Abubakr Ziedan is a Ph.D. candidate in Transportation Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Khartoum and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He also gained a broad and diverse professional experience in transportation engineering before starting his Ph.D., including working in different public transportation agencies in the United States and Sudan. His research focuses on exploring transit ridership trends, transit planning and operations, transit fare policy and technology, and transit equity. He is a recipient of the 2022 William W.Millar award for the best paper in the area of public transportation by the Transportation Research Board (TRB). He is also the 2018 recipient of the Donald C. Hyde Memorial Essay Scholarship presented by the American Public Transportation Foundation.

• Placement of E-Scooter Corrals Near Transit Stops / Curbside Management Discussion

Amanda brings a fresh perspective and new ideas for engaging with our local community and for implementing Complete Streets, urban trail and greenway, and placemaking projects. With experience implementing contextual, place-based urban trail projects and conducting community-based and economic development research, Amanda offers a values-based approach to complement the engineering and design process, with a focus on active transportation.

• Equity, Sustainability, and Resiliency in Mobility Planning

Andrew Sonner, PE, has a wide range of transportation and municipal experience in transportation planning, project management, design, construction management, regulatory program development, regulatory compliance, municipal operations  and economic development. Prior to joining WSP, Andrew was with the  City of Alcoa for 23 years  where he began as a staff civil engineer and then progressed to Assistant Director & Chief Engineer, Director of Public Works & Engineering, and to Deputy City Manager.

• How to Reimagine the Airport Motor Mile for People, Planes, and Cars

Anna Dearman is the Walking & Biking Manager at the Nashville Department of Transportation & Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT). In this role at NDOT, Anna is currently managing design and construction of over 100 bikeway projects, representing 148 miles of bikeways, as part of the 2022 update of WalknBike, Metro Nashville’s strategic plan for sidewalks and bikeways, and 2022 – 2024 WalknBike work plan. Anna advocates for walking, biking, and rolling as a life-giving way to get from A to B and is working to ensure that everyone who lives in and visits Nashville is able to move safely and comfortably around the community.

• More Quickly and at Lower Cost: Nashville's 2022 WalkNBike Update

Anna joined the Metro Nashville Planning Department in 2016 as a Community Planner.  She is passionate about community engagement and long-range planning and has been a key part of several critical planning projects for Nashville.  Most recently Anna has led the Imagine East Bank Vision Plan and the Dickerson North Corridor Study.  Anna holds a bachelor's degree in Urban Studies from the University of Oklahoma.  Prior to moving to Nashville, Anna worked for the Planning Departments of the City of Broken Arrow and the City of Oklahoma City, and for the Institute for Quality Communities at the University of Oklahoma.

• Nashville's East Bank Vision: City Building in the 21st Century

Anne Wallace, AICP has a varied background in municipal and federal experience in planning, project management, design, construction management, regulatory program development, regulatory compliance, and economic development. Prior to joining WSP, Anne spent a year and a half working on the Reindustrialization program in Oak Ridge, almost 12 years with the City of Knoxville where she served as a project manager and then Deputy Director of the Office of Redevelopment, and three years with the Knoxville-Knox County Planning as a Planner in the Comprehensive Planning Department.

• How to Reimagine the Airport Motor Mile for People, Planes, and Cars

Aubrey is the Research Associate for Knoxville-Knox County Planning and has worked with the agency for 3 years. She disseminates data to a wide variety of audiences, including members of the public, planners, businesses, local government offices, and elected officials. She is also a member of Planning's Accessibility Team, which works to make all of the organization's meetings and materials available to people with disabilities or people who have limited English proficiency. Aubrey has an M.S. in Geography and a B.S. in Environmental Science, both from The University of Alabama. Her goal is to be an approachable resource to the community and to help data users do their best work by supplying the right tools for the job.

• Visualizing Data with Interactive Tools / Knoxville Transit Accessibility Assessment & Transit Improvement Evaluation

Bert has over 25 years of experience in the field of transportation and infrastructure planning in both public and private sectors. In his capacity as City Transportation Engineer for Chattanooga, TN, and Transportation Design Manager for Birmingham, AL, he served as the primary agent for multiple city transportation plans, city-wide bicycle and pedestrian implementation plans, transportation standards, grant applications, and transportation project design and construction. He has served as a planning and engineering consultant to counties, cities/towns, and neighborhoods for dozens of transportation system, multimodal network, and complete street implementation projects.

• Gamifying City Growth Options

Bob has over 30 years of experience in planning and community development at the regional, county, and municipal levels including substantial practice with private sector development. He has served as a teacher and mentor at the university level, as an advocate for disadvantaged and minority communities in both professional and private life, created successful private/public partnerships for redevelopment, and successfully implemented nationally recognized and award winning place making principles.

