Susannah Kerr Adler

Washington, DC
Phone: 202.661.5307
Email: kerradler@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Sustainability

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Susannah Kerr Adler manages Parsons Brinckerhoff's Architecture and Buildings practice and oversees PB's work in providing architectural and design services to transportation projects. Ms. Kerr Adler also directs PB's sustainability task force for the Americas, which is charged with incorporating the principles of sustainability and "green" design into the firm's internal operations as well as its efforts on behalf of clients. She developed and teaches a course on transit and sustainable development and has given the course globally to PB employees and clients, including transportation agencies in New York, Atlanta, Beijing and Shanghai. She is also a founding member of the American Public Transportation Association's sustainability task force, chartered to educate and encourage the transit industry to be proactive on the issue of sustainability.

Cindy Burbank

Washington, DC
Phone: 202.783.0241
Email: burbank@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Federal Highway Planning And Environmental Requirements

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Cindy was FHWA's Associate Administrator for Planning, Environment, and Realty from 1998-2006. She oversaw federal requirements relating to transportation planning, programming, environmental requirements, air quality conformity, and ROW requirements. She is also familiar with federal-aid eligibility, and also with greenhouse gas reduction strategies. If clients have issues or difficulty advancing Economic Recovery projects due to federal requirements for planning, programming (STIPs and TIPs), air quality conformity, environmental reviews, or right-of-way acquisition requirements, Cindy can assist and advise. Also, if clients need advice relating to reducing greenhouse gas emissions while advancing Economic Recovery projects, Cindy can advise and assist.

David Carol

Charlotte, NC
Phone: 980.213.1799
Email: carol@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Transit and Rail
PB Market Leader: High Speed Rail

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David Carol is Market Leader for High-Speed Rail programs. The firm is currently working on numerous passenger and high-speed rail initiatives around the globe, including the planned California High-Speed Rail Program and the recently opened Taiwan High Speed Rail network. David has over 25 years of experience in the rail passenger industry, including program and project management, and advocacy at the national level. He led the implementation of Amtrak's $2.5 billion Northeast Corridor high-speed rail program, including electrification of the corridor and development and deployment of Amtrak's Acela high-speed rail trains. He also served as Amtrak's Vice President of High-Speed Rail Corridors Development, where he worked with federal and state officials to improve passenger rail in many of the nation's ten designated high-speed rail corridors. Most recently, David managed both commuter rail and streetcar projects in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Cathy Connor

Washington, DC
Phone: 202.783.0241
Email: connor@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Federal Legislation

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As PB's Manager of Government Affairs, Cathy Connor is responsible for directing the firm's federal legislative, regulatory and political activities. Her extensive experience includes working with industry, federal agency and congressional staff on key infrastructure legislation, such as ISTEA, TEA 21, SAFETEA-LU, and most recently on the Economic Recovery Act. Cathy also helps clients identify federal funding sources and plan legislative strategies for obtaining project earmarks in both authorizing and appropriations legislation. She serves as PB's liaison to numerous industry associations and coalitions. She is a registered lobbyist, the author of the PB Washington Update newsletter and the Co-Treasurer of the PB Political Action Committee (PAC).

Mort Downey

Washington, DC
Phone: 202.661.5308
Email: downey@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Transit and Rail

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Mort Downey has more than 50 years of distinguished public service, including eight years as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation. Most recently, Mort led President Obama's Transition Team for USDOT and he served as a senior advisor to Secretary LaHood during the Senate confirmation process. He is currently the Chairman of PB Consult (the Strategic Consulting division of PB), where he provides advisory services on federal legislation, policy development, infrastructure finance, and transportation market trends. His prior experience also includes service as the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York, the Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs at USDOT, and the first transportation program analyst for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Budget.

Cliff Eby

Washington, DC
Phone: 202.783.0241
Email: ebyc@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Innovative Finance and Economic Impacts

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Cliff Eby recently joined PB, leaving his appointment as the Acting and Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration from 2005 to 2009. He served in a variety of administrative and financial roles and was the Secretary and Administrator's representatives on a number of rail-related boards including Amtrak, Moynihan Station, and Union Station. He led the agency in implementing various technologies to improve safety. Prior to USDOT, Cliff held various executive positions at a large international engineering and construction firm and helped pioneer its use of design build. Early in his career, he worked as a civil engineer on Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority and the Amtrak Northeast Corridor Improvement Program. During the 1980s, he worked for the Association of American Railroads and coauthored Small Railroads, a book about the short line railroad industry.

