Annual Meeting Speakers

Shofiq serves as Executive Vice President at Peggy Malone & Associates, where he directs the firm’s strategic operations and pivot toward AI-driven traffic data solutions. Bridging traditional engineering with modern data science, he leverages deep expertise in ITS, CAV, and safety analysis to deliver actionable results for complex transportation challenges. 

A recognized thought leader, Shofiq regularly shares insights on technical innovations and executive leadership as a speaker and panelist at major venues, including the ITE International Meeting and ASCE Conventions. He actively serves the industry as President of the ASCE National Capital Section, Chair of the Mid-Colonial District ITE 2026 Annual Meeting, and Strategic Programs Chair for COMTO Maryland. Shofiq holds a Master’s in Civil Engineering and was named the 2023 ASCE New Face of Civil Engineering and a 2024 ITE Young Leader to Follow. 

Laura Ahramjian, AICP is an accomplished transportation planner who leads complex multimodal projects throughout Pennsylvania. A hallmark of her work is effectively coordinating among federal, state, and local agencies, stakeholders, and communities to resolve conflicts and lay the groundwork for successful implementation of projects. Laura’s areas of expertise include complete street corridors, safety action and vision zero plans, bike route and trail feasibility, neighborhood traffic calming, and transit-oriented development and land use planning. Laura has worked on multiple projects for the City of Lancaster focused on improving multimodal safety, including serving as project manger on the Lancaster Two-Way Restoration Study. 

Simran Arora, AICP, supports Jacobs Mid-Atlantic Advanced Mobility Group in delivering data‑driven solutions for complex mobility challenges. She specializes in transportation planning, traffic engineering, and the use of big data to understand travel behavior and improve system performance. Simran’s work blends GIS, analytics, and traffic engineering with an urban planning perspective, enabling her to translate large‑scale mobility datasets into clear, actionable insights for safer and more efficient transportation networks. She holds a Master’s in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in transportation and infrastructure planning.

Susan has over 25 years of experience in sustainable site design, water resources management, and green infrastructure implementation. She has delivered green stormwater solutions for projects across the East Coast and nationally, focusing on mitigating urban development impacts and restoring watershed health. As a senior project manager and water resources engineer at Jacobs, she supports clients in dense urban environments to reduce combined-sewer overflows, improve water quality, enhance habitat, increase flood resilience, and advance urban greening through innovative stormwater and watershed strategies. She has contributed to several green infrastructure publications, including the Water Environment Federation’s Green Infrastructure Implementation Manual. 

Istiak Bhuyan, Ph.D., is a Transportation Data Scientist at Jacobs with over five years of experience applying data-driven innovative solutions in urban mobility, safety and planning. His work supports statewide initiatives including safety and needs assessments, project prioritization tools, ITS architecture development, and performance-based planning using large-scale multimodal datasets. He specializes in integrating advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and interactive dashboards to support decision-making across agencies. Prior to Jacobs, he worked as a GIS Analyst at Exelon and Xcel Energy and conducted doctoral research at Morgan State University focusing on longitudinal transportation data, urban mobility, and equity. 

Phillip Bobitz, P.E. is a Project Manager for Transportation Safety Programs at Michael Baker International with more than 17 years of experience in traffic safety, operations, and ITS. He previously spent 15 years with the Federal Highway Administration, where he led national efforts advancing the Proven Safety Countermeasures and the Safe System Approach and contributed to more than 40 national guidance documents and technical resources. His work spans datadriven safety analysis, Road Safety Audits, Complete Streets, work zone safety, and integrating safety across planning, NEPA, design, and operations. He is a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania and an active member of the ITE Safety Council and the TRB Standing Committee on Integrated Transportation Safety Management. 

Steve Brousse, PE, is a Senior Project Manager at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, where he serves as a design project manager for the Open Road Tolling (ORT) initiative. Before joining the Commission three years ago, he spent 14 years as a structural design consultant working with various DOT’s. Outside of work, Steve lives in Carlisle, with his wife and two daughters and stays active in the community as a runner, woodworker, school board member, and youth soccer coach. 

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Kristin Caparra has had a long history with PennDOT which began with her summer internship with the District 6-0 Traffic Unit back in 1990 between her junior and senior years at Villanova University (’91, BS, Civil Engineering).  Last month, Kristin celebrated her 15-year anniversary of AECOM employment, and she has enjoyed her current contract as a member of AECOM’s consultant project management team for the same 15-year duration. 

Career highlights include serving as the Department’s design project manager for county maintenance bridge groups, Bridge Groups O,P,Q and T, Smithbridge Rd Bridge emergency project, the Holme Ave Bridge rehabilitation, in addition to tonight’s feature project, SR 2006 Section 476 “MacDade Boulevard” (ECMS 70228).  A fun fact is that Kristin has been the project manager for rehabilitations of 5 of the 10 oldest bridges in the country, as recognized by FHWA.   