• Gamifying City Growth Options

Bob Murphy is currently working as Development Director with the Metro Nashville Planning Department where his responsibilities are focused on planning the development and infrastructure for the East Bank area of Nashville.  Previously, Bob was Vice President and Regional Practice Leader for KCI Technologies for 5 years and President of RPM Transportation Consultants for almost 30 years.  Bob received his BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee and is a registered Professional Engineer and certified as a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer.  He has served in all elected offices of TSITE and the Southern District ITE, served a 3-year term on the Board of Direction for International ITE.  Bob’s current volunteer activities include serving as a member of the University of Tennessee Alumni Board, the Cumberland Region Tomorrow Board and the TMA Group Board.

• The East Bank: A New Vision for Mobility in Nashville's Next Great Neighborhood

Bradyn Carson  is a Principal Planner for the Comprehensive Planning department of the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development. He has been with the division since 2017 when he began as an intern while earning his Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of Memphis. He has served in multiple roles throughout the creation and implementation of the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan.

• Accelerate Memphis

Brandon is a native of Nashville, Tennessee, and a graduate of Tennessee Tech University.  He has worked at RaganSmith for over 20 years, and is currently both a Senior Associate and the traffic engineering practice leader. Throughout his career, Brandon has gained experience on a wide variety of projects including traffic engineering, transportation planning, roadway design, and more.  Brandon is a registered Professional Engineer in Tennessee and a certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE).  Brandon has been active in the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) since his time at Tennessee Tech University, is a past president of the Tennessee Section of ITE (TSITE) and is currently serving as TSITE’s section administrator.

• L.A.s + T.E.s = Street Trees: Planners Need Both

Brett Smith is a native of Middle Tennessee and a Vice President at RaganSmith where he oversees the landscape architecture department. Brett received his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Auburn University in 1991 and now is a Registered Landscape Architect in seven states and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.  Using his experience, as both Landscape Architect and Planner, Brett has created a 28-year career in Master Planning, Park and Public project Design, and Residential/Commercial Site Development. He has helped write several jurisdictions’ Zoning Ordinances and Subdivision Regulations, as well as consulted as Cheatham County Planner for Cheatham County for 6 years. He has been active in various organizations including the American Society of Landscape Architecture, the American Planning Association, Tennessee Urban Forestry Council, and was the recipient of the Tennessee American Society of Landscape Architecture Merit Award for the Master Plan of Centennial Park in Nashville.

• Site Analysis 2.0: No Easy Projects Anymore
• Outdoor Advertising / Scenic Byways
• L.A.s + T.E.s = Street Trees: Planners Need Both

From the arctic circle to the depths of Appalachia, Bryan thrives on serving rural and difficult to reach populations. In communities throughout the U.S., he has helped deliver solutions for transportation, land use, and economic development. Bryan joined Community Development Partners in 2017 to launch its planning branch, which has grown significantly to serve cities, counties, and rural areas throughout the state. Outside of his day job, Bryan enjoys serving local community organizations, including Bike Walk Knoxville, the Broadway Corridor Task Force, the UpTown North Branding committee, and local neighborhood associations.

• Improving Rural Non-Motorized Networks

In this role he serves as a top advisor to Governor Bill Lee, manages the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and coordinates infrastructure investments throughout the state.

Prior to this role, Eley served as Tennessee’s chief financial officer (CFO), where he managed all financial, technological, and benefits operations of the State of Tennessee. He first served as Governor Lee’s chief operating officer (COO) for the state, responsible for working with department commissioners to design a framework that translates strategy into operational priorities and subsequent implementation. In that role he led the state’s first four-year strategy and planning process. He takes an enterprise-wide view of government operations in supporting change and making government work better for its customers and constituents.

Before joining Governor Lee’s Administration, Eley was a Founder and CEO of Infrastructure Corporation of America (ICA).  Headquartered in Nashville, ICA was one of the nation’s premier infrastructure asset maintenance management companies with comprehensive asset management contracts throughout the country.

Eley has devoted his career to creating positive change for communities through public service at both the federal and local levels, focusing on transportation policy, economic development and planning issues.

Eley earned both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Belmont University in Nashville.  He and his wife Ginger live in Brentwood, have three adult children and three grandchildren.

Pamela Kordenbrock, Division Administrator - Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Tennessee DivisionPam Kordenbrock has been the Division Administrator for the FHWA Tennessee Division since 2010. In this capacity, she leads a multi-disciplinary staff of 22 that is responsible for a $1.2 billion federal-aid program and provides policy guidance to FHWA’s State, local and other federal partners.

• Plenary Session: Conversation with TDOT / FHWA

Chris has over 25 years of experience specializing in the fields of ITS, traffic engineering, and transportation planning. He is a Vice President and owner within Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Since 2006, Chris has been Nashville TN-based and has also practiced in the states of Virginia and Georgia as an employee of Kimley-Horn since 1997.

