Saturday, February 10

Registration

DAY THEME: Leadership & Policy Development: Planning an Integrated Approach

Bus & Paratransit CEOs Committee

Rail Transit CEOs & Commuter Rail CEOs Subcommittees

Chairs, Nuria I. Fernandez & Doug Allen 
 

OPENING SESSION

• Alice Bravo, Florida District Leader, WSP USA, New York, NY

• Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr., Chief Executive Officer, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, FL
• Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC

CEOs Coordinating Council

The role of the Transit CEOs Coordinating Council will be two-fold - to ensure all CEO committees are represented in major APTA decisions and that all CEO committees can be consulted through a single governing council. This advancement of operations aligns the CEO committees with the functioning of the BMBG and the Transit Board Members reporting and decision-making structure.

• Doran J. Barnes, Chief Executive Officer, Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA

• Karen H. King, Chief Executive Officer, Golden Empire Transit District, Bakersfield, CA
• Doug Allen, CEO, Denver Transit Partners, LLC, Denver, CO
• Hon. Nuria I. Fernandez, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, Washington, DC
• Andrew Johnson, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, Grand Rapids, MI

Industry Leadership Summit

In November 2018, APTA will host its first Industry Leadership Summit, bringing together the key leaders in the public transportation industry; Board Members, Business Members, and Transit CEOs. This session will highlight the similarities in priorities of these three distinct APTA membership categories. Join us as we work together to ensure cooperative leadership.

• Doran J. Barnes, Chief Executive Officer, Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA

• Lester W. Bryant, LWBSolutions, San Antonio, TX
• David M. Stackrow, Sr., CPA, Member, Board of Directors, Capital District Transportation Authority, Albany, NY
• Jeffrey Wharton, Secretary/Treasurer, APTA; Director, Contracts and Technical Services, SYSTRA USA, Goldsboro, NC

CEO Leadership Development

This session will highlight how industry leaders have addressed challenges and improved upon their efforts to create the best transit systems possible. Come prepared to share how you have improved your agencies though networking, lessons learned, and involvement in APTA.

 

• Chris Russo, Executive Vice President, ELERTS Corporation, Hingham, MA

• Lauren Skiver, Chief Operating Officer, Transdev, Thousand Palms, CA

• Peter Varga, Principal Past APTA Chair, Peter Varga, Belmont, MI

• Jeanne Krieg, Retired, Jeanne Krieg, Oakley, CA

• Jeffrey D. Knueppel, P.E., Vice President & Corporate Transit Practice Leader, KCI Technologies, Inc., Mechanicsburg, PA

Welcome Reception

Renew friendships and introduce yourself to your colleagues at this high energy gathering that is sure to set the tone for a week of professional development and networking.

Sunday, February 11

Registration

DAY THEME: The Future of Mobility: Developing an Implementation Action Plan

President and CEO's Breakfast for New CEOs & Deputy CEOs

If you began your position as a first-time chief executive in public transportation during the past year, you are invited to attend this breakfast session to talk about your new responsibilities and learn more about APTA resources that will help you to lead your organization. Deputy CEOs are invited to engage in a conversation about your career path, work experience, and professional development.

• Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
• Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr., Chief Executive Officer, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, FL
• Kevin B. Quinn, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink), New Westminster, BC
• Katharine Kelleman, Chief Executive Officer, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), Pittsburgh, PA

Continental Breakfast & CEO Exchange

Mobility at a Crossroads: Transit Adaptation Strategies and the Path Forward

Our long-standing notions about mobility are about to change. Public transportation is facing the greatest transformational moment of our generation. Technology is facilitating such change, at a pace difficult to keep up with. Some of that will be disruptive to our industry. 

But this is also a time of great opportunity. Public transportation agencies are positioned to become the backbone of an emerging network of mobility providers involving new and different partners and technologies.

 

• Arjan van Andel, GIRO Inc.

• Gary C Thomas, National Rail & Transit Lead, H. W. Lochner, Inc., Dallas, TX

• Tony Seba, Author, Educator, and Co-Founder, RethinkX, San Francisco, CA

• Neil J. Pedersen, Executive Director, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC
• Robert Puentes, President and CEO, Eno Center for Transportation, Washington, DC
• Joe Waggoner, Executive Director, Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority, Tampa, FL

LUNCHEON: A Conversation with FTA

Join us in a robust discussion with Federal Transit Administration Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams on the future of transit in America. She will provide insight for next steps in dealing with aging infrastructure, growing demand, investing in workforce development, and new technologies. Her formal remarks will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

• Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr., Chief Executive Officer, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, FL

• Hon. K. Jane Williams, Deputy Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC

Workforce of the Future

Executive leaders in public transportation recognize their pivotal role in reinventing their organizations, defining a progressive culture, responding to evolving needs of customers, communities, and stakeholders, and delivering high-quality performance. This three-part session will provide insight and tactics used by your peers. 

• Sue Dreier, Pierce Transit

• Bacarra Mauldin, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Memphis Area Transit Authority, Memphis, TN

• Jerry R. Benson, Ph.D., Utah Transit Authority
• Joseph Calabrese, Director - Transit System/BRT Development Advisor, AECOM, New York, NY
• Hon. Nuria I. Fernandez, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, Washington, DC
• Paul J. Larrousse, National Transit Institute Rutgers, The State Univ. of New Jersey
• Robert B. Noland, Ph.D., Director, Voorhees Transportation Center, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Policy, New Brunswick, NJ

Labor Best Practices Roundtable

Join us as Tom Hock leads a roundtable discussion on labor issues in public transportation. Bring your best ideas and labor problems to the table. 