Hubert Clay is a Faculty Specialist with the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Laboratory (CATT Lab) at the University of Maryland where he is involved with project management, partner support, training and outreach. Prior to joining the CATT Lab, he was Vice President of Operations for Total Traffic & Weather Network (TTWN), a division of iHeartMedia, with direct oversight of five regional operations centers providing best-in-class travel information services for radio, television, automotive, navigation, and government customers.    

Hubert was previously on staff with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, where he was part of a team supporting Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) and Emergency Preparedness initiatives. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University and a Past President of the Intelligent Transportation Society of Maryland. Additionally, Hubert was once named “Best Traffic Reporter” in the Baltimore Achievement in Radio (AIR) awards and has been recognized with a Certificate of Merit from the Baltimore County Fire Department. 

Jon has over a decade’s worth of experience in transportation engineering and works on a range of technical specialties across the country. Focused mostly on traffic engineering, Jon specializes in traffic operations analysis and design including both conceptual design levels and final design packages. Jon’s traffic operations experience focuses on urban and multimodal networks and corridors, and often employs innovative intersection design and traffic signal timing/phasing to achieve better balances across all modes. Jon’s design practice also focuses on multimodal facilities, including bike lanes, cycle tracks, and BRT transitway signalization. Jon is a graduate of Penn State University (both BS and MS in Civil Engineering) and began his involvement with ITE as the student chapter president (2011-12). Nearly a decade later, Jon served as the Chesapeake and Potomac Section of ITE (CAPSITE) president for the 2023 term. 

Molly Deger is one of the Deputy Director of Public Works for the City of Lancaster, overseeing the Sustainability and Environment Division. This includes leading the Stormwater Bureau and its award-winning green infrastructure program, Urban Forestry, and implementation of the Climate Action Plan. With over 17 years of experience in nature-based design and engineering, she helps advance Lancaster’s sustainability initiatives within Public Works and across City departments, ensuring they are coordinated, equitable, and resilient.  

Carla Dietrich, P.E., PTOE is a Technical Manager at Michael Baker International with more than 28 years of experience in traffic engineering and transportation planning. She is currently contributing to the City of Lancaster’s TwoWay Restoration project as the traffic operations lead. Throughout her career, Carla has directed national traffic analysis efforts for projects ranging from local improvements to large, complex regional initiatives. Her expertise spans corridor planning, feasibility and interchange studies, and traffic impact studies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Connecticut, Illinois, and Louisiana. 

Mike has over 25 years of experience in both the private and public sector in the Traffic Engineering field. He has been the Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) Program Manager in PennDOT’s Bureau of Operations for the past 16 years. Prior to this he has held positions in PennDOT’s Engineering District 8 office as the HOP Manager, and in the Traffic Unit responsible for reviewing traffic impact studies, traffic signal designs and other traffic engineering related assignments for the remainder of time spent with PennDOT. 

Nina Ertel has been working for PennDOT since 2010 as a Project Development Engineer in the Bureau of Design & Delivery where she reviews and works on major complexity projects and environmental documents. As part of her duties, she leads initiatives updating PennDOT publications. Since 2016 she has been actively involved with updating PennDOT’s MASH standards, leading roadside safety pooled fund research, and since 2025, serves on the AASHTO’s Technical Committee for Roadside Safety.  

Since around 2014, Nina has been the assistant statewide roundabout coordinator, and as of January 2025 she has been the PennDOT statewide roundabout coordinator. In this role, she reviews and coordinates all PennDOT roundabout designs and updates policy and training to facilitate quality roundabout designs. 

She is a registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania. She graduated from Lehigh University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1995 and from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a M.S. in Civil Engineering in 1999.   

Dan Fedio is a Senior Civil Engineer Supervisor – Traffic Signals at the PennDOT Engineering District 11-0 Office. He has 18 years of experience working in the District 11 Traffic Unit and has worked on the design of over 300 traffic signals. Dan is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. 

Tina Fink, PE, PTOE, is a Principal Transportation Engineer at Toole Design. She had led projects involving traffic analysis, signal design, design guidance, crossing improvements, school planning and design, and parking analysis. Tina is a contributing author to both national and local design guidance. Most notably, she was a contributing author for the 2024 AASHTO Bike Guide and was the Principal Investigator for NCHRP 15-73 Design Options to Reduce Turning Motor Vehicle – Bicycle Conflicts at Controlled Intersections. 

Will Fisher, RSP1 is a Transportation Specialist with Daniel Consultants, Inc. with eight years of experience in transportation planning and emergency transportation management. He specializes in the development of freeway incident detour and traffic management plans, working closely with state DOTs, state and local law enforcement, fire and rescue agencies, and traffic operations centers to support coordinated incident response. Mr. Fisher has served as project engineer for the development of more than 700 incident management plans across Maryland and Virginia, supporting operational readiness for major freeway closures. His experience also includes GIS-based transportation analysis and transportation operations planning. He holds a Road Safety Professional Level 1 (RSP1) certification and is based in Columbia, Maryland. 

