2019 National Meeting & Training Conference 

Paul C. Ajegba has 28 years of experience with the Michigan Department of Transportation, and was appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer as Director on Jan. 1, 2019. He previously served MDOT for three months as Metro Region Engineer, and before that as University Region Engineer. During his seven years in the University Region, Ajegba oversaw his team's involvement in the planning, design and construction of several major projects, including the US-23 Flex Route - a project nominated for the America's Transportation Award, landing among the top 12 national finalists. Other notable projects include the I-94 rehabilitation project in Ann Arbor/Jackson, the I-96/US-23 interchange, and the I-75 freeway project. Ajegba holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Prairie View A&M University and a master’s degree in construction engineering from the University of Michigan. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Michigan.

Douglas Alleman has worked as an Assistant Project Manager for a wind turbine construction design-build firm since 2009. From 2015 to date, Douglas has also been working through his PhD in construction engineering management at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Dr. Audrey L. Andrews, AVP is a seasoned professional whose diverse career spans across both private and public sectors. With over 30 years in the workforce, she has served in a variety of key positions including her service as a civilian for the United States Navy during Operation Desert Storm. Her education and professional experience in business management, public relations/marketing, journalism, project management, crisis management, workforce development, strategic planning, media management, and community outreach have been a great influence on her contributions to the education and transportation sectors across the country and abroad.

While overseas, Andrews was the first US columnist for the Cornish Guardian with a column titled “Now Hear This.” Andrews also developed a strategic community plan to create better relations with the British community as well as change their perception of US service members. As the Community/Communications Liaison for the US Navy Royal Air Force Base in St. Mawgan, England, Andrews’ efforts led to the awarding of the coveted US Ambassador Award to US Navy Command Station in St. Mawgan, England and awarded Andrews the prestigious Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award. Additionally, the community in Cornwall, England honored Andrews with an award for her valiant efforts to save the life of a young English student.

In addition to these career accomplishments, Andrews served as a writer for The Paris News, Community Liaison for the Paris Independent School District, and as a Public Information Officer for the Texas Department of Transportation. As a dedicated community servant, Andrews served over seven years as a School Board Trustee for the Paris Independent School District.

In 2001, Andrews joined HNTB Corporation. During her tenure, she has served in various positions and known for the development of the HNTB Partners Program, which evolved into business opportunities for small and local disadvantaged enterprise firms across the country. In addition to these efforts, Andrews developed a School-2-Business program in the Dallas, Texas and received the 2014 Texas State Board of Education: Education Excellence Award. In November 2017, HNTB Corporation promoted Andrews to an Associate Vice President. Currently, Andrews serves as the Director of Small Business Partnerships for HNTB Corporation.

Andrews holds a Doctorate in Business Management, Master’s in Business Administration, Master of Science in Information & Telecommunication Systems Management, and a Bachelor’s in Journalism/Psychology. Andrews will complete a Ph.D. in Technology in November 2019. She is the mother of three adult children in Texas.

Dr. Arthur Antoine holds a BSc. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of the West Indies, an MSc degree in Ocean Engineering from Texas A&M University and completed a PhD in Civil Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. He has worked for multinational engineering consultancies (Halcrow and CH2M), tasked with civil engineering and project management duties for various projects. Currently, he is based in Denver, Colorado, employed by Shrewsberry, where he serves as a Senior Project Manager. His research interests are in the areas of procurement and, project delivery, in particular, alternative contracting methods.

Angela Berry Roberson is the Director of Diversity Contract Compliance for Ferrovial Agroman US Construction Companies.(FAUSCC). Angela is responsible for managing the comprehensive Diversity and Civil Rights contract requirements, program management and compliance for the company’s U.S. projects and Ferrovial affiliate companies.

Angela has approximately 25 years of experience in Civil Rights and Diversity Policy and Program Management services in all modes in the Transportation industry. She is a longtime member of COMTO and currently assisting with the organization’s initiative for multimodalism especially the inclusion of the highway industry. Angela is a native Dallasite and a licensed attorney who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rice University in Houston, TX and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. She is married and she and her husband have two daughters.

Gregory Bradley is Principal of Bradley Consulting & Training, a New York based training and consulting firm that provides human capital training and workplace solutions to companies, organizations and professionals. Greg, a lawyer, college professor and a former vice president of human resources at a large transportation company, has over 26 years of experience in human resources management, training and development, employee relations, labor relations, diversity management and career development. Greg is a member of COMTO-New York and Chair of its professional development committee. Greg is also a past recipient of the Thomas G. Neusom Founders Award (2009).

Jerome Brown is a vice president and the quality office director for HDR, overseeing quality management system development and implementation globally. He is responsible for the oversight of regional quality directors’ activities and serves as the corporate quality steering committee head. Recently relocated to the DC Metro area, Jerome interacts with employees globally, ensuring quality guidelines are communicated clearly and followed on all projects.

Prior to becoming quality office director, Jerome has been the quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program director, regional quality director for engineering, QA/QC manager, project manager and project engineer with HDR.

Before joining HDR, Jerome worked in Exxon’s research and engineering division, the Exxon Benicia refinery and Daimler/Benz’s research and development division, where he worked on cutting-edge fuel-cell-powered vehicles.

Maria Elena “Lena” Camarillo is Vice President of Environmental/Public Involvement for Poznecki-Camarillo, Inc., a civil engineering firm founded in San Antonio in 1981. Lena has over 25 years of expertise in application of NEPA, agency coordination, and community engagement, and is known throughout south Texas for her leadership in environmental and public involvement efforts for federal, state, and municipal transportation projects. She is the former Director of the Sims Bayou Urban Nature Center in Houston, a biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, where she was a contributing author of Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife published by UT Press, and led the San Antonio environmental group for a national infrastructure firm. Lena has served on the boards of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and WTS, has received numerous state and local awards. She earned a BS degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University.

Kris Cannon-Jackson has more than 15 years experience in human resources and business management, with a passion of helping to engage employees in the workforce. She has her own consulting firm, InnerGi Consulting, where the focus is helping small businesses with their HR needs. Kris is a consultant to and acts as the Member Relations Coordinator for the nation’s largest young professionals’ organization – The CYP Club. She lends her talents to various nonprofit organizations throughout the City, and volunteers on various committees for WELD – the Women for Economic & Leadership Development Columbus, and Ohio SHRM Conference committee.