Licensed in the States of TN, GA, KY, and VA, he holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee. He’s an active ITE member, previously serving as the TN Section President and currently chairing the SDITE Leadership Development Committee

Born and raised in West Tennessee, Chris now lives in Brentwood with his wife (Vonda) and their two sons – William age 16 and Elijah age 13.

• Traffic Triumphs and Signal Success: The Maryville-Alcoa Central Traffic Operations (MACTO) Story

Dr. Cronley is an Associate Professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee (UT). She studies topics related to inclusive infrastructure, including homelessness and housing and transportation equity, feminist geography, intersectionality, and access to opportunities, with a focus on women and children experiencing housing and transportation insecurity. She is faculty liaison for the National Center for Excellence in Homeless Services and a Faculty Fellow in the UT Center for Transportation Research. Dr. Cronley utilizes mixed methods and participatory and community-based research methodologies. Her synergistic research includes urban planning and transportation systems as they relate to land use, mobility, and environmental justice for underserved populations.

• Data-Driven Solutions to Mitigate the Spatial Mismatch between Affordable Housing and Transportation

Dan is the Assistant Chief of Freight and Logistics at the Tennessee Department of Transportation. In his role, he provides leadership on issues of rail, water and highway freight. The division serves as a liaison between TDOT and freight stakeholders in an effort to find opportunities to improve access for existing freight and appropriately prepare for the projected increases in freight as it moves in and out of the state. The primary focus areas for the division include water, short-line railroads, Section 130 rail program, rail inspection, highway freight and technology, freight advisory committees and the freight and state rail plan updates.  In April of 2021, he was additionally named Interim Multimodal Transportation Resource Division Director which handles DOT responsibility with all transit in all 95 counties in Tennessee, as well as, bicycle and pedestrian state programs.

He spent his entire career focused in the transportation sector. He is truly multi-modal with his 30 plus year career spanning several modes. He has worked for Federal Express (air), Yellow Freight System (LTL), Union Pacific Railroad (rail), and Comtrak Logistics / Hub Group Trucking  (Intermodal / Truckload). After his private sector experience, he spent 5 years at the Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute at the University of Memphis on various projects relating to freight issues. 

He received his Bachelors from the University of Memphis in transportation and a Masters from the University of Denver in Intermodal Transportation Management.  

• Placement of E-Scooter Corrals Near Transit Stops / Curbside Management Discussion
• Inclusiveness in the Grant Process to Better Transportation Infrastructure

Elizabeth is a Senior Planner in the Alta Planning + Design’s Atlanta office. She provides planning recommendations based on both highly technical data and public opinion. Her training in public health and work experience in life sciences economic development allows her to view projects from a multidisciplinary angle.

In recent years, Elizabeth has contributed to traffic engineering and planning projects in Atlanta with forecasts, origin-destination studies, traffic calming recommendations, comprehensive transportation plans, environmental studies and Georgia Safe Routes to School infrastructure analysis and recommendations. Her skills include data collection, spatial analysis, plan composition, and public outreach; her passion for planning lies in promoting healthier, more vibrant, sustainable communities through active travel.

Elizabeth holds a bachelor’s degree in public health and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

• Sumner Co. Active Transportation Plan

Ellen Dement Hurd is a historian at HNTB in Nashville. She previously worked for the Tennessee Historical Commission as the Certified Local Government Coordinator and as a historian for Jacobs Engineering in Atlanta, Georgia, and Seattle, Washington. Hurd holds a bachelor's degree in History and Art History from Vanderbilt University and a master's degree in Architectural History from the University of Washington. She currently serves on the board of the Buchanan Log House and Historic Nashville's Easements Committee.

• Historic Preservation / Affordable Housing

Emmanuella is the Diversity Division Director for HNTB's Southeast Division. In this role, she works to engage, empower and elevate historically underutilized businesses seeking to do business with local and state government partners. She utilizes creative and engaging strategies to impact inclusion of minority businesses and diversify small business participation in transportation projects throughout the Southeast. She creates connections with clients and stakeholders across cultural differences to address community and business needs.

Emmanuella began her transportation career more than 16 years ago with the Georgia Department of Transportation where she worked as a Public Relations/Communications Specialist, a NEPA specialist and a Program Manager at the Transportation Management Center. Today Emmanuella works to change business as usual practices to remove barriers and expand access for minority businesses. She leverages both internal and external resources to ensure creative business solutions that achieve multiple advantages for all involved.

She is the Chair of ACEC Georgia’s Inclusion & Diversity Task Force and has facilitated dynamic learning experiences for ACEC GA's Future Leaders' Program. She is a new member to WTS' International Foundation Board.

