing industry developments in rail safety and security, operating systems, rail system productivity and efficiency, training. Additionally, Gary serves as technical member of the National Committee for Unified Traffic Control Devices’ (NCUTCD) Railroad Grade Crossing technical committee member. • Gary’s background includes operational experience with special operations for multiple Super Bowls, World Series, NCAA bowl games, NCAA Final Fours and weather events including hurricanes Rita, Ike, and Harvey.
Joan G. Hudson, P.E.
Ms. Hudson is a Research Engineer for the Planning and Engagement Program at TTI with 30 years of experience in transportation engineering and planning. She has led several safety projects for the Transit Cooperative Research Program, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro), the Texas Department of Transportation, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority and others. Her work with Capital Metro has involved bus crash analyses, countermeasure recommendations, and technology research. She also conducted safety culture surveys and focus groups, modeled safety database business processes, and evaluated the impact of countermeasures on bus crashes. She recently finished the development of the Capital Metro Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) and the Rail System Safety Program Plan (SSPP) as required by Federal Transit Administration and Federal Railroad Administration respectively. She led the TCRP Synthesis Project on Transit Safety Risk Assessment Methodologies. Beyond transit safety, Joan’s research focuses on bicycle and pedestrian safety, planning and education. A Civil Engineering graduate of both Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin, Ms. Hudson is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas focusing on transportation engineering. She has been with TTI for 20 years. She was previously employed by the City of Austin for 11 years as a traffic engineer.
Darryl Jamail
Darryl Jamail is the Senior Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management for Capital Metro and has served in that position since 2017. He has worked in transit policing since 2006. Darryl served with the Austin Police Department from 1994 – 2017, retiring as a Commander. Darryl served in many assignments including: Patrol Officer, Vehicular Homicide Detective, Patrol and Investigations Sergeant, Internal Affairs Sergeant, Director of Cadet Training, Violent Crimes Commander, Emergency Communications Commander, and Intelligence Commander. He was certified by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement as a Master Peace Officer and Peace Officer Instructor. Darryl graduated from Texas A&M University in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and managed retail grocery operations in Dallas and Houston for eight years before pursuing a career in law enforcement.
Monica Jones serves as the Chief Equity Officer at Central Ohio Transit Authority. In her role, Jones oversees the conception, design, implementation, growth and evaluation of the organization’s strategy surrounding equity, diversity, and inclusion. She also partners with leaders to develop and implement strategies, programs, policies and metrics to attract, retain, and advance diversity within and outside of COTA. Prior to COTA, Jones had spent two decades in higher education in key leadership positions as associate dean of students, chief diversity officer, director of diversity for regional campuses and director of student services for both public and private institutions in Ohio and Kentucky. Jones is a native of Zanesville. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology and Master’s Degree in Higher Education from Ohio University.
Sheila Jordan
Sheila Jordan is Managing Partner at Knowledge Architects, LLC, a consultancy providing workforce development and organizational change programs to transit for the past 11 years. She recently founded AR4Transit, a startup that utilizes emerging technologies including 3D animation, AR and visual work instructions to upskill industrial workers using mobile devices and headsets. Throughout her career, Sheila has been a committed advocate and a voice for young women, and underserved communities of color. She believes that by creating learning ecosystems that cultivate our communities we create entre’ into jobs, skills and career opportunities that dismantle barriers to success in today’s ever-shifting economic landscape. In 2020, her firm was named one of the fastest growing companies on the Inc.5000 list.
Jeanne Krieg
Jeanne Krieg has been the Chief Executive Officer of Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority (Tri Delta Transit) in Antioch California since 1995 and has been with the system since 1991. Before coming to the transit industry, Jeanne held positions in sales, marketing, and management in the public utility and publishing industries. Jeanne has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento. Jeanne is active with the Transportation Cooperative Research Program, serving on many project panels. She serves as vice-chair of the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection Commission (TOPS). She currently serves on the APTA Executive Committee, is a graduate of the inaugural class of Leadership APTA and an active member of many APTA committees. She a member of the Executive Committee of the California Transit Association (CTA) and is active on many CTA committees.
Adelee Le Grand, AICP is a leader, with more than two decades of experience, becoming Hillsborough Transit Authority or HART’s Chief Executive Officer in January of 2021. She is transforming the agency into a modern, mobility company with a renewed focus on reliable, customer-oriented service. Her areas of expertise include developing and communicating strategies into the implementation of business solutions and innovations. Her Strategic Plan for HART dovetails with the economic viability and exponential population growth of Hillsborough County—the 10th Fastest Growing Region in the Nation. Le Grand’s most recent success includes a HART Board approved fiscal year 2022 Annual budget of more than $168 million funding for operating expenditures as well as capital expenditures for new buses, bus stops and shelters, rider-friendly technology and new facility construction. Le Grand served as a key member of the Executive team for two transit agencies. She held the position of Chief Mobility Officer for the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority, working closely with the Executive Director and Planning Division to develop a strategic plan documenting the new state authority’s suite of services and strengthening partnerships with stakeholders and regional partners. Le Grand also served as the Chief Strategy Officer in service to the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority where her responsibilities included developing the first Strategic Mobility Plan for the New Orleans Region and rebuilding the Planning Department. She implores to her team to realize that their contributions to public mobility are directly connected to the economic vitality of the Tampa Bay Region.
