Transportation Research Board - 62nd Annual Workshop on Transportation Law Speaker Bios

Special Thanks To Our Speakers

United States Department of Transportation
Senior Legal Officers

J. Ayanna Butler, Chief Counsel
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

J. Ayanna Butler was appointed by President Biden to serve the Federal Highway Administration as Chief Counsel in May 2024. In this role, she supports the Administration’s 60 attorneys and Department leadership to effectuate the strategic goals and mission of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT).

Ms. Butler also served as Legislative Assistant and Counsel to United States Senator Blumenthal (CT), where she managed the transportation, infrastructure, international trade, and labor portfolios. She managed the Trade Remedy Assistance Office at the United States International Trade Commission (ITC). In that capacity, she advised parties on both the Title VII Antidumping/Countervailing Duty and Section 337 intellectual property regulations and trained them on the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. She also produced several Investigation Reports for the ITC, which were publicized and used to advise that agency’s Commissioners on the global market for specific goods. In private practice, Ms. Butler has provided regulatory and commercial contracting advice to insurance clients in the automobile and property sectors. Immediately prior to joining USDOT, she served as Associate General Counsel for the DC Department of Behavioral Health where she supported the agency in litigation, employment, administrative, programming and transactional matters.

Ms. Butler served as a law clerk for the Honorable Vanessa L. Bryant, United States District Court, District of Connecticut. Ms. Butler has a BA from Swarthmore College, an MSW from the University of Pennsylvania, and a JD from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Allison Ishihara Fultz, Chief Counsel
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

Allison Ishihara Fultz is Chief Counsel of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). She is the principal legal advisor to the agency and leads FRA's staff of legal professionals. Chief Counsel Fultz joined FRA from private practice, where she focused her work on transactional and regulatory matters related to transportation infrastructure projects. She represented public transportation providers, a transit safety oversight agency, State departments of transportation and regional transportation bodies, local governments, and private entities nationwide before numerous federal agencies and state and federal courts. She counseled clients extensively on the acquisition and abandonment of railroad rights-of-way, shared use of rail corridors by freight and passenger operators, rails-to-trails proposals, regulation and contracting for inter-city passenger rail service, infrastructure project development, historic preservation, environmental reporting, agency rulemaking, project procurement, and drafting and negotiation of contracts for railroad construction, operations, and maintenance services. Ms. Fultz has also authored studies and served as a committee member for the Transportation Research Board. Prior to entering the practice of law, Ms. Fultz was a registered architect and designed and directed construction projects and feasibility studies for projects in the United States and Canada. She served on the Montgomery County, Maryland, Board of Appeals, including as its Chairman, for eight years, depending on petitions for relief under the County's zoning ordinance on numerous land use and administrative matters. Ms. Fultz received her JD from the American University Washington College of Law, and her AB and Master of Architecture degrees from Princeton University.

Dana Nifosi, Acting Chief Counsel
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

Dana Nifosi is the Deputy Chief Counsel of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), where she assists the Chief Counsel in advising FTA leadership on all legal matters that come before the agency, including authorization and appropriations, grants management, procurement, environmental law, Buy America, safety, emergency relief, project finance, and litigation. Ms. Nifosi also is FTA’s ethics officer. Prior to joining FTA, Ms. Nifosi was a partner with Venable LLP in Washington, DC, where she was a member of the firm’s Environmental and State and Local Government Practice Groups. She was involved in counseling and litigation on behalf of state and local governments and private entities in a wide variety of matters involving infrastructure development, environmental law, land use, and telecommunications, including compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and related environmental statutes, development of airport, highway, transit, energy, and telecommunications facilities, project finance, and public-private partnerships. Ms. Nifosi received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and History from Tufts University, and her law degree from the George Washington University School of Law.

Brian Stansbury, Deputy General Counsel
Office of General Counsel (OCG)

Brian Stansbury is the Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Brian began his service in the Biden Administration as the Chief Counsel of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Previously, Brian was a partner at King & Spalding LLP and a member of the firm's Environmental, Health, and Safety practice. Prior to King & Spalding, Brian was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

While in the private sector, Brian specialized in complex environmental, toxic tort, and commercial litigation and crisis management. He also provided regulatory compliance counseling and represented companies in civil and criminal enforcement matters involving the EPA, the California Air Resources Board, the DOJ, and their international counterparts. Brian represented an array of clients, including those in the energy, automotive, chemical, and food industries. He has handled matters involving criminal and civil violations of the Clean Air Act, the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, customs laws all over the world, and allegations of obstruction of justice and wire fraud. Brian also advised clients researching and pursuing opportunities in the Republic of Cuba.

Brian had a robust pro bono practice, primarily representing people of limited means in immigration matters. Brian represented asylum seekers, reunited families separated at the U.S. border, and helped over 600 Dreamers maintain their ability to remain and work in the U.S. under DACA. Brian was counsel to the Community Justice Action Fund, which focuses on policy reform and building resources for communities of color working at the nexus of gun violence prevention and criminal justice reform. Brian also served as personal counsel to the widow of Ken Saro-Wiwa.

Brian was a member of the board and treasurer of Voto Latino and the Voto Latino Foundation. Brian also served on the board of trustees of the School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, DC.

Brian is from Houston, Texas. He attended the University of Texas and obtained his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Law Workshop Panelists

Abrar Azamuddin, Senior Corporate Counsel
Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Abrar Azamuddin is a Senior Corporate Counsel at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Abrar is part of AWS’ worldwide public sector legal team and primarily supports U.S. State and Local Government and Education teams, which includes any GenAI transactional matters for state and local transportation agencies.

Ken Beehler, Senior Vice President
WSP

Ken Beehler is a Senior Vice President in WSP’s Advisory Services practice with significant experience assisting transportation agencies with the evaluation of alternative delivery models, developing and administering alternative delivery contracts, preparing procurement documents, researching and drafting alternative delivery programmatic guidance, and alternative delivery risk management. Ken has guided agencies through the selection of delivery methods for complex transportation projects, including Design-Build, Progressive Design-Build (PDB), Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC), Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), Design-Bid-Build, and P3, and prepared RFPs and agreements for these projects. In addition, Ken has guided agencies through the claims and dispute resolution process by crafting dispute resolution provisions in contracts, assisting with the response to claims, and preparing submissions for alternative dispute resolution forums.