Kris has earned an MBA with a focus in Human Resource Management and Leadership, and she has a Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership and Business Administration. She has earned the distinguished designation of Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and the SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Christopher Cochran serves as the Director of Service Development for the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, where he oversees both the Planning and Scheduling divisions. In this capacity, Mr. Cochran oversees a number of critical projects related to capital planning and operations. Prior to joining HART, Mr. Cochran worked as a Senior Planner at the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority in St. Petersburg, where, most notably, he managed the design and implementation of the Nation’s first P3 Transit partnership with Uber, to provide subsidized rides using public transit dollars in an effort to improve connectivity to transit stations. Prior to HART and PSTA, Chris worked at the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida during his tenure as a Graduate Student, where he graduated with an MS in Environmental Science and Policy with a concentration in Geomatics.

Dr. Grady Dale, Jr, has major interests in improving the lives of those he serves in his community while practicing clinically in variety of settings. He holds practice licenses in Maryland and Virginia and has been consulting and practicing in various areas related to families, children, juvenile justice, and mental illness. His service to underserved communities of color for over 36 years is well known in the Baltimore region and he has been honored nationally and statewide for his efforts. Among his professional credentials is the certification by the U.S. Department of Transportation as a Substance Abuse Professional. He has presented at the COMTO national meeting over the years ranging from issues of health in the workplace, and the interlocking nature of safety in the workplace as well. Dr. Dale was also on the COMTO National Board of Directors in 2014-2016. Dr. Dale and his wife Helen have headed the not-for-profit American Institute for Urban Psychologicial Studies since 1992.

Aisha Eccleston serves as JAXPORT’s Director, National Container Accounts, responsible for developing new and existing container cargo business with accounts throughout the United States.

She has been with JAXPORT for more than a decade, serving in business development roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, she served as the port’s primary liaison with area freight forwarders and customs brokers to grow existing business and attract new business opportunities.

In 2017, Aisha was named one of the Jacksonville Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40, recognizing the area’s most successful young business leaders. She is active in Northeast Florida’s maritime community and is immediate past president of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), Jacksonville Chapter.

Aisha holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Edward Waters College and a Certification in Transportation and Logistics (CTL) from the University of North Florida.

Cleveland Ferguson III is Senior Vice President and CAO for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). He has consistently uses technology disruption to improve organizational culture. He previously served as the Deputy CAO for the City of Jacksonville, Florida. Prior to that, Ferguson served as a professor of law.

A lawyer by training, Ferguson has a distinguished record of board service. This year, he serves on the Northeast Florida Council of Leadership Florida and the Jacksonville Regional Chamber Board of Governors. He is a member of Leadership Broward Class XXIII, Leadership Jacksonville (2010), Leadership Florida Class XXXIII, the 2017 Eno Center for Transportation’s Senior Executive Program and the 2017 APTA International Study Mission on Safety and Infrastructure.
Ferguson received his Juris Doctor from Florida State University College of Law, and a B.S. degree from Nova Southeastern University (NSU). He was conferred with a Doctor of Humane Letters by NSU in 2018.

Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. is Chief Executive Officer of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) and immediate past Chair of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). His distinguished career spans more than three decades, including tenures as CEO of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. He has been active in APTA for more than 25 years serving in multiple leadership roles, including Chair, Vice Chair of the Management and Finance Committee, and Secretary/Treasurer.

Mr. Ford has built a legacy of organizational leadership, fiscal acumen and innovation throughout his distinguished career. He is a champion of multimodal transportation, walkable neighborhoods, public-private partnerships and transit-oriented development; and known for industry leading insights and thought leadership on international transportation issues from trade and study missions around the world.

Michael Ford is currently the Chief Operations Officer for Regional Transportation District in Denver, Colorado. He was previously the CEO of the Regional Transit Authority for Southeast Michigan, and previous to that the CEO of the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority. He has over 30 years of experience in public and private transportation including Oregon, Washington and California. He holds a MBA from City University in Seattle, Washington and a BA in Philosophy and Sociology from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Bob Frey serves as the Planning Director for the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA). Bob has more than 28 years of planning experience working throughout Florida and the United States. Bob is THEA’s project manager on the Connected Vehicle project and coordinates THEA’s initiatives at the Federal, State and Local levels.

Tyrone Gorham is a Senior Supplier Diversity Manager for WSP at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. He joined WSP in September of 2015 to enhance strategic planning and execution in the ATLNEXT’s Supplier Diversity Program. Mr. Gorham brings over 20 years of experience in diversity, business development, logistics and compliance. Mr. Gorham’s business and social acumen enhances his approach to partnering with executives, key stakeholders, and community leaders to accomplish major shifts in organizational and business productivity. His dedication to the local business communities has lead him to serve on several boards such as the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC) and the National Association of Minority Contractors GA Chapter (NAMC). Gorham completed a BS Degree in Economics/Transportation/Logistics at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University in Greensboro, NC.

David Gwynn was appointed as FDOT District 7 Secretary in 2017. He previously served as Director of Transportation Operations for FDOT District 1 in Bartow. He had 30 years in the private sector in consulting services to the transportation industry before joining FDOT in 2016. He co-founded TEI Engineers & Planners in 1991, leading growth of the firm to over 125 staff members in Florida & Georgia. He has served in senior executive roles in engineering consulting firms, leading units of up to 700 staff members in the SE US. As District 7 Secretary, he provides administrative oversight for the planning, development & operations of all transportation modes in Citrus, Hillsborough, Hernando, Pasco & Pinellas counties. In 1983 he graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Engineering degree. He served as a Field Artillery Officer in the US Army & the Florida National Guard. He also has a Master of Transportation Engineering degree from the University of Florida

Shannon D. Haney, GISP is a GIS professional and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Project Manager at Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) in Tampa, Florida. He has an extensive background supporting industries such as transportation, environmental, civil, and mechanical engineering with ITS, GIS, and project management services for more than 26 years. He is a recipient of the 2016 Mass Transit Top 40 Under 40 Young Professionals, serves as a member on the national OneBusAway Board of Directors, and various other regional ITS committees.

