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2022 Transit CEOs Seminar - Program

This page is an overview of the conference schedule and subject to change.

 

Saturday, April 9

Pre-Seminar Listen Session: Industry and Association Priorities for the Strategic Plan

11 - 11:45 a.m.
Moderator
  • Jeffrey A. Nelson, Past Chair, APTA; CEO/Managing Director, Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLink), Moline, IL

General Luncheon

11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Sponsored by  HNTB
 
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Seminar Opening

12:45 - 1:15 p.m.
Welcomes
  • Thomas C. Lambert, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston Metro), Houston, TX
  • Jeffrey A. Nelson, Past Chair, APTA; CEO/Managing Director, Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLink), Moline, IL
  • Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC

The Role of the Transit CEO: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

1:15 - 2:15 p.m.
Introduction
  • Jeffrey A. Nelson, Past Chair, APTA; CEO/Managing Director, Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLink), Moline, IL
Speaker
  • Phillip A. Washington, Chief Executive Office, Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, CO

Break

2:15 - 2:30 p.m.

Exiting the Pandemic – What’s Changed?

2:30 - 3:45 p.m.

We will soon be “post-pandemic.” What does that mean for the mission of transit, for our agencies and for health, equity and vitality of our communities?  What’s fundamentally changed and how will those changes impact the need for and delivery of transit services?

Moderator
  • Leslie S. Richards, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia, PA
Speakers
  • Hon. Michael B. Hancock, Mayor, City of Denver; Chair, Transportation and Communications Committee, U.S. Conference of Mayors, Washington, DC
  • Debra A. Johnson, General Manager and CEO, Regional Transportation District, Denver, CO
  • Carl G. Sedoryk, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, Monterey-Salinas Transit, Monterey, CA
  • Joanna M. Pinkerton, President/CEO, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), Columbus, OH
  • Holly Arnold, Administrator, Maryland Transit Administration, Baltimore, MD

Break

3:45 - 4 p.m.

The Diminishing Farebox: Setting the Stage for Free Fares or Financial Calamity?

4 - 5 p.m.

Federal pandemic relief funding sustained transit agencies during the COVID-driven ridership plummet.  Many agencies eliminated fares altogether; others simply did not collect them.  But now, even with commuters slowly returning to their offices, farebox revenues remain far below sustainable levels and likely will for some time.  So is now the time to consider transitioning to free fares, capped fares or other strategies to make transit more accessible to those most in need for it?

Moderator
  • Gary J Rosenfeld, Retired, Gary J. Rosenfeld, Memphis, TN
Speakers
  • Julie E. Timm, GRTC Transit System, Seattle, WA
  • Stephanie Wiggins, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, CA
  • Robert M. Powers, General Manager, BART, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), Oakland, CA

CEOs Reception

6 - 7 p.m.

Sponsored by WSP
 
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Sunday, April 10

Breakfast for CEOS and Deputies

8 - 9 a.m.

Sponsored by BAE Systems
 
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Breakfast for Deputies
Defining Ways to Make the No. 2 Role Effective and Enjoyable  
 
Speakers
  • Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
  • Shawn M. Donaghy, Chief Executive Officer, North County Transit District, Oceanside, CA

De-stressing the CEO-Board Relationship

9 - 10:15 a.m.

Transit Boards of Directors make a huge investment in their choice for someone to run the transit agency.  Yet, CEO-Board tension is a reality at most agencies across the country, undermining the ability of CEOs to deliver.  What approaches are working to support a healthy and supportive CEO-Board relationship? How do you define the boundaries between Board and management?  How can Boards be more understanding of the stress and challenges they push onto the CEO? 

Moderator
  • Kevin J. Holzendorf, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, FL
Speakers
  • Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr., Chief Executive Officer, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, FL
  • Matt Carpenter, Chief Executive Officer, Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority, Ann Arbor, MI
  • Jeanne Krieg, Retired, Jeanne Krieg, Oakley, CA

Break

10:15 - 10:45 a.m.

Spending the Money! Expediting Project Readiness & Delivery

10:45 - 11:45 a.m.

Congress delivered with the IIJA.  Now transit agencies need to spend and invest as never before.  Are there ways to speed up the planning and delivery of projects? What can agencies do to expedite project delivery and get the biggest bang for the buck? 

Moderator
  • Nadine Lee, P.E., President & CEO, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Dallas, TX
Speakers
  • Michael A. Allegra, P.E., President, KivAllegra Consulting, Salt Lake City, UT
  • Gary C Thomas, National Rail & Transit Lead, H. W. Lochner, Inc., Dallas, TX
  • Peter M. Rogoff, Managing Partner, Contorta Group, Seattle, WA

General Luncheon

11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Sponsored by  Uber
 
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NTI Training Opportunities

12:30 - 1 p.m.
Featured Speaker
  • Billy Terry, Executive Director, National Transit Institute Rutgers, The State Univ. of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ

Break

1 - 1:30 p.m.

Protecting the Emotional and Mental Health of the CEO - Part 1

1:30 - 2:15 p.m.

“There are more scars than trophies.”