Zachary Blair, Lead Civil Rights Analyst
Office of the Secretary (OST)

Zachary D. Blair is a Lead Civil Rights Analyst in the Office of the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation. He has spent over a decade of his career working in civil rights compliance for the federal government. Prior to joining DOT, he served in an executive role for a local housing and development agency in Tennessee. After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2010, he began his federal service as a Presidential Management Fellow for the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, where he worked in fair housing and in their counsel’s office.

Edward (Ted) Boling, Partner
Perkins Cole, LLP

Edward (Ted) Boling advises clients on renewable energy projects, resource development, transportation, and infrastructure. With more than 30 years of high-level public service, Ted served at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), in the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), and in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in both Democratic and Republican administrations. His experience includes deep involvement in the environmental review and authorization of federal infrastructure projects, environmental mitigation and conservation programs, and leadership of the comprehensive revision of CEQ’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. Ted works with companies, agencies, and nongovernmental organizations that must navigate regulatory and funding programs to advance renewable energy, transmission, transportation, critical minerals, and manufacturing projects. His work includes: At DOI, Ted handled matters involving energy development on the outer continental shelf, including offshore wind power development, and the fast track for solar and wind energy projects on public lands. He has provided legal and policy advice on environmental issues concerning the Federal Columbia River Power System and the California Central Valley Project. At DOJ, in the first 10 years of his career, Ted litigated significant cases involving NEPA, endangered species, marine mammals, wetland protections, and management of the public lands. He was involved in litigation concerning the Northwest Forest Plan, National Forest management decisions, and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) decisions and U.S. Coast Guard activity in New England. Admission: District of Columbia Virginia Education: Washington University School of Law, J.D., 1990, Editor-in-Chief, Washington University Journal of Urban and Contemporary Law (now Journal of Law and Policy) Mary Washington College, B.A., 1986

Sejin C. Brooks, Partner
Nossaman LLP

Sejin Brooks represents clients in real estate and eminent domain matters, such as land use/zoning, condemnation and property disputes. He has two decades of experience in Eminent Domain litigation and other dispute resolution methods, and has handled thousands of parcels through acquisition, including more than 400 cases through Special Commissioners’ Hearings in Texas. His broad range of clients include commercial real estate, landowners, tenants and government entities. Sejin effectively approaches issues by balancing the immediate and long-term needs of clients and by applying his experience in both legal and business negotiations. Prior to joining Nossaman, Sejin was an Assistant Attorney General at the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, Transportation Division and represented the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) primarily in condemnation matters, as well as various other litigation matters. Education: University of Oklahoma, B.A., 1994 University of Tulsa College of Law, J.D., 1999 Admission: Texas Oklahoma

John Campbell, Exponent Engineering and Scientific Consulting

Dr. Campbell is a consultant with Exponent with over 30 years of experience examining issues related to human factors, driver behavior, roadway safety, and the contributing factors to roadway crashes. He is trained as a psychologist, with a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the Claremont Graduate School and a Master’s Degree in Human Factors from Cal State Northridge. He has developed design guidelines, tools, and other resources to support roadway design, countermeasure selection, and crash diagnostics. He has developed and provided training to State DOTs on human factors aspects of roadway design and operations. He served as the chair of TRB's Standing Committee on Human Factors of Infrastructure Design and Operations from 2016-2023. For NCHRP and TRB, he is leading the development of the 4th Edition of the Human Factors Guidelines for Road Systems. He is also a contributor to the 8th Edition of the Green Book and the 2nd Edition of the Highway Safety Manual.

John Carlson, Vice President & Strategic Business Director
Sundt Construction, Inc.

A second-generation Sundt employee with over four decades of experience. John began his career as a laborer in 1979 and has held a variety of engineering and management positions working in eight states and the Philippines. From 2010-2015, John was the Texas District Manager, Senior Vice President overseeing all aspects of Sundt’s business operations in Texas from the regional office in San Antonio. In November 2015, he was promoted to Corporate Strategic Business Officer. In this new role, John assists with strategic projects for building, transportation and industrial work nationwide; Industry legislation; and political involvement on behalf of the industry and Sundt. During the past 20 years, John has been a champion at the local, state and national levels on best practices, education and legislation for Alternative Project Delivery Methods. His industry/community involvement includes: 2008-Present: National Transportation Research Board’s Project Delivery Committee; 2017-Present: AGC of America National Construction Advocacy Committee; 2016-Present: Texas AGC Legislative Committee; 2014-Present: Court Advocates of San Antonio Board of Governors; 2012-Present: San Antonio Mobility Coalition Board of Directors/Executive Committee; 2004-Present: Design-Build Institute of America member; 2018-2020: Greater Chamber San Antonio Chamber Board of Directors; 2016-2018: Texas AGC Heavy & Industrial USACE Committee Chair; 2012-2015: Greater Chamber of San Antonio Board of Directors; 2012: Greater Chamber of San Antonio Public Affairs Council Chair; 2011: Greater Chamber of San Antonio Transportation Committee Chair; 2011: Leadership San Antonio 36 Class; 2003: President of Tucson Utility Contractors Association; 2000-2002: Co-author of the heavy highway training curriculum for NCCER John earned his Professional Design-Build Designation in 2007 from DBIA. Sundt’s CEO appointed John as the company’s first Ethics Committee Chairman in 2005 and was a graduate of Sundt’s inaugural Leadership Excellent Accelerates Performance program in 2004.