Allison Hawk is an associate architect in HNTB’s Kansas City aviation architecture studio. Her primary responsibilities include aviation programming and planning analysis, terminal design, and project coordination; in addition, she assists in project pursuits, marketing and research & development. She has delivered several complex aviation projects ranging from the master plan stage, to advanced planning, to final design and construction services. She enhances projects with her creative problem solving, communication and presentation skills and solid work ethic. Her portfolio includes work at airports across the United States, including Tampa International Airport, Des Moines International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Oakland International Airport and Garden City Regional Airport.

Cheryl Hawkins is the Business Diversity Manager at Tampa International Airport (TPA) having the responsibility of managing the daily operations of the Woman Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE), Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) programs, as well as overseeing the certification component of the DBE/ACDBE programs. Cheryl joined TPA in 2006 and is an active member with the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) Central Florida Chapter where she holds the office of 1st Vice President. Cheryl currently serves as one of three Florida Unified Certification Program (FLUCP) Executive Committee Members, representing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is also an active member of the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) since 2008. Cheryl was nominated for the 2017 Advocate of the Year award from the Florida State Minority Supplier Dev. Council. Cheryl received a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Southern Polytechnic State Univ.

Natasha Holiday is a Managing Director at RBC Capital Markets where she originates business amongst large city and state governmental entities to fund public infrastructure. Natasha has worked as a banker and financial advisor for 12 years and has financed and/or advised on over $12 billion of municipal bond transactions. Natasha serves as the lead banker to the Cities of New York, Philadelphia, and the District of Columbia, and the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York including select transportation issuers. She received the 2016 Rising Star Award by Women in Public Finance and the inaugural Bond Buyer 2016 Rising Star Award, honoring professionals who will have a long-term impact in the industry.

Natasha earned her MPP from Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a BA in History/BS in Political Science from Xavier University (OH), where she currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. She is FINRA registered with Series 7, 52 and 63 securities licenses.

Michael Ippoliti is a zero-emission and autonomous/connected vehicle expert.  Mike provides thought leadership on zero-emission (ZE), electric vehicle (EV) and automated/connected vehicle (AV/CV) technologies. Before joining HDR he worked at CALSTART for nearly 10 years, where his projects involved electrification of vehicles and charging infrastructure planning, particularly for medium- and heavy-duty ZE trucks and transit applications. He is a passionate advocate for ACES Mobility (automated, connected, electric, shared). He now leads the Electrification focus area for HDR’s Advanced Technology for Surface Transportation (ATST) business group.

Mike holds an MBA from the Carnegie-Mellon University Tepper School of Business, as well as a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University, with master’s level work in Engineering Design/Ergonomics. Prior to business school, Mike worked as a Human Factors Engineer.

Sumithra Jagannath is a driven, technology-focused leader with deep roots as a software business entrepreneur. Her pioneering work in data aggregation is immensely disruptive, that organizations including COTA, City of Gahanna, Franklin County Engineer, Dun & Bradstreet, Expedia, CBC Innovis, Megabrands are clients using the technology even today as ‘small’ data solutions. Now, over the past 18 months, she has transformed this smart data technology into a Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform which is unique in the public transportation and smart city market called ZIG™. This patent pending solution delivers end-to-end, multi-modal, multi-regional real-time transit trip planning. This platform is a first of its kind in the USA to be offered to the transit, smart cities and airport markets. Greater Cleveland RTA and TARC in Louisville KY, have already pioneered this technology and several others are in the process.

Priya Jain, senior vice president of business development and strategy at Atkins, is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of experience in the engineering and construction industry and has held key leadership roles in management, business development, operations, and technical functions. Ms. Jain demonstrates a combination of business acumen, strong leadership skills, and proven strengths in sales, strategic alliances, operations, and delivery that will help drive the company’s long-term financial growth in North America. Currently as head of business development and strategy, she is responsible for leading the win work to deliver the sales results for growing backlog and for developing and executing strategy for future growth. Ms. Jain has a comprehensive understanding of cross-business regional sales and operations, branding strategies, and successful collaboration with political and business partners. Her background includes successful implementation of a $700M (revenue). 

Steven Johnson is Associate Vice President and Program Manager, Connected Vehicle Program with HNTB Corporation. He holds certifications as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Connected Vehicle Professional. He currently is the security/privacy manager for the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority Connected Vehicle Pilot, one of three USDOT funded research deployments. 

Steve serves on the advisory council for the MUMA School of Business, Cybersecurity Program at University of South Florida; two IEEE wireless cybersecurity standards committees, and the ITS America cybersecurity working group. He was inducted into the Cyber Future Foundation Honor Roll as part of the class of 2018.

Leslie Jones is Chief Officer of the Business & Labor Compliance Office at Sound Transit.  Leslie leads the Agency’s Small Business and Labor Relations Programs, and is the Agency’s champion and spokesperson on matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Prior to joining Sound Transit in 2005, Jones was Regional Vice-President, Consumer Sales of Qwest Communications where she managed and directed Qwest’s residential customer market.

An authentic leader with over 20 years of experience leading for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, Jones is committed to talent development and integrity in driving operational success.

Jones is an active community leader who believes that leaders have a responsibility to impact the social network and fiber of communities. In addition to her role at Sound Transit, she is a former Chair and serves on the board of the YWCA of Seattle, King County and Snohomish Counties.

Martin Kareithi is the Program Manager- Systemwide Accessibility for Capital Metro where he oversees compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ensures accessibility across all agency programs and services including operations, communications, information technology and planning. He is the agency’s community engagement liaison to organizations serving the needs of persons with disabilities and older adults. He holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin and is a graduate of Leadership Austin. He is the COMTO Austin chapter President and serves on the COMTO Accessibility Committee.

Daveitta Jenkins Knight is the Georgia Transportation Manager/Vice President for Jacobs Engineering Group. In this role she has primary responsibility for the staff and delivery of projects in the Georgia Transportation portfolio. She has 25 years of transportation experience.