Sydney French, E.I.T., MSCE is an Engineer-in-Training for French Engineering in Smithfield, PA. Sydney’s primary areas of expertise are traffic engineering analysis and design, GIS, Traffic Calming, and Road Safety Audits. Sydney received her B.S.C.E. from West Virginia University in 2022, and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from WVU in 2023. She is currently studying to take the PE exam in April. 

Hardik Gajera, Ph.D., EIT, is a Traffic Engineer at RK&K with five years of experience in traffic safety, specializing in crash analysis, microsimulation, and traffic forecasting. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from UNC Charlotte and works across projects involving safety, operations, and emerging transportation technologies. 

Steve Gault, PE, PTOE, strives to ensure smooth mobility throughout Pennsylvania with new approaches to using technology to safely and efficiency move humans. As PennDOT’s chief of TSMO Arterials and Planning, Gault uses his passion by overseeing traffic signals, arterial operations, and planning for deployment of TSMO solutions across the state. Gault is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and has over 20 years of experience in transportation engineering in both the public and private sectors. He is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania and a certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer. 

Marco Gorini is the Vision Zero Program Manager at the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems. As program manager, he is responsible for a wide portfolio of transportation safety initiatives, including the annual Vision Zero Action Plan updates, running the Vision Zero Task Force, the Vision Zero Ambassador program, the Neighborhood Slow Zones program, and supporting staff coordinating the Safe Routes Philly and Vision Zero community education initiatives. Marco has a background in community engagement and safety planning, having spent six years at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, where his role included coordinating the Regional Safety Task Force. He received his master’s degree in Urban Planning from Harvard University in 2016. 

Andrew, a Project Manager and Associate Vice President at Urban Engineers, has more than 16 years of experience leading safety and multimodal transportation projects. He is recognized for expertise in roundabout truck swept-path design and oversized vehicle accommodations, and works closely with PennDOT Central Office and District 6-0 to advance Highway Safety Improvement Projects (HSIP) and best practices in roundabout design and delivery. 

Karl Graybill, AICP, recently retired as the Public Works Environmental Planner for the City of Lancaster, where he spent the last 13 years of his 30 year planning career assisting Lancaster in implementing its stormwater management, bicycling and Vision Zero programs. 

Andrew Halloran, PE, PTOE, is a Traffic Engineer whose work centers on improving safety in complex, high-conflict transportation environments in DC, Montgomery County, Maryland, and NoVa. He leads safety and operational studies and design for urban and suburban corridors and intersections, with a focus on reducing crash risk through practical design changes, clear traffic control, and data-driven decision-making. Andrew works closely with public agencies to address locations with competing user needs, constrained geometry, and challenging operating conditions, prioritizing solutions that are implementable, defensible, and focused on real-world safety outcomes. 

Mr. Halpert is a Senior Engineer at Toole Design Group with both public and private sector experience in developing and implementing multimodal transportation projects, programs, and policies. He has over 12-years of experience performing bicycle and pedestrian master plans, corridor and intersection operation studies, and safety audits. 

Emma Hamme, AICP, is a Transportation Planner for the City of Lancaster, PA. Since 2023, Emma has focused on Vision Zero, active transportation, public space and ROW-related planning and public engagement efforts. She has previously worked in housing, historic preservation, redevelopment, comprehensive planning & zoning, and active transportation. 

A Lancaster City enthusiast, Emma enjoys partaking in Lancaster’s amazing food culture, reminding drivers to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, and trying to keep up with her 9-year-old son in the City’s protected bicycle lanes. 

Emma has a B.S. from Cornell University in Urban & Regional Studies. 

Tyler Hartman, PE, PTOE, RSP1, is a Project Engineer III at RK&K with 9 years of experience in traffic engineering. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Widener University and is licensed in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, Maine, and Nevada. Tyler specializes in traffic signal design, ITS/ITMS, signing and striping, and maintenance of traffic (MOT) plans. He has led and managed numerous complex projects across Delaware, Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Active in ITE, Tyler serves as a committee chair at multiple levels and as the Awards Chair for the Central Pennsylvania Engineers Week Council.

Craig Hinners is the Sr. Technical Sales Engineer at NoTraffic. He has over 25 years of hands-on experience designing and integrating all forms of ITS, especially traffic signal controllers, systems, cabinets, adaptive, and V2X. Some highlights of his career include deploying the nation’s first cloud-based priority and preemption system, writing the reversible lane control system for the Manhattan Bridge in NYC, and demonstrating connected vehicles to Congress at the US Capitol. He is a subject matter expert for multiple NTCIP, ATC, SAE, and CTI committees, and a licensed professional engineer in Maryland. 