Dorval Carter, President
Chicago Transit Authority

Dorval R. Carter, Jr. is President of the Chicago Transit Authority. He oversees more than 10,000 employees and carries out CTA’s mission of delivering quality, affordable transit services that link people, jobs and communities. Appointed as CTA President in 2015, Mr. Carter has led the way for unprecedented investment in CTA. He has overseen more than $8B of projects completed, begun or announced—including the largest construction project in CTA history—the Red and Purple Modernization Project—the largest railcar order in the agency’s history, and the reconstruction or rehabilitation of more than 40 rail stations. Mr. Carter served as Acting Chief of Staff to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, managing more than 55,000 employees and a $70 billion budget that oversees air, maritime and surface transportation. He also served as Acting Deputy Administrator and Chief Counsel at the Federal Transit Administration In 2022, Mr. Carter was elected chair of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), a nonprofit international association representing more than 1,500 public and private sector member organizations. He currently serves as APTA’s immediate past chair. Mr. Carter has received numerous awards and honors, including APTA’s 2021 Outstanding Public Transportation Manager Award, the same year that CTA was recognized with the Outstanding Public Transportation System Award—two of the highest honors in the North American public transportation industry. Mr. Carter was also recognized with the 2021 Thomas B. Deen Distinguished Lectureship Award from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Transportation Research Board. In 2019, he was presented with the 2019 Motorola Foundation Excellence in Public Service Award from the Civic Federation of Chicago. A graduate of Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where he is Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Carter also holds a Juris Doctor degree from Howard University School of Law.

James Cownie, Deputy Chief Counsel
Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)

Jim Cownie is Deputy Chief Counsel for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Jim practices primarily in the areas of construction and government contracts. He has been involved in several False Claims Act cases, of both the government-initiated and qui tam varieties. Jim has been with MnDOT for almost 25 years. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and is currently the vice-chair of the Construction Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association.

Thomas Dover, Partner
Nossaman LLP

Thomas Dover provides cutting-edge legal strategies focused in all areas of intellectual property, corporate transactions and advertising. His experience in the U.S. and internationally includes complex system and software transactions, public and government entity IT, financial and operational system procurement and negotiations, consumer product (development, branding, manufacture and distribution), and representing entertainment and media interests. Thomas is the chair of Nossaman's Intellectual Property Group and co-leads the Privacy/Data Security Group. Thomas represents a wide range of clients including small mobile app developers, busy yoga instructors, North America’s largest utility, one of the largest energy and communications infrastructure entities in the U.S., and many transportation agencies and toll system operators. His intellectual property experience includes all aspects of prosecution, transactions and claims or litigation. He represents clients in state, federal and some international courts, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), ICANN and more. Thomas’ early approach to new and emerging technologies continues as he works with e-commerce and digital distribution entities to conform the privacy efforts to an ever-changing landscape, including the EU GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act and the California Privacy Rights Act. His work in privacy and data security compliance mirrors his support of government and public agencies as they adopt innovative transportation solutions, large-scale IT systems, and interactive communications with the public. Thomas regularly discusses and presents on new technologies, privacy and data security development, and related topics with industry leaders and academics. Education Southwestern University School of Law, LL.M., 2006 Southwestern University School of Law, J.D., 1993 University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, B.A., 1989 Admissions California Texas District of Columbia

Melody Drummond Hansen, Chief Counsel
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Melody Drummond Hansen is the Chief Counsel for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation. Drummond Hansen was appointed to this position within the Biden-Harris Administration in July 2024.

In this role, Drummond Hansen will work closely with and advise the FMCSA Acting Administrator and senior staff on all aspects of legal policy for agency programs. She will lead a team of more than 50 attorneys responsible for providing legal support on regulatory and legislative affairs, adjudications, enforcement and litigation, procurement and grants, ethics, and employment matters. Drummond Hansen brings a decade of experience advising clients across the automotive and transportation industry and 20 years of experience in emerging technologies.

Before joining FMCSA, Drummond Hansen was a partner at BakerHostetler LLP, where she was a co-chair of the Automotive/Mobility industry team and a member of the Intellectual Property Group. She advised clients on a range of transportation and technology matters, including automated and connected vehicles, avionics, fleet management, electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, telecommunications standards, data privacy and security, digital infrastructure, and artificial intelligence.

Drummond Hansen is originally from South Carolina. She received her juris doctor from the University of Chicago Law School, and she also has a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a master’s degree from the University of Oxford.

Jeffrey Duval, Partner, Government Contracts Lead
US, HKA Global

Jeffrey S DuVal is a certified fraud examiner with over 25 years of experience. He is a US government contract expert focused on the calculation of damages, investigations and compliance with US federal regulations. Jeff has consulted for corporations, non-profits, partnerships, in-house counsel, and outside counsel, including plaintiffs and defendants. He has also consulted with government contractors, construction contractors, information technology companies, owners, developers, wholesalers, financial institutions, foreign companies, foreign agencies, and various US government (i.e. federal and state) agencies. Jeff supports government contractors with regulatory consulting on compliance issues arising from the Cost Principles found in FAR Part 31 and the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) and OMB Uniform Guidance. In addition to his expertise in government contracts, he also has deep experience in the calculation of commercial damages and investigation for numerous sectors including aerospace and defence, construction, manufacturing, technology, transportation services and healthcare. Jeff has undertaken analysis of damages and costs incurred on more than 500 different government contracts, technology, construction, transportation, manufacturing, investigations, and lost profit engagements. He has assisted government contractors with preparation of Requests for Equitable Adjustment (REAs) and proposed change orders; claims; consulting on forensic accounting and funds tracing matters involving allegations of defective pricing, false claims, mischarges, improper labor charging and improper billings; preparation and audit of termination proposals; analyzing price and cost reasonableness on bid protest; DCAA Audit rebuttal assistance; regulatory consulting on compliance issues arising from the Cost Principles found in FAR Part 12 and 31, the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and OMB Uniform Guidance; Federal Supply Schedule contracting relating to the triggering of the Price Reduction and Defective Pricing clauses and related quantum issues; and preparation and negotiation of incurred cost submissions (ICS).

Alexis Echols, Senior Counsel II
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

James Esselman, Senior Attorney Advisor
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Jim Esselman is a Senior Attorney Advisor in the Office of the Chief Counsel at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Jim joined FHWA as Special Counsel to the Chief Counsel in 2011. Since 2012, Jim has served as the Civil Rights Team Leader in the Counsel’s Office, covering matters related to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, among others. Prior to joining FHWA, Jim practiced environmental law for over ten years at Beveridge & Diamond law firm in Washington, D.C. Jim received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Michael Fleming, Deputy State Design Engineer
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)

Mike Fleming has over 27 years of progressive experience in transportation design and construction. He has led many teams in the successful delivery of transportation projects as well as the development and implementation of effective policies. He currently oversees and leads the Washington State DOT Design program and is designated as the agencies primary 30(b)(6) and expert advisor in tort litigation proceedings. Mike serves on the Executive Advisory Board for the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at Washington State University. He is also actively involved as a member of the AASHTO Committee on Design, the TRB NCHRP program as well as the TRB standing Committee on Tort Liability and Risk Management.