• DBE Participation: Successes and Lessons Learned

Faria is a native of Dhaka, Bangladesh. She received her Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Memphis and has a Bachelor's of Architecture from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Faria previously worked as an intern for the Comprehensive Planning Department while pursuing her Master's Degree and began working as a Municipal Planner for the Department in 2020. She wants to improve the quality of life for the residents with her knowledge of Urban Planning and Architecture and through the lens of a diverse cultural perspective. Faria also aspires to work toward building community empowerment, sustainable housing development, equitable economic stability and growth, and neighborhood revitalization in the City of Memphis. In her free time, she loves to travel with her family and explore new places with historical significance and architectural instances.

• Accelerate Memphis

Grace has 5 years of experience in Landscape Architecture, Land Planning, Project Management, and Site Engineering in the Chattanooga area and surrounding markets. Collaborating with engineers and coordinating with municipalities throughout the Southeast, she has extensive planning and design experience working with developers, contractors, and municipalities. She has a passion for promoting community growth through intentional placemaking and creating spaces where communities can come together and thrive. Joining RaganSmith early in 2021, she has deepened her understanding of mixed-use developments, public parks, and subdivisions. Her background has given her the knowledge and confidence in designing functional and sustainable sites and effectively communicating with clients and team members.

• L.A.s + T.E.s = Street Trees: Planners Need Both

Harrison Turner is a Professional Engineer at LDA Engineering. He has over 7 years of experience delivering site and transportation projects around the southeast with a specialization in Complete Street and Urban Redesign projects. He has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Master’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Alabama.

• More Quickly and at Lower Cost: Nashville's 2022 WalkNBike Update

Ian is a Transportation Planner for AECOM in Franklin, TN. A former TDOT employee, Ian spent six years in TDOT’s NEPA and Long Range Planning Divisions, where he specialized in engagement and transportation facilities assistance for municipalities and counties in the Middle Tennessee region. Ian is also active in Nashville’s Chapter of the Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT), a non-profit focusing on education and networking for planning and transportation enthusiasts in middle Tennessee. Ian holds a Master’s in City and Regional Planning from the University of Memphis and an Environmental Studies BA from Rhodes College. Since his appointment as Professional Development Officer for TAPA in 2022, he manages professional development activities, AICP prep resources, and serves as the CM provider for the Chapter.

• AICP: Exam Prep Session 1
• AICP: Exam Prep Session 2

Jason Oldham is Nashville DOT’s Assistant Chief Engineer over Transportation Systems Management with 24 years of experience in both the public and private sector. He has lived and worked in numerous states across the country and has most recently served as State Traffic Engineer for the Tennessee DOT and Deputy Regional Operations Director for Virginia DOT’s Northern Virginia District. Jason graduated from Clemson University with a Master’s of Science in Civil Engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Tennessee and Virginia. Jason is married to Melissa, a US Navy Commander and has four boys Gavin, Grant, Griffin, and Gareth (4G Network).

• Traffic Calming Approaches in Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis

Jeff Hammond is a senior engineer and project manager with Burch Transportation, LLC in Nashville, TN. He has broad experience in transportation projects ranging from long-range programming of local and regional improvements to construction management for infrastructure capital investments. Prior to joining Burch Transportation, Mr. Hammond served as an assistant director of Metro Nashville’s Public Works Department and Department of Transportation with oversight of traffic operations, capital sidewalk and bikeway programs, parking operations, and bridges and culverts programs with a total annual budget of approximately $45M.

• Traffic Calming Approaches in Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis

Jennifer coordinates with the 11 Metropolitan Planning Organizations of Tennessee monitoring planning activities with the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Long Range Planning Division. Prior to TDOT, Jennifer interned with the Memphis Urban Area MPO. Jennifer received her B.S. in Environmental Science from Rhodes College and holds both an M.S. in Geography and a Master’s in City and Regional Planning both from the University of Memphis and currently pursuing a PhD in Public Policy and Administration where she plans to research parochialism in metropolitan planning.

• Equity in Transportation Planning

A native of East Tennessee, Jeremy has been employed with the City of Alcoa since November of 2001. He holds both undergraduate and professional postgraduate degrees from the University of Tennessee. In 1999 Jeremy received a Bachelor of Science in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design, minoring also in Business Administration, and in 2001 received a Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning. Concentrations of study included land use planning and real estate development. Jeremy is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and holds a Tennessee Real Estate license. Jeremy serves as the directing staff to the Alcoa Municipal/Regional Planning Commission, the Alcoa Board of Zoning Appeals and the Alcoa Tree Board. He also provides technical planning advisement to the Alcoa Board of Commissioners. Jeremy has represented the City in a variety of board appointments and chairmanships, and is an alumni of Leadership Blount. Jeremy’s work is comprehensive in nature and focuses on planning and implementation strategies for achieving the City’s long and short pallrange development goals. Jeremy, alongside other City staff, which included the project team, was the City’s lead for development of the Springbrook Farm Master/Vision Plan for Redevelopment of the former Alcoa West Plant site. The staff focus is now on implementation of this plan.