Emily Hufnal, EIT, is a Traffic Safety Engineer for the Delaware Department of Transportation with eight years of experience in traffic safety, transportation design, and planning. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Widener University in 2017. Her focus is managing Delaware’s Hazard Elimination Program and other safety programs including crash data review and safety messaging campaigns. Emily is the Website Coordinator for MASITE, a co-chair of MCDITE’s Safety Committee, and a recent graduate of the 2025 LeadershipITE program. 

Ms. Hoehne’s 36 years of experience includes roadway design, project management, and engineering services for clients throughout Pennsylvania. Her experience as project manager and highway engineer on PennDOT projects includes work for all 11 Districts and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission ranging from intersection safety improvements and bridge replacements to new alignment and reconstruction of complex expressway and interstate projects. In her role as STV PA/NJ’s civil highway Discipline Chief, she is responsible for providing technical oversight and standardization of project delivery tools for project teams, coordinating staff utilization, and facilitating work sharing. 

Ben Hogan is a Public Works Engineer for the City of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After starting as an intern, he transitioned to a full-time role and has spent the past five years focused on improving residents’ quality of life by designing improvements to the transportation network, whether that be traffic calming, bicycle infrastructure, or traffic signal improvements. 

In his free time, Ben enjoys gardening, cooking, walking or rolling around town with his son and playing Cities Skylines. Ben has a B.S. in Civil Engineering with a transportation focus from Penn State Harrisburg. 

Quality Counts, or QC, is a nationwide transportation data collection firm recognized for combining innovative technology with exceptional client service. 

Steven Hollenkamp, serves as Vice President at QC and will share project details on one of the company’s most forward-thinking initiatives: near-miss conflict analysis. Steven brings a diverse background to the industry, including time on Wall Street and experience building and successfully selling a consumer brand before joining QC. 

He lives in Florida with his wife and four sons. 

Alexandra is a versatile transportation engineer whose 14 years of professional, national experience spans policy, safety, design, and implementation. Her recent technical experience includes designing multimodal intersections from concept through final design, implementing traffic calming measures, and enhancing safety for vulnerable road users. She understands the design challenges associated within an urban context and the importance of speed management to achieve safety goals. Since 2019, she has been a key contributor to multiple projects in the City of Lancaster, PA. Most notably, she was the Engineer of Record for the Eastbound Connector, a parking separated bicycle facility on Lemon Street, she designed a two-way cycle track along Broad and Chesapeake Streets from concept through preliminary engineering, and is managing the final design phase of a bicycle and pedestrian boulevard on Water Street. She is also leading the development of the City’s Neighborhood Slow Zone Program, including documenting program guidelines (treatments used, eligible street criteria, prioritization method), facilitating staff workshops, and defining the implementation plan. 

Sushant Jagtap is a Research Engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in Virginia, where he leads advancements in automotive safety through innovative crash safety research. His work was instrumental in the development of IIHS’s updated frontal crash test, which has redefined rear seat safety evaluation in the United States, addressing key gaps in occupant protection. Sushant’s expertise extends across injury biomechanics, safety restraint systems, child safety, and pedestrian protection. A 2019 graduate of Kettering University, Michigan, he holds a master’s degree in automotive systems engineering. 

David Juba serves as the Planning Manager for the Susquehanna Regional Transportation Authority (SRTA), operating as rabbittransit. With twelve years of experience at the Authority, David oversees the service planning and ongoing maintenance of the Authority’s role in a diverse, regional transit network spanning eleven counties in South Central Pennsylvania. His experience encompasses an array of transit services and solutions, including fixed-route, commuter bus, microtransit, demand response, and, most recently, vanpool services. 

Tanya King, PE, PTOE, has over 20 years of experience in transportation planning, traffic engineering, ITS, and evacuation planning. Her work includes concept plans, traffic impact studies, microsimulation modeling, parking demand, and corridor planning. She is proficient with Synchro, VISSIM, CORSIM, SIDRA, and HCS. Ms. King has extensive experience leading public outreach for transportation projects and studies. She has served as a Team Leader providing travel forecasting services to SHA for more than 15 years, supporting travel demand modeling, safety analysis, loss of public benefit calculations, primary and secondary impact analysis, future build scenarios, and comprehensive public outreach programs statewide transportation initiatives. 

Katherine Kortum, PhD, PE, PMP, is a Senior Program Officer at the Transportation Research Board (TRB), where she oversees committees on transportation data science, organizes large-scale events, and provides policy recommendations to Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the European Union. She serves on the editorial board of TR News Magazine and previously led a Forum on sustainable mobility and automated vehicles, guiding research to shape public policy. Katherine has chaired advisory groups for the Washington, D.C., MPO and the WMATA transit system and held leadership roles in ASCE, ITE, and WTS. As a Robert Bosch Fellow in Berlin, she conducted research on shared and integrated mobility systems. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she oversaw logistics for D.C.’s testing and vaccination programs. She holds an MS and PhD in transportation engineering, a BS in civil engineering, and an MBA, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Washington, D.C. 