Nadine Lee
Nadine Lee is the President & Chief Executive Officer for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) where she is leveraging the talents and expertise of 3700 employees to deliver the People’s Transit System. Previously, Nadine served in the roles of Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief Innovation Officer for LA Metro, where she established the Vision 2028 Strategic Plan, the Offices of Equity & Race and Customer Experience, and the Better Bus Program. Prior to arriving in L.A., Nadine led the development and implementation of the Flatiron Flyer Bus Rapid Transit for Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD), a project that produced a 40% increase in corridor ridership in its first few months of service. Nadine was appointed to the Leadership APTA Committee in 2019 and is a past Director on the WTS International Board. She was awarded 2019 WTS International Woman of the Year. Nadine participated in the 2019 APTA International Study Mission to explore Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) in three European cities. She also studied the role of performance management in improving service delivery in four Southeast Asia cities as part of the TCRP International Transit Studies Program. A registered Professional Engineer in Colorado and Kansas, Nadine received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Gail Lyssy
Gail Lyssy is FTA’s Acting Associate Administrator for Transit Safety and Oversight. Previously she served as Regional Administrator for FTA’s Region 6 Office. Ms. Lyssy has over 35 years of experience in the transportation industry. She joined FTA Region 6 in 1996 as the Regional Engineer, was promoted to Director of Program Management and Oversight in 2005, Deputy Regional Administrator in 2014 and Regional Administrator in 2020. She has received numerous awards for her contributions, including the USDOT Secretary’s Award for Excellence, as well as numerous USDOT Secretary’s Partnering for Excellence and Team Awards for her efforts in support of emergency response and other multimodal efforts. Prior to joining FTA, Ms. Lyssy was the Director of Transportation for a transportation engineering consulting firm in Dallas. A native Texan, Ms. Lyssy received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University, and is a registered Professional Engineer.
Robbie Makinen
As President and CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, Robbie Makinen has led the Kansas City region through a dramatic transformation aimed at bringing together five different transit systems under one umbrella called RideKC. T Under Robbie Makinen’s leadership, KCATA has established Four Pillars of Transit that support their mission to connect people to opportunities. Those Pillars are: access to Jobs, Education, Healthcare and Housing, built on a foundation of Social Equity. Robbie and his team are weaving themselves into the fabric of the community. KCATA has launched several innovative programs, including a Zero Fare program to help remove the barrier of fare payment and to improve safety. Makinen also created one of the earliest on demand apps, RideKC Freedom On-Demand, providing premium service to those with disabilities and offering another safe transportation option for those who are not disabled. Prior to being selected as CEO, Robbie served as KCATA board chair for five years and was on the KCATA Board representing Jackson County, Mo., 2007-2015. Transit has been of keen interest to Robbie since he worked as Ozanam Children’s Services director of its learning center and program development. He recognized early-on the critical need for transportation for this vulnerable population. Under Robbie’s leadership, KCATA is connecting the dots for the region in an effort to give the public a seamless, easy-to-use menu of transportation choices. All modes working together to connect people to opportunities throughout the region.
Ken Mall
Ken Mall is a workforce innovator with 27+ years of leadership experience working with top-tier companies, labor organizations and government agencies identifying the skill needs of their workforce and developing and implementing solutions to meet those needs. His expertise in business process improvement, organizational change management and workforce development has helped organizations with notable growth in the skills of their workers. Ken advises state and regional workforce development agencies on program design, implementation, metrics, and funding; provides strategic and operational advice; and provides advice on workforce development program design and implementation, and industry sector-related projects including joint labor/management projects. Nationally Ken has been working with electric utilities, water and wastewater utilities, public transit agencies, and the manufacturing industry helping them address today’s workforce issues while preparing for the future. Ken has provided technical expertise on the development of skilled trades apprenticeship programs with several companies included Kraft Global Foods for electricians, mechanics, and operating engineers. Ken has worked with the public transit industry developing certification and maintenance training standards, as well as joint labor/management training projects, most notably in: Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah and California. Ken has also lent his expertise in organizational development and change management to New Jersey Transit and MARTA. Ken holds an MS in Corporate Finance and Economics from Walsh College.
Michael McLaughlin
Michael McLaughlin joined the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) as its Chief Operating Officer (COO) in April of 2021. This followed the conclusion of successful negotiations between the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), CSX, Amtrak, and VRE on the $3.7 billion Transforming Rail in Virginia Program. As COO of the newly created VPRA Michael oversees the Planning, Programming, and Design & Construction of rail activities. Previously Michael was the Chief of Rail at DRPT where he oversaw statewide rail planning and passenger and freight programs. This included playing a lead role in the CSX negotiations that will double State-Supported Amtrak service and increase VRE weekday service on the Fredericksburg line by 75%. Virginia is also acquiring over 380 miles of right of way and over 220 miles of track and is constructing 37 miles of track and bridges in the next decade, including the $2 Billion Long Bridge project over the Potomac River. Prior to joining DRPT, Michael was the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Chicago Transit Authority, overseeing Planning, Infrastructure, Finance, and Government Relations for the nation’s second largest transit agency. Michael also worked on Capitol Hill for over 12 years as a senior transportation aide to Authorizing and Appropriations committee members in both the House and Senate. Currently, Michael resides in Mechanicsville, Virginia with his wife Sarah and their five children. He holds his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and his Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Indiana University.