Dave Earley

Washington, DC
Phone: 202.661.5310
Email: earleyd@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Innovative Finance and Economic Impacts

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Mr. Earley, Director of PB's strategic consulting practice in the Americas, provides financial and business planning advisory services to state agencies, regional authorities and municipalities in support of their transit, water, and highway programs. Mr. Earley's specific capabilities pertaining to the Economic Stimulus and Recovery Program include assessment of economic impacts, project financial planning, capital programming, development of partnership programs that leverage government investment, and understanding the program's impact on the organization and operating costs.

Don Emerson

San Francisco, CA
Phone: 415.243.4611
Email: emerson@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Transit Programming and Procedures

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Don Emerson is an advisor to numerous transit agencies, State DOTs, and other government agencies on federal funding programs for transit and multi-modal projects. He is a national expert on federal funding opportunities and grant requirements, frequently speaking, writing, or presenting training courses on metropolitan planning and federal transit program guidelines and procedures. Prior to joining PB, Don held positions with FHWA and the Federal Transit Administration including Chief of the FTA Division that oversaw planning and the New Starts grant program. Don is also active in the APTA Legislative and Policy & Planning Committees.

David Gehr

Herndon, VA
Phone: 703.742.5881 or 571.217.0352
Email: gehr@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Highway Management and Programming
PB Market Leader: Highways

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Before joining PB nine years ago, David spent nearly 30 years with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). With VDOT, he served in a variety of technical and managerial roles including six years as the Commissioner (Chief Executive Officer); he was responsible for overall management of the department and for all functions related to planning, engineering, construction, operations and maintenance of Virginia's 55,000-mile state highway system. David has an understanding of the complex challenges and public policy issues associated with the Economic Stimulus and Recovery Program, including a depth of knowledge on the planning, environmental, engineering, financing, legislative, and consensus building efforts required to ensure successful delivery of a large state program. He also has experience working with all levels of the Federal Highway Administration.

Ron Hartje

Orange, CA
Phone: 714.973.4880 x 123
Email: hartje@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Program Management Support Services

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Ron Hartje offers 30 years of leadership and experience in program management and Design-Build delivery. He has served as principal-in-charge, project director, or project manager on transportation projects for over 25 state departments of highways, 18 toll authorities, eight port authorities, and six airport authorities across the U.S. He has also served as construction manager in the field for large highway, bridge, tunnel, transit, airport and rail construction projects. Ron's program management leadership portfolio includes: the $4.9-billion Louisiana TIMED Program, which includes 105 highway and bridge projects and extensive right-of-way acquisitions; the toll road development program for the Transportation Corridor Agencies in Orange County, California; and the South Carolina Road & Bridge Construction Program, a seven-year program management contract under which PB provided planning, environmental, preliminary engineering, design oversight and construction management.

Hal Kassoff

Washington, DC
Phone: 202.783.0241
Email: kassoff@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Highway Management and Performance Measurement
PB Market Leader: Highways

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Hal Kassoff is a Senior Vice President and Principal Professional Associate with Parsons Brinckerhoff, serving as a leader for PB's highway sector. Hal has been active in advancing program management and performance measurement while emphasizing sustainable highway practices. Hal has written, spoken, and served as an instructor on performance measurement in state DOTs for numerous AASHTO-sponsored management seminars. During his years as Maryland's State Highway Administrator, more than $6 billion in improvements were delivered in a ramp up that nearly tripled the size of SHA's program while adhering to schedules and budgets.

Steve Lockwood

Washington, DC
Phone: 202.661.5335
Email: lockwoods@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Transportation Policy

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Steve Lockwood offers a unique combination of policy, finance, program and technological knowledge as well as over 35 years of applications experience. Prior to joining PB, he served as the senior FHWA policy officer. He was recently part of the team that supported the development of the recently released report by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, and he played a key role in the development of several AASHTO policy studies (including The Future of the Interstate System, The Changing State DOT, and The 21st Century Operations Oriented State DOT).