Ghada Gad, Associate Professor
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

TEACHING My teaching philosophy embraces active learning as key in improving the student learning experience. I have taught a variety of courses at both undergraduate and graduate level. Some of the courses taught over my academic career include: Construction Drawings and Specifications Construction Estimating Construction Contracts and Specifications Construction Scheduling Risk Management Project Delivery Methods RESEARCH My research expertise is in the area of construction engineering and management, specifically contracting methods, procurement strategies, cost forecasting, risk management, project performance metrics, and social aspects of construction projects. I have been heavily involved with transportation-related research (highways and airports) on the federal and state level. Before starting my academic career, I worked in the industry on mega construction infrastructure projects. I have been serving as a reviewer for multiple reputable journals, national and international conferences. In addition, I have also been serving on national committees and panels for different professional organizations, such as the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), as well as national NCHRP panels. I am currently a Handling Editor for the Transportation Research Record (TRR) Journal. Education Ph.D., Civil Engineering (Construction Engineering Emphasis), Iowa State University, USA, 2013. M.S., Construction Engineering, American University in Cairo, Egypt, 2009. Diploma, Construction Engineering, American University in Cairo, Egypt, 2004. B.S., Construction Engineering, American University in Cairo, 2003

Danette Galbraith, Litigator
Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)

Dani graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School in 1998. She has been Southwest Regional Counsel for the Missouri Department of Transportation for 5 years. One of her primary responsibilities is representing the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, the governing body of the Missouri Department of Transportation, on eminent domain matters. The southwest region encompasses 21 counties in southwest Missouri.

Gene Gamez, General Counsel
Dallas Area Rapid Transit

Ryan Gaulke, Deputy Chief Counsel
Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)

Ryan Gaulke graduated from the Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. Ryan has worked over the last 12 years for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), where he manages the Contract Management and Torts sections in the Office of Chief Counsel. His work for MnDOT covers a wide variety of contracts, from consultant contracts to grant agreements.

Thomas E. Hammond II, Partner
Gates Shields Ferguson Swall Hammond

Thomas E. Hammond II graduated from Washburn University Law School in 2007. He was admitted to the bar in the state of Kansas in 2007 and in Missouri in 2009. He is also admitted to the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Mr. Hammond joined Gates Shields Ferguson Swall Hammond P.A. in October 2007. Mr. Hammond has assisted in all phases of client relations, legal counseling, and negotiations. He also actively participates in all phases of litigation, including discovery and trial. Mr. Hammond has extensive litigation experience in a wide array of legal fields, ranging from the representation of landowners and the Kansas Department of Transportation and Turnpike Authority in $6,000,000+ condemnation litigation to the representation of small businesses and restaurants. He also represents clients – both from the defendant’s and plaintiff’s perspective – in numerous personal injury cases. He has experience in complex litigation cases throughout the states of Kansas and Missouri. Mr. Hammond is also active in assisting families and children in domestic litigation throughout the state of Kansas as a certified mediator. He regularly represents parties in divorces that involve high assets, business ownership, and other complex investments and real estate holdings. Additionally, he serves as a Pro Tem judge in Johnson County district court. Practice Areas Eminent Domain Civil Litigation Business Litigation Personal Injury High Asset and Complex Domestic Litigation Domestic Litigation Including Sale and/or Valuation of Business and Real Estate Education Washburn University School of Law, J.D., 2007; Specialist Certificate in Advocacy University of Kansas, B.S. Business Administration, 2004 University of Kansas, B.G.S. History, 2004 Court Memberships Kansas, 2007 United States District Court for the District of Kansas, 2007 Missouri, 2009 United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 2009

Gene Hawkins
Kittelson & Associates

Gene has an extensive background in traffic operations, with particular interest in traffic control systems, traffic control standards, driver response to traffic control devices, retroreflectivity, and visibility. He has been a principal investigator or coprincipal investigator for numerous research studies, most evaluating signs, markings, and other traffic control devices. He is a former chair of the Transportation Research Board’s Traffic Control Devices Committee and is the current Chair for the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Prior to his time at Kittelson, Gene was a professor in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University and held a joint appointment as a research engineer with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, where he taught transportation engineering courses to undergraduate and graduate civil engineering students and conducted research in transportation operations. MUTCD History and Resources Website Gene is a leading expert on traffic control devices and is the keeper of one of our industry’s most extensive online guides to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), including a collection of previous editions, how the MUTCD relates to risk, and practical information for how it can be applied.

Colette Holt, Legal Counsel and Consultant
Colette Holt & Associates

Colette Holt provides legal counsel and consulting services to governments and businesses on procurement and contracting; employment discrimination; regulatory compliance; organizational change; program development, evaluation and implementation; and issues relating to inclusion, diversity and affirmative action. Ms. Holt is a nationally recognized expert in designing, implementing and defending affirmative action programs. She has concentrated her practice in these areas for over 25 years, after serving in senior legal and management government positions. Colette Holt & Associates was founded in 1994 and has become the nation’s premier law and consulting firm on these issues. Licensed to practice law in Illinois. In particular, she provides expert witness testimony and consultations in suits involving public and private procurement and employment policies. Ms. Holt evaluates the effectiveness of employment and contracting policies and processes and proposes solutions to support leadership’s commitment to improvement and innovation. She has served as co-consultant with and counsel to economics consulting firms in conducting numerous studies of contracting and employment discrimination. In addition to work for public sector clients, the firm counsels government vendors on compliance with federal employment and procurement regulations, including serving as a court appointed compliance monitor for firms entering into consent decrees with prosecutors. Ms. Holt is General Counsel to the American Contract Compliance Association, the national organization of officials responsible for minority, women and disadvantaged business initiatives. Ms. Holt is a frequent author and media commentator on affirmative action, and employment topics. She is the former Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Public Contract Law Section. Ms. Holt was appointed an Adjunct Professor at the Loyola University School of Law and The John Marshall Law School. Education Yale University, B.A., Philosophy University of Chicago, J.D.