• Creating a Downtown Out of Whole Cloth

Dr. Everett has served as the Associate Director of the University of Tennessee Center for Transportation Research (CTR) for the past 10 plus years.  In addition to his leadership responsibilities, Jerry is the program manager of several Tennessee Highway Safety Office grants and the principal investigator for TDOT funded and other sponsored projects where he performs research and provides management oversight. His core research interest and expertise include transportation planning, teen highway safety outreach, K-12 STEM education, travel data collection and travel demand modeling. He has worked professionally in transportation since 1991. Prior to beginning work at UT in 1999, he served as a community planner in the Metropolitan Planning Division of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in Washington, D.C. for 7 years. He holds a PhD., M.S., and B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 

• Data-Driven Solutions to Mitigate the Spatial Mismatch between Affordable Housing and Transportation

Jing is a fourth-year Ph.D. student of Transportation Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She is currently  working with Dr. Candace Brakewood as a Graduate Research Assistant. Jing’s research mainly focuses on transit equity, aiming to evaluate and improve the transit accessibility for disadvantaged people who significantly need public transportation in their daily life.

• Visualizing Data with Interactive Tools / Knoxville Transit Accessibility Assessment & Transit Improvement Evaluation

Planner for over 37 years: Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines Province of Antique for 4 years; Ford Foundation sponsored Research Fellow at Central Philippine University for 3 years covering four provinces on the island of Panay; Planner in the West Tennessee Local Planning Assistance Office servicing several towns and counties for 8 years; Director of Planning in Blount County, Tennessee for 22 years (now retired). Member of Blount County Community Health Initiative, Blount BEneFITs Action Team. Member at-large of the East Tennessee Regional Health Council. Member of the Blount County Office on Aging - Senior Advisory Council. Blount County representative member of the East Tennessee Council on Aging and Disability - East Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability. President of East Tennessee Quality Growth a 501c3 non-profit covering 16 counties, promoting local and regional dialog along with regional cooperation and local action. Born and raised in East Tennessee. Graduated University of Tennessee: BS Psychology/Anthropology; MS Planning; and MS Agricultural Economics.

• Breakfast Session: Aging at the Speed of Life for Planners

Jon Boghozian is the transportation safety engineer for the City of Nashville. He oversees the execution of Nashville’s Vision Zero implementation plan and traffic calming programs with projects that range from engineering and construction to education and awareness. Growing up in Johnson City, Tennessee, and attending school at the University of Tennessee, Jon loves hiking, camping, and spending time outside. He has called Nashville home for the past seven years and always looks for a good excuse to talk transportation with his friends.

• Nashville Vision Zero: From Action to Implementation Planning

Kathryn Withers, AICP, NCI is an Urban Planner with over 24 years of experience, with work primarily focused on the regeneration of Nashville, Tennessee’s corridors and neighborhoods through planning policy and zoning efforts. She has personally directed or managed teams in the creation of urban design districts and their administration. She has a Master of City and Regional Planning from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tennessee.

• CityWalk: Where Birmingham Connects

Kevin Stoltenberg is the City Engineer for the City of Maryville, TN. He has over 15 years of experience in the City's Engineering & Public Works Department, during which he has managed many capital improvement projects, including several federally funded projects. He has experience in site development, roadway design, and traffic engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Tennessee, and has earned a certification as a Level 2 Traffic Signal Technician from the International Municipal Signal Academy (IMSA).

• Traffic Triumphs and Signal Success: The Maryville-Alcoa Central Traffic Operations (MACTO) Story

Kevin leads the multimodal transportation and land use planning practice in Kimley-Horn's Nashville office. His career has spanned more than 25 years on projects that include regional visioning, scenario planning, transit, comprehensive and master plans, regional transportation plans and multimodal street design. Kevin has called Middle Tennessee home for the last 15 years working with communities across the state from the Tri-Cities and East Tennessee to Middle Tennessee and Chattanooga to Memphis. He led the multimodal mobility planning component for NDOT to complement the East Bank Master Plan.

• The East Bank: A New Vision for Mobility in Nashville's Next Great Neighborhood

Laura Jones graduated from Tennessee Tech with a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2003. Laura is a professionally licensed engineer in the State of Tennessee with more than 19 years of experience in the field of civil and environmental engineering.  Experience includes an extensive knowledge of stormwater management, environmental permitting, natural resource management, stream and wetland restoration, hydrology, and hydraulics. During her career she has worked with both the public and private sector in various roles including her time with Metro Nashville Stormwater. While serving as an engineer for Metro Stormwater she was integral in the development and implementation of the stormwater regulations and guidelines. She assisted in developing the water quality regulations that are used in Metro and a majority of middle Tennessee including the management of water quality, quantity, attenuation and removal of pollutants. She is a Certified Floodplain Manager and assists communities with floodplain regulations, environmental resource recovery, emergency preparedness and response to flooding. Laura lives in Mt. Juliet, TN with her husband, two daughters, chickens, and dog.