Christina Kopp(moderator and presenter), AICP, ENV-SP Christina Kopp has experience in both public and private sector transportation and strategic planning. Ms. Kopp has a diverse background of multimodal corridor planning, master planning, policy and strategic planning, and project management. As the Deputy Director of Planning and Innovation at the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority, her focus on the Tampa CV project is on the final phase of deployment and performance measurement evaluation, as well as ensuring that evaluation metrics and resources are developed with consistent methodology, messages, and for public and agency consumption; ensuring that the outcomes and lessons learned can be utilized for future CV projects going forward.

Kenyatta Lee is recognized among her peers and colleagues as a results-driven leader.

Throughout a public sector career that spans more than 20 years, she has been successful at strengthening organizations through process improvement and implementing innovative methods to achieve organizational strategic goals and objectives.
Kenyatta currently serves as Chief Administrative Officer and Interim Chief of Staff for HART. She leads a team of more than 50 employees whose principal functions are to provide human resources, technology and innovation, risk management, communications, marketing, legal services, training and safety measures for the Authority.

A trendsetter in leading-edge business solutions, she has received numerous awards such as 2014 BizTech Award IT Dream Team for the Oracle ERP implementation, a 2015 BizTech Award for Best Collaboration for launching the real-time passenger information initiative and 2018 Tampa Bay Business Journal Businesswoman of the Year.

Anita Lewis is a highly-motivated, results-driven professional who engage and equip clients to succeed in the workplace. Ms. Lewis brings a blend of public and private sector perspectives to her work and a relentless desire to develop in her clients key aspects in career decision-making goals. She has worked with clients across many verticals; sales/marketing, commercial real estate and career services. She has acquired exceptional leadership skills and uncompromising knowledge in strategic planning, project management and relationship building. As a job developer at the Pinellas County Urban League, Ms. Lewis’ primary goal is to plan, manage, and coordinate her program targeting the hard-to hire population as well as clients with no barriers. Other duties include assessments, interest evaluation, career coaching and case management.

Ms. Lewis is a graduate of the University of South FL (Tampa, FL) in Management and a Master’s in Curriculum & Instruction from National.

Guy Logan is a Managing Director, Head of the Metropolitan Issuers Finance Group, within Citi’s Municipal Securities Division and he is responsible for delivering investment banking services to municipal issuers throughout the United States. Over his 26 year career, Mr. Logan has worked on transactions in excess of $28 billion for a wide variety of credit structures: transportation, general obligation, water and sewer, tax backed, revenue bonds, certificates of participation, lease purchase, higher education, health care, limited tax, airports, and contractual obligation bonds. Mr. Logan is a municipal securities principal, general securities principal and also holds Series 7 and Series 63 securities licenses. Prior to joining Citi in 1996, Mr. Logan worked at the bond rating agency Moody’s Investors Service. Mr. Logan has a B.A. in economics and M.B.A. both from Union College.

Joseph W. Lopano was appointed CEO on January 1, 2011, as Tampa International Airport’s new Chief Executive Officer. He has worked 40 years in the aviation industry. Prior to accepting the CEO role in Tampa, he worked at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport for 14 years as its Executive Vice President for Marketing and Terminal Management and held leadership positions at Continental Airlines. 

Joe serves on the board of the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization and he is a member of the Executive Committee for the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation. Joe is a member of the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society and a past Honorary Commander at MacDill Air Force Base. He was selected to participate in Leadership Florida and is a member of the Cornerstone Class XXX. Nationally, Joe serves on the Airports Council World Governing Board, the U.S. Travel Association’s (USTA) Board and Executive Committee (Secretary) and the USTA Gateway Airports Council.

Joe was named the 2018 Large Airport Director of the Year by Airport Experience News (AXN) and the 2017 Person of Vision by Preserve Vision Florida. He was Visit Tampa Bay’s 2015 Ambassador of the Year and received the 2015 Aviation Professional of the Year Award from the Florida Department of Transportation.

He received a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Pace University in New York. He and his wife, Janet, live in South Tampa and have three grown children and three grandchildren.

Sandy McDonald has been the Director of the Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development (OESBD) since June 2013. In alignment with OESBD’s mission to stimulate economic development, Mr. McDonald is committed to supporting the growth and development of small businesses in Broward County, which are a great asset to our local economy.

For the past 18 years Mr. McDonald has worked in Community and Economic Development on both local and federal programs. Mr. McDonald also serves as Broward’s designated Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Liaison Officer (DBELO) and works to support the County’s commitment to the Federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) programs that OESBD administers along with the County’s local small business programs.

Levern McElveen is a transit safety professional with over 44 years of extensive experience in urban bus and rail transit operations, maintenance, and safety administration. Levern has a Master of Public Administration Degree and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Baltimore. Levern has published articles titled Understanding the Complexity of Transit Safety, January, 2012 in Metro.org and Defining and Measuring Transit Safety Culture July 2014 in Mass Transit. His article titled Advancing A Transit Strategic Safety Culture Paradigm is scheduled for publication in Professional Safety in July 2019. He has traveled abroad on 2 different International Transit Study Missions, 2003 and 2017. Levern is a strong advocate of the development and implementation of a sustainable transit safety culture.

Ed McKinney has been with the Florida Department of Transportation for 28 years serving in various capacities, such as Procurement Administrator for both District One and Seven. Ed was previously the District Program Management Administrator responsible for the Department’s Work Program, Project Scheduling and Plans Delivery. Currently, Ed serves as the District’s Planning and Environmental Administrator responsible for all planning and project development for the FDOT District office. Ed served 6 years in the US Air Force and is a graduate of St. Leo University with a degree in Business Management. Ed has lived in the Tampa area for over 30 years.

Helen McSwain is Senior Vice President and National Transit Director at Rohadfox Construction Control Services Corporation. Over the past 30 years, Ms. McSwain has served in both public and private business sector leadership roles in transportation. Prior to joining Rohadfox, she served as Vice President for Atkins North America. Ms. McSwain has also served in various transit leadership roles at two of the nations’ largest transit agencies; Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (Atlanta) and METRA Commuter Railroad (Chicago).