Jill Jaffe, Partner
Nossaman LLP

Jill Jaffe is co-chair of Nossaman’s Real Estate Group. As a litigator, Jill specializes in disputes involving real estate, public procurements and infrastructure projects. She is experienced in all phases of litigation in both federal and state courts, including pre-litigation government investigations, pleadings, e-Discovery, dispositive motions, mediation and trial. Jill has successfully obtained verdicts for her clients as a lead trial attorney, including for the Texas Department of Transportation. Jill has particular experience counseling clients on myriad aspects of public contracting and procurement disputes, including defending bid protest challenges and litigating construction claims. Her construction claims experience includes representing clients before dispute review panels and boards in multiple states and in high-stakes disputes on numerous issues that arise in the context of a complex infrastructure project, including utility adjustments and relocations, environmental permitting, environmental re-evaluation, and delay and disruption claims. Jill also provides general counsel services to public transportation agencies on a wide variety of matters, including construction contracts, alternative procurement processes, the Brown Act and Public Records Act. This expertise includes: organizational conflicts under federal law; Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) requirements, including good faith efforts regulations; bid protest administrative procedures; and statutes and regulations governing alternative procurement processes, including Construction Management/General Contractor, sole source, and negotiated procurements. Jill is a contributing author for Construction & Claims, Nossaman's periodic digest of the headlines, statutory and regulatory changes and court cases involving construction news, claims, bid protests, contract administration and payment-related disputes. Education: University of California, Berkeley School of Law, J.D., Order of the Coif, Articles Editor and Submissions Coordinator, Ecology Law Quarterly; University of California, Santa Barbara, B.S., Highest Honors and College Honors Admission: California

Martha Kenley, National DBE Program Manager
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Martha is the Federal Highway Administration’s National Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program Manager. In this position she develops policies and advises Division Offices on all DBE program areas; works with the U.S. Department of Transportation on drafting and reviewing regulations; and advances national program initiatives. Martha also manages the FHWA Contractor Compliance Program that includes On-the-Job-Training, and the DBE Supportive Services grant program. Prior to joining FHWA, Martha was the Director of the Civil Rights Division at the Indiana Department of Transportation. In this position she supervised and managed all of the agency’s civil rights programs. Also for the State of Indiana, Martha was Deputy Director for the Indiana Civil Rights Commission where she directed investigators and staff attorneys in the investigation and litigation of employment, housing and public accommodation civil rights complaints. Martha has litigated civil rights complaints in both administrative forums and in state courts. Martha spent time in the private sector representing plaintiffs in Section 1983 actions for deprivation of civil rights. She also worked for the City of Chicago Corporation Counsel where she developed and advised city departments on contractual issues, including the city’s MBE program. Martha received a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and is licensed to practice law in Illinois, Indiana and the District of Columbia. She received a B.A. magna cum laude from Albion College (Michigan) with a double major in English and Economics where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Martha also received a Master of Arts degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio where she focused on early twentieth-century literature.

Caleb Knerr, Senior Environmental Specialist
Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)

I am a Senior Environmental Specialist with the Missouri Department of Transportation specializing in Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Section 7 Endangered Species Act consultations with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Treaty Act compliance, and Stormwater reviews for MoDOT projects. Additionally, I have been working on MoDOT wildlife crossing projects in Missouri, including the statewide wildlife-vehicle collision study FHWA Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program grant and project management. I also conduct freshwater mussel surveys for MoDOT STIP and LPA project. I'm married with four kids and in my spare time, I enjoy spending time in the outdoors, cycling, hiking with my family, hunting, and documenting species on iNaturalist. I hope to share my passion for the intersection of transportation projects with species' habitat protection, habitat connectivity, and environmental compliance, while fulfilling MoDOT's mission "to provide a world-class transportation system that is safe, innovative, reliable and dedicated to a prosperous Missouri."

Stephanie Laubenstein, Director
Sales & Business Development, New Flyer

Stephanie is currently the Director of Sales and Business Development for New Flyer and Motor Coach Industries. She leads the bid teams through the commercial and sales process for North American Bus and Coach while also co-leading NFI's infrastructure solutions team. Stephanie cross functional team is comprised of technical and commercial specialists focused on developing efficient mobility solutions for Transit Agencies in North America. She is a key team member in the organization representing NFI Group in national advocacy efforts, determining and implementing innovative business strategies, and a lead negotiator for significant contracts and grants. Stephanie has taken an active role in advocating for modernizing contractual terms in Transit that consider the adoption of sustainable transportation, infrastructure needs, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic including hyper-inflation, and supply chain and labor challenges. She has successfully developed solutions with Agencies to address these items and is an active voice in the industry continually seeking mutually beneficial solutions. Stephanie is a graduate of Leadership APTA, was a Top 40 under 40 in 2019 and is an active member of the APTA Business Members Board of Governors.

Jomar Maldonado, Director for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Council on Environmental Quality

Jomar Maldonado is the Director for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) at the Council on Environmental Quality. In this role, he provides policy guidance to Federal agencies and regulatory interpretation to assist with their compliance with NEPA. Jomar has over 15 years of environmental policy and legal experience within the Federal government working on environmental review matters such as NEPA, Environmental Justice, Endangered Species Act, Floodplain Management, Wetlands Protection, and similar requirements. Prior to joining CEQ Jomar worked as the Project Development Team Lead within the Office of Environmental Review and Project Development for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). His career includes 7 years as an environmental attorney with the Program Legal Services in FHWA and 7 years in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Office of Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation, where he functioned as the Agency’s Environmental Officer. In his various roles he has worked on many complex issues such as assignment of NEPA responsibilities to States, initiatives to expedite permitting of Federal projects, resiliency/ hazard mitigation, floodplain reviews, environmental review of the National Flood Insurance Program, Buy America requirements, contract administration for highway projects, environmental justice considerations, and tolling and innovative financing for highways. Jomar is originally from Puerto Rico. In 2000 he earned his Bachelor’s of Science degree in environmental science from the University of Puerto Rico. He earned a joint Juris Doctorate and Masters in Public Policy from the University of Maryland in 2003.