Pamela J. Nabors
With over three decades of strategic and innovative leadership experience in workforce development, Pamela J. Nabors, President and CEO of CareerSource Central Florida, leads the second largest regional workforce board in Florida in a five-county region. Nabors oversees a budget of more than $42.5M and a staff of nearly 250. In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the organization served record numbers; nearly 80,000 career seekers and 4,000 businesses in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic. She serves as 1st Vice President of the US Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council and a member of Orange County, Florida Mayor Jerry Demings’ Economic Recovery Task Force in response to COVID-19. Pam received the Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP) credential with a Management endorsement from the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) and is active on several Central Florida Boards. Nabors has received numerous national and local accolades throughout her career. In 2021, she was named i4 Business Magazine’s Spirit of Progress winner and in 2018 she was awarded their Spirit of Collaboration award. Orlando Business Journal has recognized her work several times including CEO of the Year, she was the recipient of NAWDP’s Leadership Award, and was honored by the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council Woman of Distinction with the Visionary (Courage) Award. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from the State University of New York College in Buffalo and a Master’s Degree in Personnel Psychology from Florida Institute of Technology.
Jeff Nelson is a seasoned public transportation leader who specializes in urban design, land use planning and economic development. During his over 35 years at MetroLINK (Rock Island County Mass Transit; “Metro”), his strategic focus has been on implementing cutting edge programs with an emphasis on economic growth, environmental sustainability, enhanced technologies, and workforce development – separating MetroLINK from other transit districts of comparable size. Under his guidance MetroLINK was awarded the American Public Transportation Association “Outstanding Public Transportation System Award”. Other notable leadership recognition’s include the Federal Transportation Administration’s “State Leadership Award”, numerous APTA “AdWheel” Awards, the NAACP Business Image Award, Quad City Chamber of Commerce Multi Modal Award (twice), and various community and civic sustainability awards for excellence in environmental planning.
Nelson has a unique ability to artfully maneuver through a multitude of environments and leverage a variety of resources to meet economic development expectations. Recognized as a progressive leader of exceptional skill and foresight, he brings strong vision and leadership in the disciplines of sustainability, community growth, infrastructure and planning, creative public/pri¬vate partnerships, and economic development. Nelson was an early adopter of alternative fuels, implementing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) transit buses into the Metro fixed route fleet in 2002. Since that time the Metro CNG fleet has expanded to make up the majority of the fleet, and in 2018 Metro introduced zero emission buses to the fleet, which will encompass 30% of the fleet in 2021. His experience in creating sustainable communities using transportation investment as a catalyst for future development include transit multimodal facilities in the downtowns of Moline, East Moline, and Rock Island. Additional projects include the construction of a state-of-the-art 150,000 square foot “Operations and Maintenance Center” built to LEED Gold standards for the purpose of supporting a sustainable bus fleet and an energized workforce, as well as the planning, development, and construction of a $30 million public -private historic redevelopment in downtown Moline. This multi-use property, otherwise known as the “Q” Multi Modal Station, consists of a 105 room “Element” brand hotel, with retail and restaurant space that will serve as the passenger rail hub for the Moline to Chicago passenger rail corridor.
Nelson has served on a variety of community boards and committees throughout his professional career. Currently he is the Chairman of the Quad Cities Manufacturing Lab, a Board Trustee for Two Rivers YMCA, 2nd Vice President of the Illinois Public Transportation Association, Chair of the National Transit Institute at Rutgers, serves on the Moline Planning Commission, the Moline Police and Fire Commission, and is a Board Member for the Quad City Chamber of Commerce Regional Opportunities Council.
Nelson holds a B.S. in Political Science from Western Illinois University, a M.B.A. from St. Ambrose University, and is a graduate of the Kennedy School of Business “Creating Collaborative Solutions” program.
Adiele Nwankwo
Dr. Adiele Nwankwo is the Managing Partner of Cincar Consulting Group, a consulting firm dedicated to helping clients deploy their resources strategically to create and manage infrastructure assets that transform communities. Prior to starting C2G in 2018, he held several senior leadership positions at WSP, including overseeing the WSP Central Regional operations in 16 states. He is a strategic thought leader, an executive coach, a mentor and a national program management and delivery advisor, with more than 38 years of public and private sector experience in infrastructure planning and finance, project development and management services. He has a reputation for overcoming barriers to ensure effective and efficient people and program outcomes. Adiele is advising clients on implementation of large infrastructure programs across the country and working with senior executives individually and collectively to enhance their personal and organizational capacities to lead inspired and high performing organizations.
Chris Pangilinan
Chris Pangilinan is the Head of Global Policy for Public Transportation and Accessibility at Uber. In this role, Chris works to help public transportation agencies and riders harness Uber’s technology platform to make transit more convenient and easier to use. His work also includes improving accessibility for people with disabilities to the Uber platform. Prior to joining Uber, Chris was at the non-profit research and advocacy organization TransitCenter, and served in various roles at the USDOT and local transit agencies in New York and San Francisco.