• Site Analysis 2.0: No Easy Projects Anymore

Lindsay Crockett is a Senior Planner with Knoxville-Knox County Planning, focusing on historic preservation and design review. She staffs the City and County Historic Zoning Commission and the Design Review Board, and serves on the board of Knox Heritage. Lindsay is a Knoxville native who received a BA in Art History from Sewanee: the University of the South and an MS in Historic Preservation from Clemson University and the College of Charleston. 

• Historic Preservation / Affordable Housing

Liz is a Principal Planner for Knoxville-Knox County Planning and has worked with the agency for 14 years. She has supported comprehensive planning projects, including the Knoxville-Knox County Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan and Advance Knox, a land use and transportation plan for Knox County. Currently, she also supervises the review of rezonings and plan amendments. Liz holds an M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning and an M.S. in Water Resources Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. She is passionate about growing the community’s education and involvement in land use decision-making.

• Visualizing Data with Interactive Tools / Knoxville Transit Accessibility Assessment & Transit Improvement Evaluation

Logan Engle, Director of Planning and Economic Development - City of Elizabethton, Tennessee. Logan holds a Master’s of Public Policy and Administration from the University of Tennessee and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from Carson-Newman University. Prior to beginning her role in Elizabethton, she previously worked for the City of Morristown and the Town of Greeneville. As a native East Tennessean and Appalachian, Logan is passionate about the call to public service in this region. She currently lives in Erwin, Tennessee with her husband Tyler.

• AICP: Ethics

Louis leads Gresham Smith’s landscape architecture studio and is a senior landscape architect and urban designer. Louis is a former president of the Kentucky Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and past board member of the Congress of New Urbanism Midwest Chapter. A leader in the field of urban design, Louis has led multi-modal and active transportation planning and implementation projects across Kentucky and the southeast. Louis has been integral to the Town Branch Commons Greenway in Lexington, KY, Danville, KY’s current downtown Main Street project which is slated to break ground in summer 2022 and the development of the Chattahoochee RiverLands 100-mile Greenway Plan in Atlanta, GA. Each of these projects and many more prioritize placemaking, sustainability, connectivity, and creating economic opportunity all while dealing with the complexities of equity, environmental justice, improving accessibility and inclusion in underserved/resourced communities.

• Equity, Sustainability, and Resiliency in Mobility Planning

Lynn is the Northeast Tennessee Regional Director for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, the former Development Director for the City of Kingsport, TN, and the current TAPA president. She has a variety of experience in public management, Building and Construction Development, Economic Development and related fields. In other experience, she worked with the Kingsport Housing Authority to forward their Choice Neighborhoods Initiative plan and was appointed by Governor Haslam to the Tennessee Housing Development Agency Board serving as the Tax Credit Committee Chair for four years.

• Tactical Urbanism: From Traffic Cones to Concrete
• The Mount Laurel Doctrine: When Zoning Regulations Exclude Low- and Middle-Income Housing

Marty Sewell is the Director of Transportation Planning at the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure’s (NDOT). He supervises the agency’s multimodal system planning, transportation demand management, and regional planning coordination portfolio. Over the last 25 years as a planner in the public and private sector, he’s worked alongside dozens of communities throughout the southeast helping them envision their future, identify challenges, prioritize solutions, and design infrastructure investments to meet the demands of tomorrow. He has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Journalism from the University of Mississippi and a Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of Memphis.

• Nashville Vision Zero: From Action to Implementation Planning

Matt is a Vice President at Alta Planning + Design and oversees Alta's East Coast region. Matt brings 22 years of experience leading multimodal transportation and greenway planning efforts across the Southeast. Matt has worked with dozens of communities to set a vision and move towards the implementation of sustainable modes of transportation.

• Nashville Vision Zero: From Action to Implementation Planning

Dr.  Beck began his research career in  distributed operating systems at Bell Laboratories (1981) and  received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Cornell University (1992) in the area of parallelizing compilers. He then joined the faculty of the Computer Science Department at the University of Tennessee, where he is currently an Associate Professor working in system architecture, distributed high performance computing, networking and storage.

• Data-Driven Solutions to Mitigate the Spatial Mismatch between Affordable Housing and Transportation

Michael McClanahan has been with TDOT’s Highway Beautification Office since 2016 and received the Governor’s Excellence in Service Award in 2021. In his role, Michael manages the Department’s environmental outreach programs. These include litter pickup and prevention education programs, landscaping and pollinator habitat programs, and scenic roadways. Previously, Michael served as City Manager for the Town of Kingston Springs, TN and the City of Clifton, TN. He holds a Master of Public Administration from George Mason University and is a Tennessee Certified Economic Developer and Certified Municipal Finance Officer. Michael serves his community, as a volunteer fireman for the Williamson County Rescue Squad, and lives with his wife, Kaitlyn, and two children.