Benjamin McCulloch, Strategic Data Scientist
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)

Nicholas D. McDowell, Assistant Attorney General
Texas Attorney General

Nicholas McDowell has served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Transportation Division of the Texas Attorney General's Office since 2021. He represents the Texas Department of Transportation in a mix of condemnation and tort cases in jurisdictions across the State of Texas. Prior to joining the Attorney General's Office, he served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Harris County District Attorney's Office in Houston, Texas. Nicholas earned his J.D. from the University of Houston in 2020, and he holds a B.S. from The University of Texas at Austin.

Terri L. Parker, Assistant Chief Counsel
Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)

Ms. Parker is an Assistant Chief Counsel with the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission.

Sean Pribyl, Senior Counsel
Holland & Knight LLP

Sean T. Pribyl, Esq. is a business attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office. Sean focuses his practice on maritime regulatory compliance matters, international law and trade, autonomous transportation, sanctions, offshore wind, Jones Act, energy infrastructure, marine claims, dispute resolution, and white collar criminal law. He has more than 25 years of combined experience in the transportation sector as a commercial marine operator, federal regulator, international maritime and trade attorney, active duty military attorney, federal prosecutor, and most recently, as an international protection and indemnity (P&I) club lawyer and senior claims executive while based in Arendal, Norway. Sean is also an internationally recognized thought leader on “Shipping 4.0” and the use of novel and emerging technologies to support sustainable operations in the maritime industry. He is a widely published author and regular speaker at international conferences and seminars on topics related to maritime law and advanced automation in the transportation sector, including having served as a committee member for the NASEM Consensus Report Leveraging Unmanned Systems for Coast Guard Missions. Sean served for six years as a U.S. Coast Guard officer and judge advocate (“JAG”) advising on legal and policy matters related to international and maritime law, regulatory compliance, and environmental crimes, and was appointed a Department of Justice Special U.S. Attorney. Prior to transferring his commission to the Coast Guard, he served for twelve years as a Naval Reserve Officer in the Strategic Sealift Command. Before law school, Sean served for eight years as a merchant mariner deck officer aboard offshore supply vessels, oceangoing cargo ships, and fiber-optic cable ships. Sean holds a M.A. degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College, a J.D. from Washburn University School of Law, and a B.Sc. from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Kanna Rajan, Senior Information Scientist
RAND & Univeristy of Porto, Portugal

Kanna Rajan is a senior information scientist at the RAND Corporation, and a researcher in autonomy. Rajan's interests lie in the interstices of Artificial Intelligence, Ocean Science and Robotics. He has extensive experience working across disciplinary boundaries, field experience in Oceanography and Robotics and in the design, build, test and operation of complex autonomous systems including in deep space and the deep ocean. He has published extensively in AI, Robotics, Machine Learning, Ocean Science, Space Exploration and Statistical Sampling. His career has spanned academia, private industry, the startup and nonprofit worlds as well as the US government. At NASA Ames' Intelligent Systems Division he was one of the six principals on the first autonomous system (Remote Agent) in space 65 Millions miles from Earth, on the Deep Space 1 mission in 1999, followed by the role of Principal Investigator (PI) for the command/control of the Spirit and Opportunity (MER) rovers on the Red Planet in 2004. He subsequently managed a $60 Million program in Human/Robot collaboration for the agency. He shifted focus to marine robotics in 2005 when moving to the non-profit Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in 2005, co-founded a Silicon Valley startup in cyber-security in 2015 and joined SIFT LLC as a Research Fellow in 2020. He continues to mentor Ph.D. students, postdocs and junior faculty at the Underwater Systems and Technology Lab, Univ. of Porto, Portugal and the Norwegian Univ. of Science & Technology in Trondheim where he held an International Chair Professorship in Autonomous systems between 2016 and 2020.

David M. Rapp, Litigator
Hinkle Law

Mr. Rapp is a leader in the litigation practice group at Hinkle Law Firm LLC. He has practiced law in Wichita for more than four decades with experience handling criminal and civil cases before federal, state, and appellate courts, as well as administrative agencies. David earned his Juris Doctorate from the Washburn University School of Law, after which he began his legal career as an Assistant Kansas Attorney General. With a history in jury and non-jury trials, and administrative hearings, he brings his extensive experience to clients as a member of Hinkle Law Firm.

Angela Berry Roberson, Senior Advisor
Office of Civil Rights, United States Department of Transportation (USDOT)

Angela Berry Roberson serves as the senior adviser in the Departmental Office of Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Transportation. In this role, Berry Roberson supports the implementation and activities associated with USDOT civil rights programs and equity initiatives. Berry Roberson is a licensed attorney and has been a civil rights practitioner in the transportation industry for approximately 30 years. She started her civil rights career with Dallas Area Rapid Transit out of law school and has worked in the public and private sectors in every mode of transportation. Previously, Berry Roberson worked at Webber Construction as the director of diversity contract compliance and recently for WSP USA as the senior vice president of civil rights advisory services and compliance. Throughout her career, she has provided diversity, equity and civil rights compliance advisory services related to the minority, woman-owned and small business initiatives, environmental justice and non-discrimination policy as well as other civil rights programs for several entities nationwide and locally, including Texas DOT and Austin-Bergstrom Airport. She has been recognized as a national expert for diversity and equity matters and has received several awards recognizing her advocacy efforts, including: Dallas Business Journal Woman in Business Leader honoree, Dallas Business Journal Minority Business Leader honoree, the Western Area State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Civil Rights Civil Rights Contractor Champion Award and the Women in Transportation (WTS) Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award. Berry Roberson is an alumnus of Rice University, where she holds a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. She received her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Sergio Roman, UAS Program Manager
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)

Sergio: A Specialist in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Mr. Sergio serves as the Program Manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) at the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). He is responsible for the development and implementation of comprehensive training programs for UAS pilots, overseeing the procurement of advanced UAS platforms, and spearheading the strategic integration of UAS technology into TxDOT's daily operations. Sergio possesses a distinguished background in the field of UAS, with over 14 years of experience acquired within the United States Army, prominent defense contracting firms, and currently at TxDOT. This extensive experience is further bolstered by his academic credentials, including degrees in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations, Organizational Leadership, and Technology Commercialization. This unique combination of practical expertise and theoretical knowledge positions him as a leading figure in the burgeoning field of UAS integration within the transportation sector. Sergio's primary objective is to facilitate the adoption of UAS technology by TxDOT and its collaborative partners. Through the establishment of well-defined training programs, the careful selection of appropriate UAS platforms, and the fostering of open and productive dialogue, Sergio aims to maximize the operational efficiency and effectiveness of TxDOT by strategically leveraging the multifaceted capabilities of UAS technology.