Jeffrey Parker
As a recognized national leader in transportation and transit, Jeffrey A. Parker has more than 35 years of experience in the private and public sectors of the transportation industry, heading operations and expansion programs for several multimodal agencies. Parker was named General Manager/CEO of MARTA in March 2018. Under his leadership, MARTA is undertaking its most ambitious transit expansion and modernization program since its founding 40 years ago. Parker began his transportation career in 1985 with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, where he started as an intern and rose to oversee the agency’s extensive light and heavy rail lines. During his 20-year tenure at MBTA, he led various efforts to improve reliability, safety, security, and customer service for the nation’s oldest subway system. He previously served as the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, leading its monumental efforts to overhaul and expand its transportation network. Parker is consistently recognized as one of Atlanta’s most influential leaders, recently named among Atlanta Magazine’s Most Powerful Leaders of 2021 and 2020 and Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Power 100: Most Influential Atlantans of 2021 and 2020. Parker is an active member of APTA, serving on its board and chairing its Rail Transit and Rail Transit CEO committees. He has served on the board of directors for several major transportation organizations, including the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Bradley International Airport, and the I-95 Corridor Coalition. He graduated cum laude from Northeastern University.
Sonya Proctor
Sonya T. Proctor is the Assistant Administrator for Surface Operations, which aligns surface transportation security operations under direct executive leadership to provide the most effective and efficient security solutions for the four modes of land-based transportation: mass transit, freight rail, highway motor carrier and pipeline. Serving in TSA, Ms. Proctor’s executive accomplishments have spanned the policy, law enforcement and security operations areas. She brings to TSA an extensive operational background in law enforcement and transportation security, developed in the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department and in the national Amtrak train system, where she introduced innovative programs to enhance security in communities and in transportation. Serving in TSA, Ms.Proctor’s executive accomplishments have spanned the policy, law enforcement and security operations areas. Graduate of the 130th session of the FBI National Academy and a life member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, she remains active in the national and international law enforcement community. Ms. Proctor earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Johns Hopkins University.
Nick Promponas
Nick leads First Transit’s transit management division as Senior Vice President. He has nearly four decades of experience in the transit industry, including more than 30 years with First Transit. He has management experience in all First Transit’s core competencies, including transit management, call centers, and transit contracting. First Transit is a professional transportation management company based in Cincinnati, OH with management and operating contracts throughout North America. Nick began his career as a bus operator for the student-run transit service at his alma mater, Bridgewater State College (now University), where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Psychology. Nick’s board experience includes serving the Arizona Transit Association (two terms), the American Public Transportation Association’s Business Member Board of Governors, serving as Vice Chair for About Care, a local non-profit organization which provides transportation services through a volunteer network to the elderly and home bound in the Chandler and Gilbert (AZ) area, and lastly, serving the Dignity Health Foundation of the East Valley which raises funds in the community to advance the facilities and equipment of both of Dignity Health’s local hospitals.
Naomi Renek
Naomi Renek is MTA’s lead strategist for federal policy and serves as a senior advisor to the MTA’s Chair & CEO. She led MTA’s — and the transit industry’s – successful advocacy efforts for federal COVID relief funding and is responsible for implementing a wide range of MTA initiatives in collaboration with staff from across the organization, including capital planning and prioritization. Naomi began her transit career planning long-term subway service changes, including the Second Avenue Subway, analyzing benefits and developing funding justifications. She served as Chief of Staff at MTA NYC Transit, led MTA’s efforts to secure Superstorm Sandy emergency relief funding, and architected the Fast Forward plan to modernize NYC Transit, leading employee engagement and internal communications efforts. Naomi lives in Brooklyn and commutes to work by bike.
Eric Reese
Eric Reese joined Bytemark as Chief Operating Officer in 2019 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in January 2020. He is also the Managing Director of Bytemark’s Board of Directors. Eric brings with him a robust vision for the future of Payments as a Service and plans for dynamic growth for the company. He excels at leading teams into new and expanding territory, with technical expertise as well as sales and project management experience that provide great insights into every facet of business. He enjoys nurturing talent and encouraging his team to innovate while delivering the high-quality products our transit clients and partners expect from Bytemark. Eric carries an impressive background in transit to the CEO role. He has expanded his understanding of the industry by working on all sides — from the agency’s perspective to consulting to working as a hardware/software supplier — giving him unmatched perspective on the industry’s greatest needs. Before joining Bytemark, Eric served as a Vice President at Gannett Fleming, where he was on the Global Transportation Leadership team and led the Global Transit & Rail Business Development team. Prior to that, at Scheidt & Bachmann, Eric oversaw Global Strategy for the fare collection group. Eric worked for the Chicago Transit Authority from 2007-2014, serving as Director, Revenue and oversaw various public-private partnerships, revenue collection, marketing, real estate, and more. He also worked for the Chicago Park District (2004-2007) and was an Assistant to the Mayor of Chicago from 2001 to 2004.
Karina Ricks
Karina Ricks is FTA’s new Associate Administrator for Research, Demonstration and Innovation. In this capacity, Karina oversees a range of activities including mobility innovation, safety and testing, and bringing research into practice. Karina is driven to achieve just, sustainable and vital mobility that improves quality of life and economic prosperity for all people and communities. Prior to joining FTA, Karina established and directed the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure where she catalyzed an ambitious integrated Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) program, modernized Steel City’s legacy infrastructure, collaborated with smart and autonomous technology innovators, and implemented an array of safety initiatives and multimodal network improvements. Her past experience includes strategic mobility consulting both nationally and internationally, urban design, land use and economic development planning, democracy initiatives, and environmental policy.