• Outdoor Advertising / Scenic Byways

Pam Kordenbrock has been the Division Administrator for the FHWA Tennessee Division since 2010. In this capacity, she leads a multi-disciplinary staff of 22 that is responsible for a $1.2 billion federal-aid program and provides policy guidance to FHWA’s State, local and other federal partners.

Prior to coming to Tennessee, Pam was the Assistant Division Administrator in Santa Fe, New Mexico, responsible for a $400 million federal-aid program and 15 staff. Pam joined FHWA’s Training Program in 1993 with assignments in Washington, DC, California, and Illinois. Prior to New Mexico, Pam served in FHWA’s Office of Operations in Washington DC and was responsible for implementing the National ITS Architecture and Systems Engineering Program throughout the US. A 29 year veteran of Federal Service, Pam has also served as the ITS/Operations Engineer for the FHWA offices in Los Angeles, CA and Baltimore, MD. Pam has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia.

Pam is a native of Mobile, AL and married to a wonderfully patient husband, Todd.  They enjoy traveling, golfing, photography and all things college football and basketball.  Pam and Todd are parents to two rescue dogs, Guinness and Becks

• Plenary Session: Conversation with TDOT / FHWA

Paul Darr is a Landscape Architect with Barge Design Solutions, and has 19 years of experience in master planning and design. He has a Master of Landscape Architecture from North Carolina State University and a Bachelor of Science in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design from the University of Tennessee. 

• CityWalk: Where Birmingham Connects

Rashidi has over 5 years of multi-modal transportation (bike/ped, regional plans and transit) and land-use planning, along with GIS skills while working for a local government in Maryland and as a consultant. His combined experience is demonstrated in his ability to coordinate, prepare, and execute a wide range of multi-modal planning tasks, including reviewing alternative analyses, gathering data/information to advise on short- and long-term transportation plans, managing corridor studies, bike/ped connectivity studies, transit studies and plans, and developing GIS Application and maps. Rashidi has worked with metropolitan planning organizations, state and local governments, and transit agencies, with whom he has fostered excellent relationships because of his friendly approach, daily communication, and creative troubleshooting.

• Sumner Co. Active Transportation Plan

Rebecca is an attorney at Wilson Worley PC in Kingsport, TN. She has advised developers, neighbors, and local governments in land use and planning issues, among other civil law matters. Her experience includes representing towns and planning commissions in suburban Illinois, defending civil rights cases, working as a community planner for the First Tennessee Development District, and handling lawsuits in Tennessee and Virginia that involve planning boards.

• The Mount Laurel Doctrine: When Zoning Regulations Exclude Low- and Middle-Income Housing

Reuben Robertson is an engineer and project manager for LDA's Upper East Tennessee Clients. He graduated with a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Tennessee. He resides in Johnson City with his wife, three children, and black lab.

• Planning and Engineering Johnson City's West Walnut Street Redevelopment Project

Rick has been a planning director for Wilson County, Lebanon, Watertown and Goodletsville. In retirement, Rick contracts with other jurisdictions. Rick also learned at the foot of Bill Terry, FAICP. Bill provided invaluable assistance in creating today’s presentation. 

• New TN Statute / Legislative Update

Sam has been a planner in various positions since 1972 and an attorney since 1991. Sam is retired (mostly a failure at the retirement part) from full time work as a planner, lawyer, bureaucrat and lobbyist. Sam learned at the foot of the Godfather of planning in Tennessee, Bill Terry, FAICP.

• New TN Statute / Legislative Update

Sean Santalla is the Program Development Team Leader for the FHWA Tennessee Division in Nashville, Tennessee. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the planning, environment, right-of-way, and civil rights components of the Federal-aid program. Prior to this role, he served as a Transportation Planner for the FHWA Tennessee Division, overseeing the statewide and metropolitan planning and programming processes for the State of Tennessee and Tennessee’s 11 MPOs. Before joining FHWA, Sean was the Statewide MPO Coordinator for the Florida Department of Transportation, where he oversaw Florida’s 27 MPOs. Sean is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and received his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Florida State University.

• Transportation Planning Updates and Funding Changes with TDOT and FHWA

Shannon M. Cain is a current PhD Candidate in Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her dissertation focuses on trauma-informed care in the neonatal intensive care setting with mother-infant dyads impacted by in utero opioid exposure. She has a Master of Social Work degree from Indiana University School of Social Work, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hope College. Shannon has over seven years of direct social work practice experience in inpatient and outpatient behavioral healthcare settings. She is passionate about fighting for equitable access to and quality of services in healthcare and all other arenas.