Joshua Root, Deputy Chief Counsel
Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)

Josh has nearly 20 years’ experience working with government and private sector clients with an emphasis on eDiscovery and Privacy. Josh transitioned to public service with the tragic collapse of the 35W bridge in Minneapolis Minnesota when his firm was awarded a contract with Department of Transportation and he met the amazing staff at MnDOT. Josh is a regular contributor to the Sedona Conference and enjoys a good nerd session on electronic systems and the complications they bring to litigation

Stuart Samberg, Director, Traffic
RKK Consulting

Stuart is responsible for all facets of transportation engineering, from planning and analysis to design. He has served on TRB's Access Management Committee since 2008 and brings expertise in design and optimization which balances access and mobility. Stuart oversees transportation planning and design in RK&K’s Southeast offices.

Eric Schroeter, Assistant Chief Engineer
Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)

Eric Schroeter, P.E., was appointed assistant chief engineer in January 2019, after serving as state design engineer for five-plus years. He has enjoyed a 32-year career at MoDOT in a variety of positions, including construction, operations and design at both the district and central office management levels. He was interim district engineer in the Central District prior to becoming state design engineer in 2013. Schroeter is a 1992 graduate of the University of Missouri with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering. He worked in construction from 1992-2000, advancing to resident engineer. He became area engineer in 2000 and directed all maintenance and construction operations in Pettis, Benton and Cooper Counties until 2003. He then moved to the position of Central District Operations Engineer and became Assistant District Engineer in 2006. He moved to Central Office as Assistant State Design Engineer in 2011.

Marc Scribner, Senior Transportation Policy Analyst
Reason Foundation

Scott Sergent, Assistant Chief Counsel - Administration
Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)

Robert Shea, Senior Program Officer and Counsel for Legal Research Projects
Transportation Research Board (TRB)

Eldon Shields, Partner
Gates, Biles, Shields and Ryan, P.A.

Eldon J. Shields was admitted to the practice of law in the state of Kansas in 1974. He has more than 40 years of active legal experience in business law, general litigation, corporate, real estate, and condemnation/eminent domain law, primarily in the state of Kansas. Mr. Shields joined the predecessor firm to Gates Shields on August 1, 1985, and is a principal shareholder of the firm. In addition to the state of Kansas, Mr. Shields is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court of the District of Kansas, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the 8th and 10th Circuit Courts of Appeals, the United States Court of Claims, and the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Mr. Shields’ practice includes a substantial amount of real estate contract negotiation, real estate contract litigation, title insurance litigation, boundary disputes, easement issues, platting, zoning law, and construction. He has substantial experience in interpreting right-of-way and/or construction plans, real estate litigation, and platting and zoning work. He has first-chaired in excess of 40 jury trials in state and federal court, tried numerous court trials and other hearings before federal and state courts, and has filed and argued multiple appellate cases before the Appellate Courts in Kansas and the Federal Courts. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America in regard to his work in eminent domain. Mr. Shields has organized corporations and limited liability companies, negotiated and drafted corporate agreements, employment agreements, and purchase/sale agreements for corporate/LLC assets and real estate, drafted and reviewed complex financial documents and transactional documents. He also provides business and corporate advice to multiple clients. Also, Mr. Shields is the estate planning partner for the firm and has drafted estate planning documents and trusts; handled the probate of estates and the administration of trusts, and litigated contested probate matters. Mr. Shields has previously served as general counsel to the Kansas Turnpike Authority and outside counsel to the Kansas Department of Transportation. Mr. Shields has provided legal assistance to educational institutions by drafting, revising and modifying the Architectural Contract and Construction Manager Agreement for the Johnson County Community College Health Services Education Center on the campus of the Olathe Medical Center. He also, for many years, served as president of a local not for profit low income housing entity. Practice Areas Eminent domain Real estate Business litigation Small business and corporate law Estate planning and probate Education Law School: University of Kansas, 1974 Undergraduate: University of Kansas, BS in Business Administration and Accounting, 1971 Bar Admissions Kansas, 1974 United States Supreme Court, 1980 United States Court of Claims, 1981 United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, 2004 Associations/Organizations Kansas Bar Association Johnson County Bar Association Wyandotte County Bar Association Delta Chi

Heidi A. Skinner, Assistant County Counsel of Litigation and Public Safety
County of San Diego

Heidi Skinner has been an attorney for 25 years, working exclusively for public entities. Heidi’s practice focuses on risk assessment, risk mitigation and risk reduction for public entities. Heidi currently works for the County of San Diego, as the Assistant County Counsel overseeing all litigation matters as well as the public safety group. Before that, Heidi worked for the State of California, Department of Transportation for 17 years, litigating, then supervising a team of attorneys handling civil litigation matters, including dangerous condition cases, employment, eminent domain, and inverse condemnation. She was the Chair of the Statewide Tort Committee and the Safety Legal Risk Management Committees. Heidi has tried dozens of trials and uses her experiences from jury trials to advice clients on risk avoidance, risk reduction and risk management.