Peter Rogoff
Peter Rogoff is the Chief Executive Officer at Sound Transit, the Seattle-based three-county regional transit provider in Washington state’s Central Puget Sound. Appointed by the Sound Transit Board in 2016, Rogoff is currently leading the agency as it plans and builds the largest transit expansion in North America, a voter-mandated 116-mile regional rapid transit network. In addition to helping craft the historic $54 billion expansion measure, Rogoff oversees its unprecedented construction achievements including routing light rail across a floating interstate bridge. Rogoff has transformed the agency’s processes and approaches around six core values of collaboration, customer focus, inclusion and respect, safety, integrity and quality. These efforts have given rise to new business units centered on the passenger experience. As a 30-year transportation professional, Rogoff was appointed by President Barack H. Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate twice, first as Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration from 2009-2014, and then from 2014-2016, as the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Prior to serving in these distinguished positions, Rogoff spent 22 years on the staff of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, including 14 years as Democratic Staff Director on the Transportation Subcommittee. Rogoff helped launch the Washington state’s first chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials. Rogoff currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Public Transportation Association and the Board’s Finance Committee. He also serves on the Advisory Committee to the University of Washington’s Mobility Innovation Center.
Joshua Schank
Joshua Schank is the first-ever Chief Innovation Officer of LAMetro. Dr. Schank joined Metro in 2015 to establish the agency’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation (OEI), which is responsible for fostering innovations that improve mobility, equity and environmental outcomes across LA County’s 88 cities. Dr. Schank leads an office with an expanding mandate that includes shaping LA Metro’s high-level strategic vision, serving as a liaison to the academic community, designing, piloting and implementing innovative programs and policies, and engaging entrepreneurs and businesses to develop public-private-partnerships. As CIO of Metro, Dr. Schank helped OEI create and lead numerous transformative projects including the Vision 2028 Strategic Plan, Metro Micro, Mobility on Demand, Metro’s Traffic Reduction Study, Metro’s Fareless System Initiative, Better Bus, two Pre-Development Agreements for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor, a Public-Private-Partnership for the West Santa Ana Branch. Under Dr. Schank’s leadership, Metro’s innovative Unsolicited Proposal Policy has generated numerous projects and plans for improving mobility and accountability in Los Angeles County, including the use of drones for data collection, mobile tolling, automated bus lane enforcement, travel rewards, and automatic wayfinding for the visually impaired. Prior to joining Metro, Dr. Schank served as President and CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation, a leading national transportation policy think-tank based in Washington, D.C. He previously led the National Transportation Policy Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Dr. Schank hasserved as Transportation Policy Advisor to Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) during the authorization of SAFETEA-LU. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.
Kellen Schefter
Kellen Schefter is Director of Electric Transportation at the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the association for U.S. investor-owned electric companies. At EEI, Kellen leads cross-industry coordination to advance transportation electrification, including policy advocacy, business model development, and stakeholder engagement. He previously worked on regulatory and compliance issues at plug-in electric vehicle manufacturer Fisker Automotive. Prior to that, Kellen managed R&D projects in the Vehicle Technologies Office at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Khaled Jamil Shammout
Khaled Shammout is a transit professional with more than 26 years of experience in public transit planning, advanced data collection and analysis, strategic planning, transit operations, ITS technology, and transit facilities design. Mr. Shammout has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors; he also brings in international experience. Mr. Shammout currently serves as the VP of Strategic Planning and Transit Development at the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (Cincinnati, Ohio). Mr. Shammout attended The Ohio State University where he earned BS in Architecture, Master’s in City Planning and a Master’s in Transportation Engineering. Mr. Shammout has published a recent book: “The Implosion of Public Transit and the Case for an Infinite Game”.
Lauren Skiver
Ms. Lauren Skiver has served the transit industry for almost 20 years. Starting as a Maintenance Clerk at HART in Tampa, Florida, I progressed my career by serving as Director of Paratransit Services at HART, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at MTA Maryland, and CEO at Delaware Transit Corporation. Since 2013, I have been the CEO/General Manager of SunLine Transit Agency where I remain excited to lead the delivery of transit services to the Coachella Valley and continue the efforts of SunLine’s Zero Emission Bus program. SunLine has long been a pioneer of Hydrogen Fuel Cell and zero emission technology and continues to be a leader in innovative approaches to clean transit service delivery. Additionally, I served nine years in the U.S. Army specializing in Military Intelligence as an Imagery Analyst and served during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Allen C. Smith III
Deputy Director of Transit – Chief Operating Officer reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer for the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). Working under the direction of CATS CEO, the “COO” is responsible for meeting the performance goals of the agency. The primary role of the “COO” is routinely one of operations management; responsible for the development, design, operation, and improvement of the systems that create and deliver the CATS’s services. Delivering three start-up operations Gold Line Phase I,II and Blue Line Extension. Allen’s experience has led him to work directly with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and state regulators, an active participant on the Board of Directors with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Chair of Standard Development Oversight Council, Chair of the Rail Standards Policy & Planning Committee, member four (4) other committees, TCRP-Transit Research Board (TRB) (2) committees and (2) panels. Allen is a senior level executive with 42 years of Transit experience (Bus & Rail) working twenty-six (26) years in various capacities with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) of Chicago, IL., six years (6) in Capital Programs and Capital Construction with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County in Houston, Texas. CATS (9) years and (1) year with HNTB corporation.