• Data-Driven Solutions to Mitigate the Spatial Mismatch between Affordable Housing and Transportation

Shawn Bible is the Manager of the Beautification Office in the Environmental Division of the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The Beautification Office manages a wide variety of environmentally-oriented programs and community outreach services such as Adopt-A-Highway, Litter Grant, roadside landscaping, pollinator plantings and programs and the Scenic Byways Program. In addition, the Beautification Office partners with Keep Tennessee Beautiful as a State Affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. The Beautification Office also provides regulatory enforcement for outdoor advertising and junkyards statewide. Ms. Bible came to TDOT from Nashville’s Keep America Beautiful affiliate: The Metro Beautification & Environment Commission. She has thirty-two years of experience working with community litter prevention and urban forestry programs. While at the Metro Beautification & Environment Commission, Ms. Bible helped with many tree planting and educational projects. She also provided technical expertise for the Metro Tree Advisory Committee and served as the chair of the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council.

Ms. Bible has a degree in forestry from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. She lives with her husband in the historic Richland West End neighborhood in Nashville, Tennessee. 

• Outdoor Advertising / Scenic Byways

Shawn Garner has been a Transportation Engineer at the City of Knoxville since 2018. He received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and is licensed as an Engineer Intern in Tennessee. Shawn has worked on several programs with the City of Knoxville including School Zone Management, Guardrail Replacement Program, and the Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program. 

• Traffic Calming Approaches in Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis

Dr. Upendram is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ARE). His primary areas of research are community economics, economic impact analysis, rural development and natural resource economics. He serves as the statewide Community Economic Development Specialist for the University of Tennessee Extension. His research and Extension programs were funded by USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),  Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Prior to this position, he worked as a planner/economist for the State of Missouri for 10 years conducting fiscal and economic impacts of tax investments, energy and water resource projects. Upendram earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University. He joined the ARE faculty in 2017.

• Data-Driven Solutions to Mitigate the Spatial Mismatch between Affordable Housing and Transportation

Stacy also worked with the State Local Planning Assistance Office with ECD  prior to working with TDOT. He is now the statewide OCT manager for TDOT.

• Transportation Planning Updates and Funding Changes with TDOT and FHWA

• Kansas City I-70 Corridor Improvements

Steve King has 44 years of service and counting with the City of Knoxville Department of Engineering. He has served in multiple roles including as Director over both the City’s Engineering and Public Works departments. He has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Tennessee and served on the Tennessee State Board of Architecture & Engineering Examiners from 2012 to 2022. He has served on the UT Department of Civil Engineering Advisory Board since 2010 and was Past Chapter and State President of the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers.

• Traffic Calming Approaches in Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis

• Planning for Your Community's Equitable Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

Tanisha J. Hall is the CEO, and Principal of Fairpointe Planning, a MWDBE-certified management consulting firm. With over 25 years of transportation planning experience, she has a strong track record of reimagining transportation networks to include all users. Tanisha and her team provide data analysis, stakeholder and community engagement, and strategic planning services for several communities and organizations across the country. In her spare time, she volunteers with several non-profit organizations, and she maintains a backyard organic garden with chickens and honeybees.

• Nashville Vision Zero: From Action to Implementation Planning
• More Quickly and at Lower Cost: Nashville's 2022 WalkNBike Update

Taylor Hagood is an Associate Engineer and Project Manager at LDA Engineering. He has over 9 years of experience the fields of Geomatics and Engineering with LDA Engineering. He has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from The University of Tennessee – Knoxville. Taylor has experience in multi-modal infrastructure engineering, master planning, utilities design, surveying, and project management. Taylor is from Knoxville and is now located in Nashville managing projects across the state of Tennessee.

• More Quickly and at Lower Cost: Nashville's 2022 WalkNBike Update

Thomas K. Davis FAIA is a Professor of Architecture at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  From 2004-2008, he represented the university as Design Director at the Nashville Civic  Design Center.  Since 2008, he and his outreach engagement students have worked almost exclusively on civic design projects for Nashville.  He was a co-recipient in 2016, with his spouse Marleen K. Davis, of the AIA Tennessee Samuel Morgan Lifetime Service Award for Contributors to Architecture in the Public Realm.

• Nashville's East Bank Vision: City Building in the 21st Century
• Nashville Vision Zero: From Action to Implementation Planning

Tiffany Giordano is from Southern California where she received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Irvine. Tiffany moved to Nashville in 2016 to join RaganSmith where she completes work for both the private and public sectors. Her work includes traffic impact studies, traffic signal design, sight distance analysis, and offsite improvements design. In 2018, she attained her Tennessee Professional Engineer’s license and in 2022 became a certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE). Tiffany has two dachshunds and a cat, and frequently fosters other pets in between traveling. She will marry her fiancé in April 2024 in Jamaica.

• L.A.s + T.E.s = Street Trees: Planners Need Both

• Tactical Urbanism: From Traffic Cones to Concrete
• Transportation Planning Updates and Funding Changes with TDOT and FHWA

• Traffic Calming Approaches in Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis

• Balancing Sustainable Development and Immediate Development Needs in Long-term Planning

• Creating a Downtown Out of Whole Cloth