Transportation Engineering and Safety Conference 2024: Full Schedule

1:30pm EST

The Curious Engineer – What I wish I Knew - Panel

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:30pm - 3:00pm EST

Come join our group of professionals discuss all the non-engineering things that aren’t taught in school, but are important to helping advance your career!

Panelists:
Matthew Alboum
Brian Krul

Moderators

Joe Rusiewicz

Senior Highway Engineer / Team Leader, TransSystems

Joe Rusiewicz, PE is a Senior Highway Engineer in the Pittsburgh office for TranSystems. Joe is a highway team lead as well as serving as Project Manager for highway transportation projects. Joe has 15 years of experience and started his career at PennDOT District 3-0 starting... Read More →

Speakers

Brian Krul

Vice President, TransSystem

Matthew Alboum

Regional HR Manager, Dewberry

Matthew Alboum, PE, is an Associate and Regional Human Resources Manager in Dewberry’s Bloomfield, NJ office. His technical experience includes many years as a structural bridge engineer where he focused on traditional bridge design, accelerated bridge construction (ABC), retaining... Read More →

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:30pm - 3:00pm EST

Leadership

3:30pm EST

Moving Forward, Looking Back - Panel

Wednesday December 11, 2024 3:30pm - 5:00pm EST

TBA

A panel discussion with the current and former leaders of PennDOT Highway Safety and Traffic. The group will talk about where we've been, challenges along the way, and where mobility and safety are heading in the future.

Panelists:
Glenn Rowe
Steve Grimme
Doug Tomlinson

Moderators

Larry Bankert

Kimley-Horn

Speakers

Glenn Rowe

Senior Principal, Kittelson and Associates, Inc.

Glenn is a Senior Principal Engineer at Kittelson and Associates where he kick-started the Harrisburg Office in 2019. He also moonlights for Kittelson LLC, a subsidiary specializing in forensic expert work. His main client? The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office, where he defends... Read More →

Steve Grimme

Former, Highway Safety and Traffic Operations Division Chief, PennDOT, Retired

Steve has 40+ years of experience between PennDOT and DEP, and he began his career in PennDOT District 2 in the Bridge Unit. He has worked in Engineering Systems Support, the Bridge Division, and the Executive Offices where he was the Special Assistant to the Highway Administration... Read More →

Doug Tomlinson

Chief, Highway Safety and Traffic Operations Division, PennDOT

Doug Tomlinson has been with PennDOT for 30 years, all of which has been focused on highway safety and traffic. He currently leads the Highway Safety and Traffic Operations Division which includes 4 sections comprised of 12 units managing a wide-array of highway safety and traffic-related... Read More →

Wednesday December 11, 2024 3:30pm - 5:00pm EST
TBA

Leadership

8:30am EST

Talking Heads: How Did I Get Here? Panel

Thursday December 12, 2024 8:30am - 10:00am EST

TBA

Open panel discussion with younger professionals and seasoned leaders to discuss experiences and tips for navigating various stages of your career. Topics will include mentorship, team collaboration, professional development, work ethic and life challenges balance.

Panelists:
Chris Norris
Jennifer Walsh
Allie Slizofski
Alexis Williams
Lauren Carlson

Moderators

Eileen Collins

Sr. Project Manager, Drive Engineering

Eileen Collins, PE, PTOE is a Penn State alumni, and has been involved in the planning, moderating or speaking at every TESC conference since its inception in 1994. Her 36-year career has involved many aspects of transportation engineering and improving highway safety. Eileen is a... Read More →

Speakers

Allie Slizofski

Principal, Drive Engineering Corp

Chris Norris

Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration, PennDOT

Chris Norris, P.E., was appointed to the position of Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) on June 8, 2024. As such she oversees a team of over 8,000 employees who are responsible for the maintenance, design and construction... Read More →

Alexis Williams

Senior Associate, Planning Dept Manager, STV

Alexis Williams, AICP, PP is the Philadelphia Region Planning Department Manager at STV, Inc. She has over seventeen years of experience working in both the public and private sectors, overseeing complex professional planning activities and projects related to transportation, transit... Read More →

Jennifer Walsh

Traffic & Planning Section Manager, HDR

Lauren Carlson

Senior Traffic Design Engineer, Larson Design Group

Lauren Carlson is currently a senior traffic design engineer at Larson Design Group in Cranberry Twp, PA. Lauren graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from West Virginia University, where she also played on the travel club basketball team. Lauren is a member... Read More →

Thursday December 12, 2024 8:30am - 10:00am EST
TBA

Leadership

10:30am EST

Building Harmony: Conflict Resolution in the AEC Industry

Thursday December 12, 2024 10:30am - 12:00pm EST

Room: TBD

DesignForce joins us once again for a workshop focused on Conflict Resolution in our industry. For this interactive workshop, we will:

Identify common sources and triggers of conflict in the workplace.
Understand the underlying theory and principles of the TKI model.
Assess personal conflict resolution styles using the TKI assessment.
Practice applying different conflict styles to various AEC workplace-specific scenarios.
Learn various strategies for effectively approaching difficult conversations in the workplace.