Ms. McSwain is passionately engaged in civic and professional organizations to include: the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMT0), National Corporate Advisory Chair; COMTO Atlanta officer and committee leads; American Public Transit Association (APTA), National Mentor; the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) International Board of Directors, Regional Director; Georgia Mentor Protégé Program -Mentor; Atlanta WTS Chapter Board of Directors and various committee leads; National WTS Transportation You-Youth Summit Steering Committee Chair; Executive Women Build-Habitat for Humanity; Metro Atlanta Chamber Board of Directors; Clayton State University Board of Directors; and Clayton County Development Authority Board. She resides in Atlanta with her family.

Ken Middleton is the Director - Diversity, Equity & Customer Advocacy at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) where he is responsible for the daily administration and implementation of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Title VI and Americans with Disability Act compliance programs. He has been employed with the JTA for over 17 years.

The DBE program has seen unprecedented growth under Ken’s supervision. DBE firms are now receiving over $5,000,000 in payments each quarter working on JTA projects. Under Ken’s tenure, $180 million has been paid to disadvantaged and minority owned businesses. Other supportive programs, such as the Back-2-Work, Access-2-Capital and Business Development Academy have been added to assist small and minority owned businesses with their firm’s development.

He is a sought after presenter/speaker on issues relating to Small Business Development, Diversity, Sensitivity, Title VI, EEO, and ADA.

Tina Millán is Senior Vice President, U.S. National Market Leader – Aviation, and Global Aviation Coordinator for WSP USA. In this role Ms. Millán engages leaders from airports, airlines, contractors and others that serve the industry to help shape the future of aviation and ensure that the WSP organization is aligned to address the complex challenges of the aviation industry. Ms. Millán is also responsible for connecting WSP’s aviation leaders around the world to pursue and deliver aviation projects, sharing global best-practices and technical innovations, and identifying subject matter experts to enhance project delivery. She has two decades of experience managing large-scale capital infrastructure programs in the U.S. and globally. She previously served as vice president of aviation for the North American infrastructure division of a global professional services firm, where she managed a team of aviation experts on projects for DFW, SFO, and the Houston Airport System.

A. Bradley Mims serves as President and CEO of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), the nation’s leading advocacy organization for minority professionals and businesses in the transportation and infrastructure industry. 

Mr. Mims has served as a transportation professional in government and the private sector for over forty years. As a government relations specialist with a multi modal transportation background, Mims holds a special affinity for the entire transportation industry.

From 2013 to 2016, Mr. Mims served as transportation and infrastructure senior advisor to the Mid-Atlantic Laborers' Employers Cooperation and Education Trust (LECET), a group committed to advocating the mutual interests of Labor and Management in the transportation and infrastructure construction sector. He provided workforce development, legislative, state and federal government and transportation-industry government affairs, and business consulting to the organization.

Previously, Mr. Mims served as Vice President - Aviation Market Leader for Parsons Brinckerhoff and as Senior Associate for the Transportation Group at Booz/Allen/Hamilton. He also served in the Clinton Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, as Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, and Assistant Administrator for Government and Industry Affairs respectively.

Mr. Mims served as Congressional Liaison for the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum and the National African American Museum. Mr. Mims served as staff on Capitol Hill for more than 12 years as transportation staffer to Members of Congress including: Congressman John Lewis of Georgia and Julian Dixon of California.

Mr. Mims holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Allegheny College. Mr. Mims serves on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, appointed by the Governor of Maryland in 2014. Mr. Mims is a former member of the Board of Directors and Legislative Advisor to COMTO, a current Member of the Board of the Central Maryland Regional Transportation Authority, former member of the Board of Directors for the Airport Consultants Council, and former Board Member of the Maryland Transportation Authority MDTA.

Tomika Monterville is the Director of Planning & Development for the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (d.b.a. LYNX) in Orlando, Florida. Tomika has previously served in various capacities with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), state and local transit and public works agencies in Maryland, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Florida.

From the proposed extension of the Red Line for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) in the 1990’s; to airport planning for Atlanta-Hartsfield and Dulles International Airports; to her work with planning Washington, D.C.’s first limited bus service, MetroExtra, Tomika continues to leverage relationships with diverse stakeholders to create accessible and sustainable transportation services for all. Tomika earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Howard University and a Master’s of Urban & Regional Planning from Florida State University.

Jason Montgomery has led the creation of a data science department at JTA for 2 years and joined the JTA with over 14 years of transportation experience. His experience has focused on business intelligence, data science and FP&A in support of commercial and operational functions at companies such as Southwest, GE Transportation and CSX.

While at CSX, Montgomery won the 2013 and 2015 Chairman’s Awards of Excellence after designing and implementing a new $5M operational dashboard and a $30M revenue system, respectively. He has also designed decision optimization systems for GE Transportation, flight schedule optimization systems for Southwest and is currently creating the next generation performance measurement system for JTA.

Montgomery holds a BBA and MBA from the University of North Florida with an emphasis on information systems and statistics. He is a Certified Public Accountant and completed the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School in 2014.

Brenda R. Nnambi currently serves as Sound Transit’s Deputy Director for Small Business Programs. She is responsible for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), Small Business and Title VI programs.

She previously served as Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) for 22 years where she was responsible for the agency’s external civil rights programs including the DBE, Title VI, EEO Contractor Compliance, On the Job Training and Americans with Disabilities Act Programs.

Brenda has 35 years of experience in the overseeing equal opportunity programs which includes work in both the private and public sector at the university, county and state level.

She has previously served as President of the Puget Sound Chapter’s Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) and is currently the Chair of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) DBE Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Washington State COMTO HUB Committee.

Kelli O’Leary is the Assistant Vice President of Engagement charged with leading the newly formed Engagement Department in support of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s key initiatives around Employee and Customer Engagement. She has oversight of Customer Service, Customer Outreach, Human Resources, Training/Organizational Development, Risk Management and Investigations. O’Leary spearheaded the launch of the JTA University in support of JTA’s Workforce Development initiatives.

Prior to joining the JTA, O’Leary was an Appointed Official of both Mayor Alvin Brown and Mayor Lenny Curry, selected as a key member of the leadership team charged to head the Employee Services Department for the City of Jacksonville with a population of over 8,000 employees.