During the past two years, Lauren has gained diverse civil engineering experience, working on various PennDOT projects and supporting the use of AI software to analyze roundabout safety conditions in Pennsylvania. 

Bill Laird is the MacDade Boulevard Interchange Project Manager and is currently the Roadway Section Manager for HDR in Eastern Pennsylvania. He has been with HDR for the last 10 years and has 32 years in the transportation industry. Bill graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Widener University and is an active member of ACEC/PA and in multiple sections of ASHE.  

Career highlights include managing many successful transportation projects across the Commonwealth including the award winning MacDade Boulevard Interchange project in District 6-0. Bill is a father to 3 sons and lives in West Chester PA with his wife of 30 years. 

Mateo Lariviere is a transportation planner at the York County Planning Commission which serves the York Area MPO. He joined the York County Planning Commission in October of 2023 and is a graduate of Syracuse University. 

Lili Liang is the Deputy Director of the Office of Traffic and Safety at the Maryland State Highway Administration. She oversees traffic engineering design, traffic studies, and operational analysis for the state highway system, supporting data-driven and context-sensitive safety solutions. Her work focuses on improving roadway safety and performance through effective engineering practices, multidisciplinary coordination, and practical implementation of standards and guidance. Lili brings extensive experience in managing complex traffic engineering efforts and translating technical analysis into actionable strategies that enhance safety for all road users. 

Alvin, who formerly served as the Deputy Director of Operations for Maryland State Highway’s Office of CHART and ITS Development, has 30 years’ experience with the state of which 22 years was spent with Traffic Incident Management and ITS initiatives. Alvin’s experience with ITS and Incident Management ranges from all the operational and emergency facets of the day to day operations of the Traffic Management Centers and patrols to planning for large planned and unplanned events and emergency management strategies.  Since joining Jacobs engineering in 2012 Alvin has been involved with numerous projects relating to ITS and transportation operations for various states and agencies across the country.  

Kelly Maurer has 14 years with Cranberry Township and serves as Director of Public Works, overseeing traffic operations, roadway maintenance, and a state-of-the-art Traffic Operations Center managing 50 signals. She is also a Board Member of the Western PA Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA). 

Chris May has been playing with traffic for over 20 years. During this time. Chris has been involved in all aspects of traffic signals ranging from design and timing to policy. Chris received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Pennsylvania as well as a certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer. 

Cindy McCormick, P.E., PTOE, Deputy Director of Public Works – Public ROW, has 30 years of experience working in transportation and traffic engineering, the last 10 leading the implementation of traffic calming measures, pedestrian safety campaigns, bike boulevards, protected bike lanes, traffic signal upgrades and maintenance, two-way street restorations, and the Vision Zero Action Plan. In this role, Cindy has come to truly understand the meaning of “multimodal” and the importance of providing safe accommodations for all users. 

Rachel McGuire, PTP, is an Advanced Mobility Project Manager at Jacobs where she is a skilled project manager and dedicated Professional Transportation Planner (PTP). She uses her civil engineering degree to enhance her work on smart, innovative and climate responsible transportation planning projects throughout Jacobs, notably as the contract manager for the DelDOT Multi-modal Transportation and Land Use Planning Agreement which houses multiple planning, operations, and resilience projects throughout the state of Delaware. In addition to her DelDOT work, in her previous role as a traffic engineer she has also contributed to a variety of PennDOT projects – most notably, SR0030 (Sec 100), and PennDOT I-83 Improvement Master Plan Project.  Rachel loves to build community and foster connections in the industry and has been a longtime volunteer at ITE both regionally and nationally, including her current roles as Vice Chair of the ITE Planning Council and Secretary/Treasurer of the Mid-Colonial District of ITE. She holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (B.C.E.) focused on Transportation from University of Delaware and is a 2022 Graduation of Leadership ITE. 

Jaime McKay is the Deputy Director of Transit Services of Frederick County, having served since June 2021. She has been recognized as the Frederick County Commission for Women’s Up and Coming Woman of the Year (2022), the WTS Baltimore Woman of the Year (2023), and the Transportation Association of Maryland Outstanding Leader (2025). Jaime loves trains, is an Upstate New Yorker now and always, and has a one-eyed cat named Linus. 

Kate McMahon, AICP, is the Vice President for Transportation Services at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance (NEPA) and has been with the organization for almost 15 years.  In her role, Kate leads the Northeastern Pennsylvania Metropolitan Planning Organization (NEPA MPO), providing transportation planning for Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Schuylkill counties. Kate assists in the development of the transportation improvement program and long range transportation plan for the NEPA MPO.  Kate is also responsible for work program administration, active transportation initiatives and special planning studies.   

Kate previously worked for Congressman Paul Kanjorski in Washington, D.C., handling legislative issues including transportation policy.  Kate received her undergraduate degree from the University of Scranton.  She also holds a master’s degree in Political Management from George Washington University and a master’s degree in Organizational Management from Misericordia University.  Kate is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners. She serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the American Planning Association Pennsylvania Chapter and chairs the Northeast Section of the organization. She has served on Kingston Borough Council since 2022 and was recently elected Council President.  