Monica G. Tibbits-Nutt
Monica G. Tibbits-Nutt, AICP, LEED AP BD+C, works in transportation planning, urban design, and transit equity. She is the Executive Director of 128 Business Council; is the former Vice-Chair of the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board; served on the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board of Directors; and is the Vice- President of the non-profit Youth Engagement Planning (YEP!), which brings planning and community advocacy into K-12 environments. Working in regional planning and transportation, Monica’s areas of specialty are transportation planning, urban design, and transit equity. In both her work and research, Monica is particularly interested in capitalizing upon every opportunity to better educate transportation stakeholders and the public about all aspects of the planning process. Monica’s recent publications include “Technology for All: How Equity, Access, and Affordability Must Feature in Next- Generation Vehicle Policy” (2019), “A Road To Somewhere” (2017), and “What Intersectional Equality Really Looks Like” (2017).
Julie Timm
In September 2019, Julie Timm moved to Richmond Virginia to serve as Greater Richmond Transit Company’s sixth CEO and first female CEO in company history. Julie is a vision-driven executive with a career-long focus on equity and inclusion now serving a region of over a million people with over 9 million annual transit trips. She brings 25 years of experience in customer-focused strategic planning and the management of widely diverse transportation projects in the local, state, and federal arenas In the role of GRTC CEO, Julie worked diligently with local and state partners to ensure new legislation signed into law in April 2020 for regional transportation funding included dedicated revenues for regional transit operations. During COVID, she enacted system-wide zero-fare transit operations for the safety of staff and riders and for the protection of the essential workforce providing regional economic stability. Julie focused the system’s capital program on infrastructure investments in historically underserved communities to advance just access to transportation. Julie served the prior three years as Chief Development Officer for WeGo Public Transit in Nashville Tennessee. Julie previously worked as the transit development officer for Hampton Roads Transit in Norfolk, Virginia. From 1996 through 2012, she worked primarily in the private sector on initiatives for high-speed rail, light rail, freight rail, transit, trails, highways, roads, ports, and military projects across the country. Julie holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Old Dominion University and a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University.
Matthew O. Tucker
The North County Transit District (NCTD) Board of Directors appointed Matthew Tucker as the agency’s Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer in December 2008. In his role at NCTD, Mr. Tucker provides the strategic direction and oversight necessary to deliver transit service within the agency’s 1,020 square mile service area. NCTD’s family of transit services include COASTER commuter rail, SPRINTER light rail, the BREEZE bus system, FLEX specialized transportation, and LIFT ADA paratransit services. NCTD has operational responsibility and control over the San Diego Northern Railway and hosts Amtrak, Metrolink, BNSF, and PAC Sun Railroad operators. NCTD has an operating budget of approximately $127 million for fiscal year (FY) 2020. Transit ridership across all modes is projected at approximately 10 million passengers for FY 2020. Prior to coming to NCTD, Mr. Tucker served as the Director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), a position appointed by the Governor of Virginia. Mr. Tucker was also the Assistant General Manager at the Greater Richmond Transit Company in Richmond, Virginia and served as the Deputy Public Transit Director for the City of Phoenix. Mr. Tucker holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in Military Science and a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning — both from Virginia Commonwealth University. Mr. Tucker serves on the APTA Board of Directors as the Interim Vice-Chair and Chair of the Commuter Rail Committee.
Norman K. Tuitavuki
Norman Tuitavuki is the Chief Operating Officer (MST) for the Monterey-Salinas Transit District (MST), the sole public transportation provider for Monterey County and the entire Monterey region. Norman and the MST Operations team provides safe, reliable, and friendly public transportation to the communities located on the beautiful central California coast from Big Sur to Santa Cruz along historic Highway 1. MST also operates in the city of Salinas and along the Highway 101 corridor in the Southern Salinas valley, providing service from San Luis Obispo to the San Jose airport. Norman has over 15 years of public transportation experience. He’s played a key role in several projects including major design/build transit specific construction projects, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), procuring, operating, and maintaining Zero Emission Buses (ZEB) and ZEB charging infrastructure, and developing transit maintenance training programs. Norman is part of the team that recently implemented contactless fare payment technology on MST’s fleet of fixed-route buses. Norman holds a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree in Transportation Management.
Miguel Velazquez
Since joining RGRTA in 1999, Miguel Velázquez has overseen the transformation of the Authority’s information systems, including the implementation of new infrastructures and specialized software systems. He also helped create the vision for TIDE (Technology Initiatives Driving Excellence), an ambitious $25 million customer-focused technology project encompassing GPS vehicle location, route schedule adherence, fare collection, and remote vehicle health monitoring, among other initiatives. In addition to overseeing the Authority’s technology initiatives, Miguel also heads the Operations Department and was the Executive Sponsor for the $50 million RTS Transit Center in Downtown Rochester, which opened on November 28, 2014. Miguel has raised funds for youth programs in the Rochester community for over a decade. He serves on the Board of several community based organizations. Miguel is a member of the Rochester Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative steering committee and the Systems Integration Project, both are Governor endorsed initiative to eliminate poverty in our region. He is class representative of the 2011 Latino Leadership Development Program, which provided him a one-year term in the United Way Board. He is a 2012 recipient of the Rochester Business Journal Forty under 40 Award. Velázquez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Rochester and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business. He and his family reside in Pittsford, NY.