Gene McCormick

Naples, FL
Phone: 239.591.6651
Email: mccormick@pbworld.com 

Area of Expertise: Federal and State Highway Programming
PB Market Leader: Highways

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Over the years of his public (Illinois DOT and FHWA) and private sector leadership experience, Gene has been specifically involved and directly responsible for all facets of program development, coordination and ultimately implementation. He fully values and understands the range of engineering, environmental, economic, legislative, community and collaborative efforts required for successful and timely program delivery. While realizing the likely challenges associated with the federal Economic Stimulus and Recovery Program, he also sees unique one-time opportunities to advance the national transportation system. He looks forward to being a partner in collectively realizing these opportunities.

Brad Mims

Washington, DC
Phone: 202.783.0241
Email: mims@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Aviation Programs
PB Market Leader: Aviation

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Brad Mims served as the FAA Assistant Administrator for Government Affairs and the USDOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs from 1994-2001. During his tenure at the FAA/USDOT, Brad was the agency's chief congressional liaison officer where he interfaced with Congress regularly on matters related to the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which has been the centerpiece of airport funding in many of the Economic Stimulus and Recovery Program proposals. Mr. Mims maintains strong relationships with the Office of Airports at the FAA as well as relationships with the FAA Airport District Offices (ADOs) throughout the country. He continues to be quite active in the industry, and he is PB's liaison to the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), the Airports Council International/ North America (ACI-NA), and the Airports Consultants Council (ACC) where he is a Board Member.

Jeff Morales

Sacramento, CA
Phone: 916.567.2559
Email: moralesje@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Transportation Policy and Legislation

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Jeff Morales's background provides him with a unique perspective and insight into transportation issues at the federal, state and local levels. Notably, he most recently served as one of the key individuals on President Obama's USDOT Transition Team. He is currently the Director of Markets for the Americas Operations of PB, but he also has considerable experience in the public sector. As Director of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Jeff managed a $10 billion program and more than 23,000 employees working to build, maintain and operate the largest state transportation system in the U.S. Jeff also served as Executive Vice President of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), where he spearheaded major reforms at the nation's second-largest transit agency. Prior to his tenure at the CTA, he was a senior staff member with former Vice President Al Gore's National Performance Review and he was Issues Director of the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security in 1996-1997. He also held senior positions at the U.S. Department of Transportation and on the staff of the U.S. Senate.

Bruce Pohlot

Newark, NJ
Phone: 973.565.4890
Email: pohlot@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Railroad Systems
PB Market Leader: Rail

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Bruce Pohlot has over 35 years of experience in the planning, engineering, construction, operations, and maintenance of railroad systems. He is currently PB's principal in charge of the Caltrain General Engineering Contract, and his prior experience includes the development of a $6.2 billion capital investment program for the I-95 corridor between New York and North Carolina. Before joining PB, Bruce oversaw the implementation of large capital projects while serving as Amtrak's assistant vice president of engineering for program management.

Gayle Seward

Maryland
Phone: 239-591-6651
Email: gayleseward@comcast.net

Area of Expertise: Use of Federal Aid Dollars

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Gayle Seward currently provides financial planning services to state highway and transit agencies. Previously, she spent over 20 years as the Chief Financial Officer for the Maryland State Highway Administration where she oversaw the use of federal funds and implemented innovative finance techniques such GARVEE bonds and Advance Construction. She also has a direct working knowledge of the processes involved with requesting federal approval for advertising to authorizing notice-to-proceed. As the fiscal lead for two mega-projects in Maryland valued at over $5 billion, she understands the funding challenges of assimilating large program additions to state transportation programs. Gayle's experience provides her with extensive knowledge of how to accelerate projects as quickly as possible from a financial perspective.

Paul Skoutelas

Pittsburgh, PA
Phone: 412.644.3058
Email: skoutelas@pbworld.com

Area of Expertise: Transit
PB Market Leader: Transit

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Paul Skoutelas is PB's Transit Market Leader for the Americas. He provides advisory services to PB's clients on a wide range of public transit issues, including management and delivery of large-scale capital programs, system planning, operations, and organizational management. Paul also has distinguished public sector service having served successful tenures as Chief Executive Officer at two prominent public transportation agencies; Port of Authority of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, and the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Orlando, He is a recognized and respected industry leader and has served on boards or committees for various transportation organizations, including the Transportation Research Board, the American Public Transportation Association, National Transit Institute, Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, and the Transit Cooperative Research Program. Mr. Skoutelas holds an M.B.A. as well as M.S. and B.S. degrees in Civil Engineering, and is a licensed professional engineer.

 

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