Elisa Mitchell, a licensed PE in Maryland and a PTOE, serves as a Transportation Engineer for RS&H’s Transportation-Infrastructure Practice. She has 12 years of professional experience with an emphasis on traffic analysis, planning, operations, and safety that ranges from small town parking studies to freeway safety analysis. She has conducted studies for various jurisdictions in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and North Carolina at the municipal, county, and state level. She is a graduate from the University of Delaware, with a Bachelors and Masters in Civil Engineering. She served as a Public Lands Transportation Scholar. She is a LITE alumna, and a past president of CAPSITE. 

Richard Montanez, PE, is the First Deputy Streets Commissioner for Transportation for Philadelphia. Mr. Montanez is responsible for maintaining, operating, and improving approximately 2,500 miles of local roads; over 1,000 school crossing guards; the City of Philadelphia’s Public Safety Officers; 3,000 traffic signals; 320 bridges; over 100,000 streetlights; and 18,000 alley lights in the City of Philadelphia. He leads the Streets Department in various efforts, such as Transportation Management, Operations, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Vision Zero, Energy efficiency, Green Infrastructure, and Smart Cities. He is responsible for developing and implementing the transportation division’s strategic plan.   

Mr. Montanez has overseen transportation for special events in Philadelphia, such as the 2015 World Meeting of Families and Papal visit, the 2016 Democratic National Convention, the 2017 National Football League Draft, and the 2018 & 2025 Eagles Super Bowl Champion Parades.  

Mr. Montanez graduated from Drexel University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering, and holds a Professional Engineer License from the State of Pennsylvania.   

Rakesh Mora, PE, PTOE, has 14 years of experience in traffic engineering, research, operations, modeling, safety, and transportation planning.  Rakesh graduated from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) with a master’s degree in civil engineering in 2010 and is currently working with RK&K as a Technical Manager. Rakesh led the traffic analysis efforts for the supplemental IJR for the revised interchange design. Rakesh has been a member of ITE for 16 years. 

Ms. Virginia O’Connor, PE, PTOE, RSP2i (toXcel), is an expert in safer speeds, with 12 years of experience in roadway safety policy, traffic safety analysis, countermeasure selection, and guidance development. She has led and developed multiple FHWA and NHTSA speed management documents and tools, translating research into practical materials for practitioners. She has served as PI and DPI on projects supporting FHWA’s speed management program, providing technical assistance to state and local agencies along with developing case studies on tribal, school-area, and speed safety camera programs nationwide.  

As the Deputy Director for Transportation for the City of Alexandria, Hillary leads Transportation Engineering, Planning, and Mobility Services with a strong focus on smart mobility, transportation technology, and government innovation. With nearly 20 years of experience in local government in New York City and Alexandria, she has spearheaded initiatives in multimodal planning, transit, Vision Zero, curbside management, and regional coordination.  

Hillary is passionate about connecting local governments with one another—and with private and academic partners—to share knowledge, test new ideas, and accelerate how cities harness data and technology to solve real-world challenges. She is currently focused on advancing digital city models, building smarter and safer transportation networks, and creating collaborative ecosystems that drive innovation in the public sector.  

She serves on the Board of Directors for the Alexandria Transit Company and the Intelligent Transportation Society of Virginia. Hillary holds a B.A. in Political Science from Wake Forest University and a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.  

Mike worked with PennDOT from 1998 to 2015, including District 5, Central Office, and District 6. Mike transferred to the PA Turnpike Commission in 2015, currently as the Manager of Incident Management and Traffic Operations. His experience includes ITS device and systems deployments, Emerging Technologies, TOC systems and operations, TSMO planning through implementation, and incident and emergency management. Mike is a 1997 graduate of Penn State Harrisburg and is a veteran of the US Army.    

Mr. Pento began his professional career with PENNDOT in 1992 and has held a variety of engineering positions within the Department, primarily in traffic operations. Since 2015, he has managed the Traffic Engineering and Permits Section in the Bureau of Operations which oversees statewide policy for general traffic engineering practices, Pavement Markings and Signing, Highway Occupancy Permits and Oversize/Overweight Hauling permits. He received a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Penn State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in PA. 

Mr. Petrucci is a nationally recognized transportation engineer with more than 23 years of experience in consulting and government, working with clients and projects in the public and private sectors across the United States. He is an award winning leader and technical expert in roadway safety and design, traffic engineering, transportation planning, professional training services, and road safety audits (RSA).  He is a former Senior Safety Engineer and RSA Leader with the USDOT Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), an active member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and Chair of the ITE RSA Great Idea Group, and a volunteer and friend of several committees of the Transportation Research Board (TRB). Mr. Petrucci specializes in the safe system approach, roadway and intersection safety and design, data-driven safety analysis (DDSA), road safety audits and assessments, and interstate access requests. He is a Senior Project Manager in Transportation and Safety at Michael Baker International, supporting and leading projects and teams throughout the greater Philadelphia region and around the nation. 