Omer Osman was appointed Transportation Secretary by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2019. His role as secretary reflects three decades of experience at the Illinois Department of Transportation in engineering and management. Moving through the IDOT ranks gives him unique insight into department operations and scope, funding challenges and opportunities, as well as the need for strategic maintenance and infrastructure growth to support economic development and travel for Illinois residents. Under his leadership, IDOT continues to champion diversity. He remains an advocate for eliminating barriers and increasing access to IDOT partnerships with Disadvantaged Business Enterprises and minority- and female-owned businesses. A native of the Sudan, Osman came to the United States to study civil engineering at Southern University and A & M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He also earned a master’s in civil engineering with an emphasis in construction management at Bradley University in Peoria.

Dee Parker graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University in 1993. He has 25 years of service with MDOT.

In 2018, Dee was appointed MDOT University Region Engineer, responsible for more than 250 employees, three Transportation Service Centers, and overseeing all transportation related issues in the nine University Region counties.
He has served on the following: MDOT/Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA), Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE) Committee, MDOT/American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), Procedures and Practice Committee, Management and Budget Enterprise Procurement Leadership Team.

Dee currently serves as the Region Bureau Management Team (RBMT) Liaison for:
Local Area Partnering Team, MDOT/ACEC Partnership Steering Committee, Statewide Maintenance & Operations Alignment Team, Maintenance Budget Team, Pavement Marking Operations Committee, and Office of Business Development Committee.

Amna Parson is the newest Planner at PSTA and a recent graduate from the USF Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning. Within her first year, she has undertaken data analysis of the various mobility programs such as the FTA Mobility on Demand Sandbox Grant Program, Direct Connect, and the ADA paratransit program (DART) as well as the development of a sustainability plan, map creation and spatial analysis, and bus stop consolidation. These projects and task aim to provide more efficient, reliable, and adaptive service to Pinellas County while supporting innovation at PSTA.

Neil Pedersen has been Executive Director of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) since 2015. In that role he provides executive direction and leadership to TRB’s technical activities, including its annual meeting of over 13,000 transportation professionals, its more than 200 technical committees, its conferences, and its publications; its peer reviewed policy consensus studies; and its multimodal cooperative research programs. Prior to joining TRB, Neil spent 29 years at the Maryland Department of Transportation, where he served the last eight years as State Highway Administrator and Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. Over his career, Neil has been involved in volunteer leadership roles in both TRB and the American Association of Transportation Officials (AASHTO). He chaired a number of TRB and AASHTO committees, including serving as Chair of TRB’s Executive Committee in 2011.

Tyra Redus, a native of Louisville, KY, began her career as a defense attorney practicing employment law and civil rights litigation in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

After 6 years practicing law, Tyra joined the transportation industry. She began her work in transportation as the Executive Director of the Office for Civil Rights and Small Business Development for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). In April 2016, Tyra joined the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) as the Transportation Equity and Inclusion Officer. In her new role, Tyra is responsible for integrating equity and inclusion initiatives in all of DDOT’s programs, services and activities.

Tyra holds a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Kentucky and a J.D. from the University of Kentucky, College of Law. She recently completed an Executive Certification program at Georgetown University in Strategic Diversity and Inclusion Management.

Ferdinand L. Risco Jr., MBA is the Executive Director/CEO of The Transit Authority of River City (TARC), the largest public transit agency in The Commonwealth of Kentucky, traveling 12 million miles, during 900,000 hours of service, carrying 15 million passengers annually. With a team of nearly 700 and a fleet of 225 bus and 107 paratransit vehicles, he is responsible for leadership and direction for all operations in the system. The TARC combined operating and capital budgets of roughly $100MM generate an economic impact across the region of $221MM annually.

Risco’s experience includes freight transport, manufacturing, warehousing, and transportation. He has worked in operations, maintenance, employee and labor relations, human resources, diversity, and inclusion. As a former Army officer, Ferdinand has helped government agencies and later fortune 500 companies earn awards and distinctions for their best in class results.

Thomas R. (Tom) Rossbach, AIA, – HNTB Aviation Architecture Market Sector Director, BS in Architecture from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Licensed Architect.

Tom has 39 years of professional and managerial experience in architectural practice, and since 1985 he has continuously focused on airport design and construction, including airport planning, terminal planning and design, landside planning and design, airfield planning, airport business consulting, airport privatization and airport capital improvement program management. He has worked on more than 40 airport terminal projects domestically and abroad. Tom leads the HNTB Aviation Architecture practice through 60 local HNTB offices nationwide. Tom has been a leader in significant projects at many airports worldwide. As he assembles teams for these projects Tom always looks for opportunities for M/WBE professionals to create a diverse and experienced winning team.

Gretchen Roufs has over 30 years of experience in public involvement, communications, and public relations. Her consulting practice focuses on transportation, municipal projects, and planning studies. She is known for her abilities to identify stakeholders and audiences, create strategic engagement plans and programs, integrate Environmental Justice and Limited English Proficiency initiatives, interact with media, plan and manage projects and events, and measure outcomes. She makes complicated and technical topics easy to understand for laypeople, develops and implements key messages, and manages complex and/or controversial engagement efforts. Gretchen holds the nationally recognized Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) credential, and recently received a Public Relations Society of America award of excellence for creative tactics in a community engagement effort. Her San Antonio company, Auxiliary Marketing Services, is certified as a woman-owned, small, DBE and HUB business.

Joshua Salazar, with 15 years of experience, has built a reputation for being an innovative problem solver. He is a Professional Engineer (PE) and has obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan, and a Master’s of Public Administration Degree from Florida Atlantic University. To colleagues and clients, he serves as a source of unique process improvements involved in project delivery, frequently leveraging innovative technology. And he shares his inspiration within the industry, contributing to advancements for infrastructure projects, professional societies, and outreach in the community. His diverse experience within the transportation industry spans both the public and private sectors. It has taken him from engineering production to roles of increasing leadership responsibility and currently leading the Michigan transportation practice in HDR’s Ann Arbor office.