Bruce Smith, Attorney
Apperson Crump PLC

Admitted to Bar: Tennessee, 1974 Education: Duke University (A.B., 1970) University of Memphis (J.D., 1974) Member: Hearing Panel, Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee (1982-88) Transportation Research Board Committee on Transit and Intermodal Transportation Law (1992-Present, Chair 1998-2000, 2006-13) Transportation Research Board Group Legal Resources Council (1996-Present, Chair 2000-03) Tennessee Bar Association Fellow, Tennessee Bar Foundation Memphis Bar Association (1974-present; Board of Directors, 1983-84) Author/Lecturer: 2017 Thomas B. Deen Distinguished Lecturer, Transportation Research Board Survey of the law on tort liability caps Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Americans with Disabilities Act regulations Attorney-client privilege of public boards Department of Transportation regulations on procurement, Buy America requirements, lobbying restrictions, third party contracting, labor issues, and charter bus. Transit system security issues Initial Reviewer: Selected Studies in Transportation Law, Vol. 5, Transit Law, Paul Stephen Dempsey, Transit Cooperative Research Program, 2004 Other: American Public Transportation Association Legal Affairs Committee (Vice Chairman, 1992-94; Chairman, 1994-96) Has served on several APTA Task Forces that have successfully dealt with major regulatory issues with the U.S. Department of Transportation General Counsel, Memphis Area Transit Authority (1976-99; 2009-Present) Selected “Power Player” in the Law: Employment section of the Memphis Business Quarterly (now known as Inside Memphis Business) (2010-Present) Best Lawyers In America: Litigation – Labor and Employment, (2017-Present)

Alan M. Steinberg
California Department of Transportation (CalTrans)

Alan M. Steinberg is Deputy Chief Counsel for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Legal Division. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992 and his Juris Doctor degree with great distinction from the University of the Pacific-McGeorge School of Law in 1995. Alan joined Caltrans in 2015 after nearly 20 years in private practice as a litigation associate and partner at law firms in Santa Rosa and Sacramento, California. He tried numerous cases in state and federal courts in various practice areas including personal injury, employment discrimination, consumer warranty, product defect, probate, breach of contract, professional malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, and copyright infringement. At Caltrans, Alan manages the Legal Division's Headquarters Office in Sacramento and satellite office in Fresno comprised of over 50 attorneys, plus support staff, with practice groups including tort litigation, real property law and eminent domain, environmental law, construction arbitration, employment litigation and personnel law, contracts and transactional matters, and wildfire litigation. Together, they provide litigation, transactional, and in-house counsel support to a dynamic Department dedicated to providing California a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment. Alan is a member of the Transportation Research Board’s Emerging Technology Law Committee and Tort Liability and Risk Management Committee. He has also served on various non-profit boards and as general counsel to a scientific equipment company.

Bradley A. Stout, Partner
Adams Jones Law Firm, P.A.

Brad has been involved in the condemnation of several hundred tracts of land. Brad has represented landowners across the state of Kansas and against all manner of agencies seeking to take property. His experience in condemnation issues extends to all varieties of property, including commercial, residential, oil and gas interests. Before focusing his practice on representing property owners, Brad advised the State of Kansas Department of Transportation, the cities of Kingman and Syracuse, Kansas, Whitewater River Watershed Joint District No. 22 and other local instrumentalities with regard to police power regulation. In addition, with respect to complex issues involving the condemnation of oil and gas interests, Brad has acted as special counsel to the City of Belle Plaine and advised counsel for the City of El Dorado. In addition to the condemnation practice, Brad is involved in all manner of real estate litigation, including property tax appeals. Brad appears several times a year before the Kansas Court of Tax Appeals on behalf of taxpayers. Professional Memberships Eminent Domain Advisory Committee of the Kansas Judicial Council Wichita Bar Association (Past Board of Governors; Past Chairman, Continuing Legal Education Committee) Kansas Bar Association American Bar Association Seminar Presentations Condemnation: Administrative Condemnation Procedure Annual Meeting of State Association of Kansas Watersheds: Reducing Sponsor Risk Regarding Operation and Maintenance Issues Practical Real Estate Title Skills: Handling Boundary Disputes Boundary Law in Kansas: Handling Right-of-Way Problems Expert Witnesses for Transportation Research Board

Fred Wagner, Parnter
Venable LLP

Education J.D.University of Virginia School of Law1987 Tufts University1984 Phi Beta Kappa Bar Admissions District of Columbia Professional Memberships and Activities At-large member, board of directors, National Association of Environmental Professionals Chair, Legal Resources Group, Transportation Research Board (TRB) Member, TRB Environmental Issues in Transportation Law Committee Member, TRB Special Task Force on Climate Change and Energy Member, American Public Transportation Association, Legal Affairs Committee Member, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Member, American Exploration and Mining Association

Adonne Washington, Policy Counsel
Future of Privacy Forum

Adonne Washington serves as Mobility, Location, & Data Policy Counsel at the Future of Privacy Forum. With four years of experience dedicated to the privacy and technology space, her current role applies the knowledge of various technologies to the more specific sectors of mobility and location. Adonne provides scholarship, guidance, and analysis for various policy and privacy issues related to emerging technologies. Before joining FPF, Adonne served as the Digital Justice Associate Counsel with the national branch of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, working on matters at the intersection of racial justice, technology, and privacy. Adonne received her J.D. from the Howard University School of Law and received her BA in social relations and policy with a minor in public relations from Michigan State University in 2017.

Ariel Wolf, Partner
Venable

Ariel Wolf is chair of Venable’s Autonomous and Connected Mobility Group, where he counsels clients facing complex legal and policy issues at the intersection of automation, electrification, connectivity, data privacy, and cybersecurity. Ariel is a recognized thought leader who works closely with vehicle manufacturers, technology companies, advanced equipment suppliers, and software developers to navigate the emerging landscape being transformed by autonomous vehicles (AVs) and mobility technology. Ariel's legal work includes serving as general counsel to the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA), the nation’s leading coalition of AV developers, to advance federal, state, and international regulatory priorities for the AV industry. He provides sophisticated legal counseling to clients through the application of general transportation law to novel use cases and technologies, and is a seasoned advocate who represents clients before agencies that include the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Previously, as a senior official in the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Ariel launched the Department's Non-traditional and Emerging Transportation Technology (NETT) Council, oversaw the Department's efforts on spectrum policy, and developed policies governing automated vehicles, drones, hyperloop, and other innovative technologies. In addition to his legal work, Ariel leverages nearly two decades of government affairs experience to engage with federal and state policymakers and negotiate regulatory frameworks that govern AVs and related emerging mobility technology. He has testified before the U.S. Congress and across the country on autonomous and connected vehicle legislation and is frequently quoted by national media outlets on transportation developments. Ariel is a member of Venable’s Privacy Group and his work has been recognized by Legal 500. Education J.D.Georgetown University Law Center2011 B.A.Harvard College2005 Bar Admissions Maryland District of Columbia.