Wednesday, December 4

Registration/Breakfast

Opening Session: Making the Connection Between High-Speed Rail and Economic Growth

• Anna M. Barry, Program Manager /Vice President, HNTB Corporation, Boston, MA
• 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

• Melanie K. Johnson, P.E., Senior Director of Planning & Technology, Quandel Consultants, Inc., Beachwood, OH

How High-Speed Rail Promotes Economic Growth

• Mike Alexander, Director, Center for Livable Communities, Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Atlanta, GA

Connecting the Mega-Regions

• Kenneth G. Sislak, Vice President, Manager of Rail/Transit Planning, AECOM, Cleveland, OH

• Dennis Newman, Executive Vice President, Planning & Strategy, AMTRAK, Washington, DC
• Lori Willox, Chief Financial Officer, Texas Central High-Speed Railway, LLC, Dallas, TX
• Brian P. Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, California High-Speed Rail Authority, Sacramento, CA
• Jennifer Mitchell, Deputy Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC
• David Henley, The Northeast Maglev, LLC, Baltimore, MD

Networking Break

International Examples of Economic Growth Through Rail

• Peter Gertler, AICP, Senior Vice President, Strategic Sales and Advisory, HNTB Corporation, Oakland, CA

• Marc Guigon, Director, Passenger Department, International Union of Railways (UIC), Paris, France
• Additional speakers to be announced

Lunch with Featured Speakers

• Connie Crawford, P.E., Director of Transit, ASTM North America, Nanuet, NY

• Quintin Kendall, Deputy Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC

• Beverley K. Swaim-Staley, President & CEO, Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, Washington, DC

Partnering to Save the Planet: Leveraging Technology to Facilitate Conversion to Renewable Fuels and Reduced Energy Intensity

• Jeffrey Wharton, Secretary/Treasurer, APTA; Director, Contracts and Technical Services, SYSTRA USA, Goldsboro, NC

• Natasha Vidangos, Ph.D., Vice President, Research & Analysis, Alliance to Save Energy, Washington, DC
• Patrick Arness, Director of Government Relations, Edison Electric Institute, Washington, DC
• Jim Mathews, President & CEO, Railroad Passengers Association, Washington, DC
• Huelon A. Harrison, Principal, Legacy Resource Group, Dallas, TX

Why Businesses Need Higher Performance Passenger Rail

• Karen J. Hedlund, Board Member, Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC

• Nicole Brewin, Senior Vice President, Government & Public Affairs, Railway Supply Institute, Inc. (RSI), Washington, DC
• Winsome Anne Bowen, AtkinsRealis, Ft Lauderdale, FL
• Charles R. Hogue, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees
• Paige Malott, Chair, Cascadia Rail, Seattle, WA

Building Bi-Partisan Support for Infrastructure

• Chris Brady, Prinicpal, Commonwealth Research Associates, LLC (CRA, LLC), Washington, DC

• Peter Cipriano, SVP Project Development, ASTM North America, Nanuet, NY
• Liz Hill, Democratic Staff Director, Rail, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC
• Alison Graab, STB Detailee/Counsel, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC

Closing Session: Leading the HSR Transformation

• Dr. Karen Elizabeth Philbrick, Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI), San Jose, CA

• Tina Quigley, Senior Vice President Business Strategy, Brightline Trains Florida LLC, Las Vegas, NV
• Caroline N. Decker, Senior Vice President and National Rail Business Director, WSP USA, Washington, DC