Lisa Sargent-Davis brings more than 20 years of experience with program development and infrastructure for workforce and education programs in Chicago and northwest Indiana. She has managed initiatives producing measurable results, including securing full-time employment opportunities for 86 percent of youth participants as the regional director at SGA Youth and Family Services in Chicago. Her extensive public outreach experience has helped to develop collaborative partnerships between community members, workforce and social service agencies and elected officials throughout Chicago. Lisa is working with the Chicago Transit Authority and the Illinois Department of Transportation to develop strategic plans for diversity outreach to engage M/W/S/DBE firms.

Jeff Siddle is the Vice President of Planning and Development for Tampa International Airport. He directs and oversees the management of activities relating to the programming, planning, design and construction in support of the capital improvement program. Jeff is also responsible for developing strategic master plans and policies for the long-term development and direction of the airport system.

During his 20 years with the airport, Jeff also served as Deputy Director of Engineering overseeing the engineering capital program and as the Director of Design Services overseeing the design of all Authority projects related to engineering, architectural and environmental design.

Prior to joining Tampa International Airport, he worked in the aviation consulting industry for 12 years managing, planning and designing airport development projects. Jeff has a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Southern Illinois University and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Florida.

Ross Silvers graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans with a degree in Psychology and Communications, and returned to his hometown of Miami where he began a twenty year career in empowering people with disabilities at non-profit organizations in Miami and the DC area. After serving as the ADA Coordinator for AARP and the Disability Rights Coordinator for the City of Tampa, Ross joined PSTA as their first Mobility Manager almost a decade ago. Ross has grown his team's role from ADA Paratransit to include numerous services for the Transportation Disadvantaged, and now on-demand rides of ADA passengers.

Pam Simon has over 25 years in progressively advanced technician and DBE/EEO compliance positions with IDOT. She has distinguished herself by building a solid reputation as a leader in DBE assistance, EEO workforce compliance efforts and diversifying contracting and workforce opportunities on Department of Transportation projects. Prior to her February 2016 appointment as the Director of the Office of Business and Workforce Diversity (OBWD), Mrs. Simon served as the EEO Labor Compliance Liaison to the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST), serving as the conduit between the OST, OBWD, IDOT Modal Divisions and the Federal Highway Administration. In this role, Mrs. Simon developed the IDOT DBE Mentor Protégé program, first as a federally approved pilot program and eventually as federally approved program, in cooperation with industry stakeholders. She is also an AASHTO Civil Rights Committee member and a recipient of the Secretary’s Pin for extraordinary service.

Paul P. Skoutelas is president and chief executive officer of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). His entire career has been in public transportation, with more than 40 years spent in both the public and private sectors. He served as CEO of public transit systems in Pittsburgh and Orlando and as senior vice president for WSP USA, one of the world’s largest architectural and engineering firms.

Skoutelas has also served in leadership positions on numerous boards and committees for transportation organizations, including on APTA’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee, the Transportation Research Board, National Transit Institute, Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, and the Transit Cooperative Research Program.
Most recently, he was national director of WSP USA’s Transit & Rail Technical Excellence Center where he provided strategic direction with a focus on growing the firm’s transit and rail business, enhancing marketing capabilities and strengthening client relationships.

Prior to WSP, Skoutelas was the chief executive officer at two prominent public transportation agencies — the Port of Authority of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX), Orlando, Florida. His achievements at these agencies include the successful implementation of major capital programs including the South Hills Stage II Light Rail Program, the North Shore Rail Connector, a comprehensive rail station improvement program, major rail rolling stock acquisitions and three Bus Rapid Transit projects; the Airport/West Busway, the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway Extension and the Orlando/Lymmo BRT.

Skoutelas received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Penn State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a licensed professional engineer.

Kimberly Slaughter is a senior vice president and HNTB’s transit/rail market sector leader, who develops and directs strategies that enhance HNTB’s services to transit agencies across the country. She is a recognized industry leader with 30 years of comprehensive experience in delivering innovative multimodal solutions that achieve agency aspirations and enhance local communities. She specializes in planning, policy development, project funding and Federal Transit Administration best practices for capital investment grant requirements.

Throughout her career, Slaughter has been appointed to several professional association boards and committee leadership positions including the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, the American Public Transportation Association and Women’s Transportation Seminar.

Slaughter holds a Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from the University of Texas at Austin.

Victoria Smith has 20 years of professional experience in state government operations. She is the Manager of the Equal Opportunity Office, Florida Department of Transportation where she oversees Title VI, Title VII (Employment Discrimination), Contract Compliance, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and Business Development Initiative/Small Business programs.

Victoria earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science, Master in Public Administration and Master of Science in Applied American Politics and Policy from Florida State University. She is also a graduate of Florida State University’s Certified Public Management program and FDOT’s Leadership and Graduate Leadership Academies.

Christopher Tomlinson serves as the Executive Director for the State Road and Tollway Authority, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and as Interim Executive Director of the newly created Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority. The three state-level authorities shared missions are focused on improving mobility in Georgia by providing reliable, innovative transportation solutions to motorists and transit commuters.

Mr. Tomlinson sits on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority and the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, where he currently serves as President. Prior to his current roles, Tomlinson served in various leadership positions that were responsible for daily operations and legal issue management at several state agencies.

Mr. Tomlinson graduated cum laude from Morehouse College with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgia State University College of Law.

Dennis Tucker leads and directs the day-to-day operation as the Veterans Program Manager at Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA-Metro). He retired after 22 years of distinguished and meritorious service in the United States Army.

Thru his tenure at LA-Metro, he has been afforded the opportunity to assist incoming veterans with leveraging their skills, knowledge, and attributes gained from military experiences. He works to build and cultivate veteran values and qualities from the military in efforts to ensure those military skills are being promoted adequately.

In 2018, Dennis Tucker was appointed as Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas for Los Angeles County/ 2nd District as Veteran Advisory Commissioner for Military & Veterans.

Dennis Tucker is a graduate of University of LaVerne with Master of Science in Leadership and Management (MSLM), and has earned a Bachelors of Science from University of Phoenix in Human Resource Management.