Alan Piper is the Senior Transportation Planner for the Berks County Planning Commission/Reading MPO and has been with the organization for 44 years.  The Reading Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is also designated as a Transportation Management Area. In this role he leads a group of four planners dedicated to the provision transportation planning in Berks County, Pennsylvania.   Alan heads the efforts in the development and administration of the federally-required Unified Planning Work Program, supervises staff in the preparation of Long Range Transportation Plans, Transportation Improvement Programs, a Congestion Management Process, and various other technical reports.  He has served as the Secretary of the MPO since 1989. 

Alan received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State. In addition to his MPO roles, Alan is also currently serving as Berks County’s bridge administrator covering an inventory of 55 bridges of all styles and ages.  He acts as a liaison between the Berks County Board of Commissioners, PennDOT, consultants, various task forces, the business community and local municipalities on transportation issues and projects.  He and his staff also provide transportation planning coordination with the South Central Transit Authority, the Reading Regional Airport Authority, the three-county Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority and with Berks County’s Comprehensive Planning efforts and the County’s land development and subdivision review processes. 

Molly Porter is the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Programs Team Lead with the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA), Office of Planning and Preliminary Engineering (OPPE), Grants and Program Management Division (GPMD) and has been working at SHA since 2022. Her job responsibilities include assisting with the implementation of transportation and safety planning initiatives including implementation of MDOT SHA’s Context Driven and Access and Mobility for all Users Guide, Pedestrian Safety Action Plan Program and Complete Streets Implementation. 

Shraddha Praharaj, Ph.D., PE, is an alumnus of the 2024 LeadershipITE, and recognized as an ITE Young Leader to Follow in 2024. She has been involved with ITE since 2014, currently serving as CAPSITE’s University Liaison and co-chairing MCDITE’s Safety Committee. In her role as a Traffic Engineer for City of Frederick, MD, she manages various City programs like Vision Zero, Traffic Calming, ADA improvements, and advances other pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvement projects. Shraddha completed her Masters degree at Auburn University and PhD at University of Virginia. 

Jeff Riegner is a Senior Principal at Kittelson & Associates in Philadelphia. He is a professional engineer and certified planner with 35 years of consulting experience for public-sector clients nationwide. Jeff is a national expert in planning and design of Complete Streets and active transportation, with a strong focus on safety. He has served as project manager or key staff for more than 20 safety action plans, statewide safety programs, and Vision Zero initiatives throughout the US. Jeff holds degrees from the University of Delaware and the University of California at Berkeley. 

Adam Smith, PE, PTOE, is the Central District Manager for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Multimodal Planning. He has over 20 years of experience in the transportation engineering and planning field. In addition to his work with the City, Adam is the vice chair for ITE’s Complete Streets Council and a member of the Signals Technical Committee for the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. He is also a steering committee member of the National Complete Streets Coalition. Adam is a proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. 

Marilyn J. Smith, MPA SPHR, was appointed Executive Director of the Dover Kent MPO in December 2020. The MPO coordinates transportation planning and programming in Kent County. The MPO partners with DelDOT and municipalities to develop plans and programs that outline how federal transportation funds will be spent. 

Prior to coming to the MPO, Marilyn served nine years as Senior Economic Development Advisor in the Albany district office of U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko, representing New York’s 20th Congressional District. From 2000-2012, Marilyn was Executive Director for Cornell University Cooperative Extension in Fulton and Montgomery Counties (NY). Early in her career, Marilyn spent ten years working in county government in Utah. 

Marilyn is an adjunct faculty member at Purdue University Global, where she teaches undergraduate public administration courses. She holds an MPA from the University of Utah, and a BS in Political Science from Weber State University. 

Marilyn enjoys community service. She is a member of the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce Leadership Central Delaware Class of 2022. She is a former Honorary Commander at Dover Air Force Base. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the CenDel Foundation. 

Marilyn and her husband Steve have been married for 40 years and live in Frederica DE. They have two grown sons, one in Bluffton SC with his wife and two children, and one in Albany NY with his partner. When not working, Marilyn enjoys exploring new roads and places in Delaware, and visiting family. She also enjoys games, snorkeling, kayaking, music, and entertaining. 

Nicholas Streets brings over 15 years of traffic engineering experience, specializing in signal retiming, operational analysis, and data-driven strategies. He focuses on optimizing corridor performance using advanced tools such as ATSPMs, RITIS, O-D analysis, and adaptive signal technologies. Skilled in traffic analysis software and controller programming, Nicholas delivers measurable improvements in mobility and safety on high-volume arterials. 