 

• Mark Sidon, Technical Director, Future Systems Inc., Toronto, ON

• Paul C. Jablonski, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), San Diego, CA

• Thomas P. Hock, Esq., President, Transit Labor Services LLC, Bradenton, FL

Monday, February 12

DAY THEME: Enterprise Risk Management: Funding, Safety, and Cyber Security: A CEO's Primary Responsibility

Transit Agency Deputies: Next in Command – First-Rate in Leadership Workshop

• What factors are driving the shifting and changing landscapes in which you operate? 
• What new responsibilities have you recently assumed?  Are you being set up for success? 
• What new tools, skills, safety nets, and partners do you now need to succeed and sustain levels of expected excellence and contributions?  
• Your career journeys, pathways, and decisions -- did you land where you are by design or by luck? 
• How will you leverage the expertise of those in the room? What do new successes look like? What does your new plan look like?
  

• Shawna Russell, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association (PPTA), Harrisburg, PA

• Ferdinand L. Risco, Jr., Transit Authority of River City (TARC), Louisville, KY
• Hunter Harvath, Monterey-Salinas Transit, Monterey, CA
• Stephanie Wiggins, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, CA

Continental Breakfast & CEO Exchange

Legislative and Regulatory Landscape

APTA Legislative Committee leaders will lead this interactive discussion on the upcoming development of industry recommendations for the next reauthorization bill. APTA members who support the continuation of various elements of the current federal transit program will discuss the importance of these programs and how to balance available resources that often fall short of identified needs. Participants will talk about needs under the Capital Investment Grant program, the State of Good Repair program, the Bus Formula and Competitive programs, and the High-Density tier of the formula program, as well as commuter rail and other investment needs. APTA staff will conclude by providing an overview of current federal legislative issues and the Administration efforts to streamline regulations.

• Diana C. Mendes, AICP, Corporate President, Infrastructure and Mobility Equity, HNTB Corporation, Arlington, VA
• Leanne P. Redden, Executive Director, Regional Transportation Authority, Chicago, IL

• Jeffrey D. Knueppel, P.E., Vice President & Corporate Transit Practice Leader, KCI Technologies, Inc., Mechanicsburg, PA
• Scott Smith, Valley Metro, Phoenix, AZ
• Bill Carpenter, Retiree, Bill Carpenter, Rochester, NY
• Richard DeRock, Link Transit (Chelan-Douglas Public Transportation Benefit Area), Wenatchee, WA

• Robert L. Healy, Jr., American Public Transportation Association

Three Topical Issues: Sustainability, Resiliency, and Ridership

This session will address three current topics on the minds of transit CEOs.

• J. Barry Barker, Transit Authority of River City (TARC), Louisville, KY
• Alice Bravo, Florida District Leader, WSP USA, New York, NY
• Dr. Steven E. Polzin, Ph.D., P.E., Center for Urban Transportation Research, Tampa, FL

LUNCHEON: Why Corporations are Seeking to Locate in Transit-rich Environments

Amazon has made it clear that high-performing public transportation service will among their top criteria as they select a location for their second corporate headquarters. They are not alone.  In recent years, Marriott, McDonalds, Panasonic, and Motorola are among the several dozen corporations that have located or relocated to places where transit can provide access to the high-tech, high-skill talent required for them to succeed in the current “knowledge economy.” Research by Brookings Institution explains how metropolitan areas are growing, what’s driving their expansion, and how public transportation is the effectiveness of the regional economies of today.

• Rob Gannon, King County Metro

• Adie Tomer, Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC

Terrorism and Cyber Security Address and Exchange

Transit security is an important concern for transit CEOs. The inclusion of the executive team as well as the engagement of transit employees, the riding public, federal partners, and state and local law enforcement is critical to ensuring the safety and security of transit systems in preventing crime and terrorism. The TSA Administrator and FBI Deputy Assistant Director for Counterterrorism will provide insights and priorities on stakeholder partnerships regarding cyber security and terrorism. The sharing of lessons learned and the chance to join colleagues in a conversation regarding the importance of security, demonstrates that “Safety and Security Is Our Number One Priority” isn’t just an expression, it’s a pledge.

• Lester W. Bryant, LWBSolutions, San Antonio, TX

• Hon. David P. Pekoske, Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, Washington, DC
• Christine Halvorsen, Deputy Assistant Director for Counterterrorism, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC

• Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr., Chief Executive Officer, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, FL

Transit's Value Added and Ways to Monetize It

Transit adds value to communities, businesses, and regional economies in a wide range of ways. In turn, land value capture, transit-oriented development, private investment in transit facilities, mobility pricing, toll credits, and naming rights are just a few of the techniques used to monetize the value transit brings. Our team of discussants will highlight best practices that might work in your region.

• Kevin Desmond, Principal + National Director, Transit and Rail, Sam Schwartz Engineering, Seattle, WA

• John M. Nations, Bi-State Development Agency (dba Metro), St. Louis, MO

• Christopher Tomlinson, Managing Director, Deloitte Consulting LLP, New York, NY

• Karl P. Gnadt, Managing Director, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, Urbana, IL

Closing Reception

Join your fellow CEOs as you reflect on the lessons learned for the 2018 Transit CEOs Seminar, take this time to make connections to strengthen your leadership and agency.