Jim Tymon is the Executive Director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), a non-profit, non-partisan association that supports and represents the interests and missions of state departments of transportation. As AASHTO Executive Director, Tymon oversees a staff of 120 professionals who support their members in the development of transportation solutions that create economic prosperity, enhance quality of life, and improve transportation safety in U.S. communities, states, and the nation as a whole. Tymon previously served as the staff director of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Tymon graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science, along with a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy.

John van Woensel is WSP’s National Aviation Planning Manager and has 33 years of experience in aviation planning. His projects range from airport master planning and on-call planning for airports of all sizes, but mostly commercial service airports. In addition, he is a private pilot and is a member of the Airport Consultant’s Council (ACC), American Association of Airport Executives, and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. As past Chair of the ACC Planning Committee, he cofounded and instructs at the ACC’s annual airport planning course.

He is an experienced project manager able to convey complex technical issues in terms meaningful for the audience and has extensive experience in the diplomatic approach often required when balancing the needs of airports with those of host communities, agencies, and other stakeholders. His approach reflects that technical information alone often is not enough for making public infrastructure decision that affect the whole region.

Joe Waggoner serves as the Executive Director of THEA. Under Joe’s leadership, THEA’s maintenance, operation and financial positions have significantly improved. Conversion of THEA’s Lee Roy Selmon Expressway to all-electronic tolling in 2010 made it Florida’s first expressway to be completely electronic. In 2014, THEA became a member of the Affiliated Test Beds under the USDOT’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology. In 2015 THEA won a $21 million dollar Connected Vehicle Project from the USDOT. In partnership with transit, the City of Tampa and a team of expert transportation consultants and engineers THEA’s project will demonstrate the benefits of automated and connected vehicle technologies. Joe’s education and 37+ years of experience in the development of a variety of transportation modes give him a broad perspective on transportation issues.

Maggie Walsh is Vice President and Strategic Clients and Pursuits Leader at HDR, a leading consulting company in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services. She leads teams in securing new work by providing guidance, oversight and support for highly visible and game changing project pursuits. She keeps her focus on strategic client development programs across market sectors including transit, freight rail, highways, bridges, aviation and maritime resulting in transformative growth for HDR employees. Maggie is currently the Chair of the Board for WTS International, a non-profit organization with a vision to achieve equity and access for all women in the Transportation industry. She has been a member of WTS since 1997 and has been on the International Board since 2012. The organization has great momentum across North America and she intends to keep that going fast forward into the future.

Beverly J. Watts has served Wayne County for over 15 years as an influential leader. As Wayne County’s first female Director of the Department of Public Services, she has established a standard of operational excellence throughout the department. Ms. Watts is responsible for setting the strategic vision for the department’s (8) operating divisions. With an annual budget of over $200 million and a staff of over 600 employees, she is also responsible for aligning the department’s priorities with the goals set forth by Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans. Under her leadership, the Wayne County Department of Public Services became an accredited agency by the American Public Works Association, making them the first county in Michigan to receive this honor. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Telecommunications from Michigan State University. Ms. Watts is affiliated with various organizations including the Michigan Chapter of COMTO.

Gary White is the President and Principal Consultant/Trainer with Gary White Training & Consulting, LLC (GWTnC, LLC), a services provision firm specializing in Public Health consulting, workforce development/training and group facilitation. Gary also serves as the Associate Director of the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance (HCADA), a non-profit, community-based substance abuse prevention coalition. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from the University of Tampa (UT) and his Master in Public Health: Public Health Practice from the University of South Florida (USF). Gary leverages his experience as a 21-year military healthcare nurse and a decade of community leadership to realize successful population health initiatives. Gary’s background, certifications and experience include: Certified in Public Health (CPH), Certified Mental Health First Aid Trainer, Community Coalition Leadership Trainer of Trainers.

Tamika White is the Sr. Org Development Mgr at PSTA in St. Petersburg, FL. Her role involves leading the management of the agency’s training and development programs, with a focus on improving culture and employee engagement.

In addition, Tamika is the facilitator of Leadership PSTA, the agency’s year-long leadership development program to drive individual growth, organizational change, and increase overall business results. She is passionate about teaching, coaching and developing employees, helping them to expand knowledge, deepen skills, discover insights, and gain confidence to apply learnings to further elevate their performance and achieve their goals.

Tamika has a BS degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, with a concentration in Sociology and minors in Psychology and Education. She is currently pursuing a MS degree in Mgmt and Leadership.

Tamika is a member of COMTO, APTA’s Workforce Development Committee, and a 2019 graduate of APTA’s Emerging Leaders Program.

Melanie Williams is the Senior Vice President Operations of Frontier Communications’ South Region, where she leads 1.6K employees across seven states. Previously, Melanie served as President of Verizon’s Florida Region prior to its 2016 acquisition by Frontier.

A 2019 ONYX Magazine “Women on the Move”. Melanie is committed not only to growing Frontier’s business, but also in recognizing the women who mentored her by paying it forward to the next generation of women leaders.

Named to the Board of Directors of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, by Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn in 2018, Melanie was elevated to Vice Chair of that organization for 2019. Additionally she is a member of: the University of Tampa Board of Trustees, and its Facilities Committee Chair; Tampa-Hillsborough Economic Development Council Executive Board and Investor Relations chair. Melanie’s commitment to the fundraising mission of American Heart Association continues in her work as a Circle of Red Board Member the American Heart Association.

Melanie received her Master’s degree in Professional Development from Dallas Baptist University, and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Nova Southeastern University.

Dr. Shawn Wilson was appointed by Governor Edwards,  Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation on January 22, 2016, after more than 10 years of executive service. A product of Public education, including an HBCU, Secretary Wilson aggressively advocated for new revenue to modernize the state’s infrastructure funding. Legislation he led received bipartisan support in committee but did not receive a floor vote in 2017, largely due to partisanship. Under his leadership, DOTD has received $184.5 million dollars in redistribution funds as well as $60 million and $45 million dollar Fastlane and INFRA Grants, respectively. DOTD is currently utilizing GARVEE Bonds to advance major projects for the first time. Among those projects is Louisiana's first attempt at a public-private-partnership, which is currently in procurement. Shawn and his wife, Rocki, reside in Lafayette, have two children, one son in law, a beautiful granddaughter, Lailah Rose, and will welcome a grandson in September.