Cecilia Viggiano
Dr. Cecilia Viggiano is a Principal at EBP where she leads the firm’s public transit practice. She has developed and applied several techniques for assessing the benefits and impacts of public transit, and she has completed public transit impact analysis for clients on a national scale as well as in local contexts across the United States. She authored the most recent (2020) update to the APTA Economic Impact of Public Transportation report. Cecilia also has a special interest in evaluating accessibility and equity. She leverages both qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate how public transit and other modes enable people to access jobs and social services and how access varies for different demographic groups. Cecilia is a member of the TRB Committee on Transit Data and has served as the Principal Investigator for CRP project on transit data and accessibility in urban and rural contexts. Cecilia has a Ph.D. in transportation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Andy Walker
Andy is the Commercial Director for Ito World and has spent over 30 years growing leading edge software businesses. His career includes 10 years in the geo-spatial industry and 10 years with McLaren Applied Technologies, helping businesses harness the power of data through the use of technology originating in the highly data driven environment of Formula 1 motorsport. Ito World delivers solutions that make public transport more efficient. We help cities and authorities make better data-driven decisions to improve network performance and provide solutions to deliver accurate passenger information to encourage patronage. Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, we serve clients from all over the world, such as the UK Department for Transport, Transport for West Midlands, Google, and Apple. Ito World has two primary product lines: Ito Transit Hub – a complete, cloud-based system for enhancing passenger experience and operational efficiency providing tools to analyse, adjust and distribute highly accurate real-time transit data. This is the data management platform which underpins UK Department for Transport’s ground-breaking Bus Open Data Service (BODS) Ito Transit Data – a Data as a Service offering used to power some of the largest journey planning apps in the world, such as Google, Apple and Microsoft At Ito World, our mission is to reduce pollution and congestion by encouraging the use of shared transport services. We work towards this mission by helping authorities provide better transport services and ensuring passengers have accurate information to make shared transport services easy to discover and consume.
Matt Walling
Matt Walling is a 39-year veteran of law enforcement. He joined the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Department in 2012 as Deputy Chief. He is currently overseeing the Field Operations Bureau and acting as interim chief. Prior to joining DART, Deputy Chief Walling spent over 25 years with the Rowlett, Texas Police Department leading the agency for the last seven years. He joined Rowlett in 1986 as a Police Officer and work his way up through the ranks, serving as Detective, Patrol Sergeant, Patrol Division Commander, Support Services Commander and Assistant Chief. He was appointed Chief of Police in 2005. Beginning his career as a patrol officer in 1982 in his hometown of Mount Vernon, Texas, he also worked for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and the Commerce Police Department before joining the Rowlett Police Department. He has a broad-based background in both municipal and transit policing. Walling is a graduate of the 204th Session of the FBI National Academy, the 40th Class of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas Leadership (LEMIT) and Command College and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police at Boston University. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M- Commerce and his graduate degree in Leadership and Management from Sam Houston State University. Matt has been married to his beautiful wife Lisa for 18 years and they are the proud parents of triplet 16-year old boys.
Collina Washington-Beard
Collina Washington-Beard is Lane Transit District’s (LTD) director of business services with oversight of procurement and contracts, materials management, regulatory compliance and business process improvement. She is currently focused on promoting the District’s efforts to apply racial equity, social and mobility justice tools to assess its’ policies, procedures and practices. The District’s mission is to create “a more connected, sustainable, and equitable community” for Lane County, Oregon. LTD acknowledges and fully embraces its role in providing equity and access – connecting low-income, minority, elderly, disabled, and others with special mobility needs to essential destinations and opportunities by providing affordable public transportation options. With nearly 20 years’ service in the transportation industry, Collina is recognized as a proactive and strategic team builder, as well as a decisive leader with proven ability to face challenges head-on. Collina has a passion for ensuring that all communities have access to safe, reliable, affordable, and convenient public transportation options – especially those communities who have suffered most from past policy practices that have served to create and reinforce social and economic inequities. Putting her passion into practice, Collina serves on several professional and community-based association boards and in committee leadership positions. She is actively involved with the United Way of Lane County’s Racial Justice Fund; the Transportation Advisory Committee to the Lane County, Oregon Board of County Commissioners; the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Diversity & Inclusion Council and Workforce Development Committee.
Stephanie Wiggins
The Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) voted to hire Stephanie Wiggins as Metro’s CEO on April 8, 2021. A lifelong trailblazer and champion of equity and inclusion, Wiggins is the first African American woman to lead the agency. As CEO of Metro, she oversees an agency that runs the third-busiest transit system in the United States and serves as the lead transportation planning, programming, and financing agency for the 10.1 million residents of LA County. Before rejoining Metro as CEO in June 2021, Wiggins served for two-and-a-half years as CEO of Metrolink, the nation’s third-largest passenger rail system covering 538 route-miles throughout Southern California. Prior to serving as CEO of Metrolink, Wiggins was the Deputy CEO of Metro, where she assisted the CEO in providing leadership and achieving strategic public transportation objectives, including the passage in 2016 of Measure M, a half-cent sales tax approved by 71 percent of LA County voters. She also established the Women and Girls Governing Council. During her tenure at Metro, Wiggins also served as the Executive Director of Vendor/Contract Management, where she implemented procurement streamlining initiatives and greatly expanded Metro’s contracting of small and historically underutilized businesses. Prior to that role, Wiggins was the Executive Officer and Project Director of the Congestion Reduction/ExpressLanes Program where she launched the first high occupancy toll lanes in LA County on the I-10 and I-110. With a deep and genuine commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, Wiggins strives to provide all people living in Southern California equal access to mobility to get to work, school, healthcare and leisure activities. Achieving that goal depends on leading an organization that is as diverse and inclusive as the region it serves.