Eric Tang is a Senior Highway Safety Engineer at VHB based in Washington, DC, specializing in transportation safety, policy, multimodal planning, data analysis, and countermeasure prioritization.  He has extensive experience with the development of actionable Safe System-oriented roadway safety plans at the state, regional, county, tribal, and local levels across the United States. He is the current chair of ITE International’s Vision Zero Committee and is certified Roadway Safety Professional. 

Kyle, a Penn State Civil Engineering graduate, brings 15 years of experience in traffic control device design. He has served as an on-site consultant for clients such as Baltimore City DOT, Montgomery County (MD) Traffic Engineering and Operations, and Maryland State Highway Administration’s Traffic Engineering Design Division and also their District 3 Engineering Systems Team. A longtime member of ITE, Kyle also spent 10 years on the ITS Maryland board, including serving as President in 2018. A Philadelphia native, he now resides locally with his wife and three children after working in STV’s Baltimore and Washington, D.C. offices. 

Mario Toscano, PE, PTOE, CVP is Director of Pennsylvania Operations at VHB, where he supports the firm’s regional growth while continuing to advance intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and emerging mobility solutions. With more than 25 years of experience and professional engineering licensure in more than 30 states, Mario has guided the planning and deployment of technologies that support electric, connected, and automated vehicle ecosystems across complex, multi-agency transportation networks. 

Previously, Mario served as President and Lead ITS/Systems Engineer at Drive Engineering, which was acquired by VHB. As a co-founder of Drive, he played a key role in shaping the firm’s strategic direction in emerging mobility, systems engineering, cybersecurity, tolling, and resilient transportation systems. His work has helped public agencies integrate connected and automated vehicle (CAV) infrastructure, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, EV-supportive ITS architectures, and data-driven traffic operations at scale. 

Mario is an active contributor to the global mobility community, serving in leadership roles with the ITS World Congress International Planning Committee and the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA). He holds a Master of Applied Science in Transportation Engineering from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Tecnológico de Monterrey. 

Jeff Van Horn was appointed Director of Economic Development Coordination in November 2025, bringing over 20 years of dedicated State service to the role. A graduate of the University of Delaware with a degree in Civil Engineering, Jeff is a Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) with the State of Delaware. 

 Jeff’s career with the Department began early as a collegiate intern. Upon graduating, he formally started in road design before transitioning to traffic system design. He eventually earned his first management position overseeing commercial and residential permitting reviews, a function now housed within the Division he leads. Following this, Jeff managed teams across various disciplines, including road design and traffic operations. 

 During his tenure in traffic operations, Jeff developed a passion for fast-paced, safety-driven decision-making and incident management. He led teams of highly motivated personnel operating 24/7 to address statewide emergency needs. This diverse operational background paved the way for his current appointment as Director. 

 In his new role, Jeff leverages his design and operational experience to facilitate a transparent, forward-thinking Division. He is committed to fostering an efficient approval process built on the foundation of the Safe System approach. Dedicated to public safety, he remains accessible to his constituents and customers. Personally, Jeff is a strong advocate for pediatric cancer research, actively fundraising for both charities and local hospitals. 

Colleen has been part of the Lancaster City Alliance since its inception in 2013. As Vice President of Administration & Relations, Colleen leads internal operations and manages the dynamic network of investors, volunteers, and community partners that support and carry out the mission of the Alliance. Deeply attuned to the complex web of relationships that define Lancaster, Colleen excels at understanding how individuals and organizations intersect. Colleen’s community first mindset shines through her contributions to local boards and committees.

Colleen holds a degree in Business Administration and lives in West Lampeter with her three children and her dog Helix. Colleen is an enthusiastic advocate for small businesses and everything local. You will often find Colleen in a local coffee shop collaborating with Lancaster’s growing network of changemakers and engaging with the community she so thoughtfully serves.

Will is a transportation engineer in RK&K’s Harrisburg office with 21 years of experience in innovative intersection design, corridor safety, and multimodal planning and design. His areas of expertise include ADA compliant accessibility design, bicycle facilities, complete streets, traffic calming, alternatives analysis, and roundabouts. Will has worked extensively with cities across Pennsylvania to advance safer, more accessible transportation networks. His background in designing walkable, bikeable corridors supports his commitment to creating safe routes to schools for all users. 

Perry Xu is a transportation and ITS engineer with over a decade of experience delivering multi-disciplinary solutions across traffic operations, intelligent transportation systems, data analytics, and infrastructure design. His work focuses on integrating multi-source mobility data and system-level analysis to support region-scale decision-making and next-generation transportation operations. 

Urooj Zafar serves as the Senior Safety Officer at the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA). She provides strategic leadership in advancing statewide safety initiatives, overseeing critical projects identified through SHA’s Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP) and Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Assessment. Urooj champions Maryland’s Complete Streets policy, ensuring compliance with evolving safety standards while fostering collaboration across agencies and stakeholders. Her leadership drives innovative solutions that enhance roadway safety and create inclusive, multimodal transportation networks for all users.