We’ve painfully learned this past year that it is truly lonely at the top for Transit CEOs. After a long day of dealing with employee, passenger, operational and community issues, many CEOs then have the additional pressures of Board, community, or other public meetings in the evenings.
 
Stress and isolation not only impact your performance, but they can also impact your physical and mental health. One important element of dealing with pressure and performance is finding the right professional – executive  job coach, therapist, mentor or other support person – with whom to talk things through.  There is no one-size-fits-all; each CEO will have different needs that deserve different approaches.
 
A key element of any discussion with leaders about mental health is to break down the stigma that too often precludes reaching out for support.  Dr. Blaise Aguirre from McLean Hospital and Harvard University will discuss the impact of stress on our bodies and minds and ways in which to protect ourselves from the pressures of leadership.
 
Introduction
  • Katharine Kelleman, Chief Executive Officer, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), Pittsburgh, PA
Featured Speaker
  • Dr. Blaise Anthony Aguirre, Staff Psychologist, McLean Hospital and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

CEOs Session: Protecting the Emotional and Mental Health of the CEO - Part 2

2:15 - 3:30 p.m.

This session is for CEOs to share their approaches for decompressing, venting, and managing the stress and pressures associated with leading a transit agency.  This will be followed by small group breakouts to continue the discussion.

Moderator
  • Katharine Kelleman, Chief Executive Officer, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), Pittsburgh, PA
Speaker
  • Carolyn M. Gonot, CEO/General Manager, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, San Jose, CA

Deputy CEOs Session: Using the Executive Job Coach to Enhance Personal and Team Performance

2:15 - 3:30 p.m.

Most professionals think of an executive job coach as a personal advisor helping to advance one’s career progression and offering advice for specific challenges encountered across the professional’s career path.  And they do.  But executive job coaches also can work with executive teams to enhance both individual and group performance, building an approach that takes into account the personalities involved, the group’s mission and the priorities of the leader.  Most professionals think of an executive job coach as a personal advisor helping to advance one’s career progression and offering advice for specific challenges encountered across the professional’s career path.  And they do.  But executive job coaches also can work with executive teams to enhance both individual and group performance, building an approach that takes into account the personalities involved, the group’s mission and the priorities of the leader.  This session will focus on the use of an executive job coach by the Jacksonville Transit Authority to hone performance and optimize how team members engage with one another.

Moderator
  • Dr. Kenston J. Griffin, Founder and CEO, Dream Builders Communication, Inc., Huntersville, NC
Speakers
  • Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr., Chief Executive Officer, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, FL
  • Cleveland Ferguson, III, EVP/CAO, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, FL
  • Ivan A. Rodriguez, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, FL

Break

3:30 - 4 p.m.

The Latest with Labor Contracts – The Facts and the Application

4 - 5:15 p.m.

What are the latest trends in labor agreements and how is management/labor adapting agreements to address chronic labor shortages and changing generational expectations?

Speakers
  • Gregory Dash, President, John A. Dash & Associates, Havertown, PA
  • Thomas P. Hock, Esq., President, Transit Labor Services LLC, Bradenton, FL

Break

5:15 - 6 p.m.

CEO Dinner

6 p.m. -

Sponsored by  Jacobs
 
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Monday, April 11

Breakfast for CEO and Deputies

8 - 9 a.m.

Sponsored by Triunity
 
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Breakfast for Deputies
Building One’s Credentials to Become a CEO
Speakers
  • Gregg A. Moser, Principal, Krauthamer & Associates, LLC, Bethesda, MD
  • Christopher P. Boylan, Director, Governmental & Strategic Partnerships, The General Contractors Association of NY, Inc., New York, NY
  • Shawn M. Donaghy, Chief Executive Officer, North County Transit District, Oceanside, CA

CEO Compensation Trends

9 - 10 a.m.

What are the latest trends in C-Suite compensation and, salary aside, what should CEOs reasonably be seeking?

Speakers
  • Gregg A. Moser, Principal, Krauthamer & Associates, LLC, Bethesda, MD
  • Christopher P. Boylan, Director, Governmental & Strategic Partnerships, The General Contractors Association of NY, Inc., New York, NY

Electrification Implementation: Where Are We?

10 - 11 a.m.

Transit agencies have been directed to go Zero Emissions to help address climate change. Some agencies have made the leap and are embracing the new technology.  So, what can we learn from them?  What’s working?  What isn’t working?  And what lessons can they impart?

Moderator
  • Randy S. Clarke, General Manager and CEO, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Washington, DC
Speakers
  • Michelle Allison, CEO, King County Metro , Seattle, WA
  • Inez Evans Benson, SVP National Bus and Facilities Practice Director, WSP USA, New York, NY
  • Debra A. Johnson, General Manager and CEO, Regional Transportation District, Denver, CO
  • Richard J. Leary, CEO, Toronto Transit Commission, Toronto, ON
  • Kevin B. Quinn, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink), New Westminster, BC

Open Microphone: What’s Keeping You Up at Night?

11 - 11:45 a.m.
Discussion Leader
  • Dawn Distler, Chief Executive Officer, METRO Regional Transit Authority, Akron, OH