Yolanda Williams
Yolanda Williams Cybersecurity State Coordinator and Advisor, Region IV, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Yolanda Williams is the CISA Cybersecurity State Coordinator (CSC) for Florida with the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) assigned to Federal Region IV. Region IV encompasses eight states, including Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky. CISA is the Nation’s risk advisor. The Agency protects the Nation’s critical infrastructure from physical and cyber threats by working with partners to defend against today’s threats and collaborating to build a more secure and resilient infrastructure for the future. As a CSC, Ms. Williams is tasked with presenting the federal government’s catalog of cyber capabilities to State and local governments, schools, hospitals, and other organizations. CSCs are the front-facing cyber experts supporting regional operations capabilities. Ms. Williams serves as a liaison and focal point for communications, coordination, and outreach. She promotes cyber preparedness and resiliency, incident response, risk mitigation and situational awareness, and manages major cyber engagements, championing cyber resilience to public and private sector partners. Prior to becoming a CSC, she held positions with the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), where she served as a Cybersecurity Engineer and led the Assessment and Authorizations Branch and with the United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) as a Lead System Administrator and IA Manager. Additionally, Ms. Williams is a member of Women in Cyber Security (WiCyS), a cyber group focused on encouraging women to pursue careers in cybersecurity.
Jim Wojciechowski
Jim Wojciechowski started his career with an enlistment in the U.S. Air Force, where he became an Aerospace Propulsion Journeyman (jet engine mechanic) supporting the F-15 Strike Eagle assigned to Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia. While serving, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and became an FAA licensed Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic. In 2005, Jim joined The Boeing Company and moved to Puget Sound, where he became an Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) Technical Specialist on the P 8A Poseidon System Development and Demonstration Program. Jim subsequently returned to Embry-Riddle, earning a Master of Science in Technical Management. In 2009, he followed the P-8A to Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland and became the Flight Test Quality Assurance Manager. Jim proceeded to enroll with Northcentral University, earning a Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration with a specialization in Engineering and Technology Management. In 2014, Jim moved to Virginia and became the Senior Quality Manager for Boeing Electronic Sensors and Intelligence Solutions. In this role, he led the development of an ISO 9001:2015 certified Quality Management System. In 2017, Jim became Director of System Safety at Amtrak and helped establish the foundation for one of the first Safety Management Systems in the railroad industry. In 2020, he joined the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) as Vice President and Assistant Chief Safety Officer. Since then, he has been working with WMATA to develop and implement an industry leading Safety Management System.
Michael Wojnar
Mike has served as transportation policy advisor to Members of Congress and three Governors over the last two decades. While serving in the office of the Governor of New York, he led the “Fix NYC” advisory panel, which generated the blueprint for the nation’s first congestion pricing program to establish a dedicated funding stream for mass transit and reduce traffic. Working alongside advocates, he shepherded the Central Business District tolling program through the legislature and saw it signed into law. As Senior Advisor for Innovation & Policy at MTA, he continues working on the implementation of the CBD tolling program, while also spearheading innovative policy initiatives and private sector partnerships to address the unprecedented challenges facing MTA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mike worked in the New York State Capitol from 2012 to 2020, rising to Deputy Secretary for Transportation, the state’s top transportation post. He helped execute the nation’s largest state infrastructure plan, a $100 billion effort to transform airports, build new bridges and train stations, and modernize public transit. He managed six state agencies and served on the state’s Emergency Response Team. Mike began his career in Washington, DC, as press secretary and legislative aide to Rep. Michael McNulty (NY), before moving to the Washington Office of the Governor. He then spent three years in the private sector consulting clients on transportation and infrastructure matters before returning to state government. More recently, he volunteered on President Biden’s 2020 campaign, serving on the Infrastructure Policy Advisory Committee.
David Zipper
David Zipper is a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Taubman Center for State and Local Government, where he examines the interplay between urban policy and new mobility technologies. David’s perspective on urban development is rooted in his experience working within city hall as well as being a venture capitalist, policy researcher, and startup advocate. He has consulted with numerous startups and public officials about regulatory strategy. A Contributing Writer at Bloomberg CityLab, David’s writing about urban innovation have also been published in The Washington Post, WIRED, and Slate. His 2018 article in Fast Company was the first to apply the “walled garden” framework to urban mobility. David focuses on topics including Mobility-as-a-Service, the uses of transportation data, the future of micromobility, and linkages between public transit, city regulations, and private shared vehicles. From 2013 to 2017 David was the Managing Director for Smart Cities and Mobility at 1776, a global entrepreneurial hub with over 1,300 member startups. He previously served as the Director of Business Development and Strategy under two mayors in Washington DC and as Executive Director of NYC Business Solutions in New York City under Mayor Bloomberg. David holds an MBA with Highest Honors from Harvard Business School, an M.Phil in Land Economy (Urban Planning) from Cambridge University, and a BA with High Honors from Swarthmore College. He has been selected as a Truman Scholar, a Gates Scholar, and a Baker Scholar. David can be reached on Twitter at @davidzipper or through his website www.davidzipper.com.