Speaker 1: Ahmed Kurtom

Speaker 2 : Gabrielle Camilli

Moderators

Jeannette Quirus

Director – Traffic Engineering, McCormick Taylor

Jeannette Quirus is the Director, Traffic Engineering for McCormick Taylor, has 27 years of experience, and holds a Masters and Bachelors of Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. As the manager for the company’s traffic department; she coordinates traffic workloads... Read More →

Speakers

Ahmed Kurtom

Managing Principal, DesignForce

Ahmed Kurtom is the President and Founder of DesignForce and leads Strategic Initiatives. Ahmed is passionate about the future of engineering, architecture, and the built environment. He is excited to contribute to the mission of his clients by using a strong legacy and the reputation... Read More →

Gabrielle Camilli

Senior Workforce Strategy Consultant, DesignForce

Ms. Camilli is a distinguished member of DesignForce’s Workforce Strategy practice and has extensive experience in advising engineering c-suites on their approach to people strategy. While her foundational expertise lies within executive recruitment and hiring strategies, her focus... Read More →

Thursday December 12, 2024 10:30am - 12:00pm EST
Room: TBD

Leadership

1:30pm EST

PA Legislative Perspective on the Transportation Industry - Panel

Thursday December 12, 2024 1:30pm - 3:00pm EST

Room: TBD

A brief presentation on the panel and potential topics followed by open panel Q & A: Topics could include: Highlights of any recently passed transportation-related legislative actions and any potential transportation-related legislative actions under consideration; Thoughts and concerns from a legislative perspective on the future of transportation.

Panel Q&A
Panelist 1: Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr.
Title: PA Senate – Senate Transportation Committee (Republican Chair)

Panelist 2: Senator Marty Flynn
Title: PA Senate – Senate Transportation Committee (Democratic Chair)

Panelist 3: Representative Ed Neilson
Title: PA House – House Transportation Committee (Democratic Chair)

Panelist 4: Representative Kerry Benninghoff
Title: PA House – House Transportation Committee (Republican Chair)

Moderators

John Wichner

Bowman Consulting

Speakers

Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr

Senate Transportation Committee (Republican Chair), PA Senate

Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr. was first elected to the Pennsylvania Senate in November 2016. Prior to serving in the Senate, Wayne served as an Assistant District Attorney in Cambria County, an attorney in private practice, and as a Richland Township Supervisor where he worked to... Read More →

Senator Marty Flynn

PA Senate – Senate Transportation Committee (Democratic Chair), PA Senate

Senator Marty Flynn was born and raised in Scranton, PA, and is a graduate of Scranton Preparatory School, class of 1994, where he excelled in baseball, football, and wrestling. He then attended Marywood University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies... Read More →

Representative Kerry Benninghoff

House Transportation Committee (Republican Chair), PA House

State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff is serving his 14th term in office, having first been elected to the General Assembly in 1996. He represents the 171st state House district, which consists of the following municipalities: in Centre County, the townships of Gregg, Haines, Miles, Penn... Read More →

Representative Ed Neilson

PA House – House Transportation Committee (Democratic Chair), House of Representatives

Ed Neilson was elected to serve as state representative for the 174th Legislative District, Philadelphia County, in a special election on August 11, 2015. A graduate of Abraham Lincoln High School, Ed is a well-known civic leader in his native Northeast Philadelphia.Ed is a lifelong... Read More →

Thursday December 12, 2024 1:30pm - 3:00pm EST
Room: TBD

Leadership

3:30pm EST

The Importance of TIM Training for Traffic Professionals

Thursday December 12, 2024 3:30pm - 5:00pm EST

Room: TBD

Moderators

Todd Leiss

Traffic Incident Management Specialist, Jacobs Engineering

Todd Leiss is a Traffic Incident Management Specialist at Jacobs Engineering. He recently retired as the Traffic Incident & Emergency Management (TIM) Supervisor for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) after serving as the PTC Traffic Incident Management Coordinator and Operations... Read More →

Thursday December 12, 2024 3:30pm - 5:00pm EST
Room: TBD

Leadership

8:30am EST

The Road Ahead-Exploring the Highway Safety and Traffic Operations RoadMap

Friday December 13, 2024 8:30am - 10:00am EST

Room: TBD

PennDOT's Highway Safety and Traffic Operations (HSTO) Division is comprised of twelve distinct units within four sections. The "HSTO RoadMap" is designed to highlight recent accomplishments of the Division, paint a picture of what drives our business, and look ahead to the coming years. This session will highlight the newly released version of the HSTO RoadMap.

Topic 1: TSMO Operations and Performance
Speaker: Ryan McNary

Topic 2: TSMO Arterials and Planning
Speaker: Steve Gault, PE, PTOE

Topic 3: Traffic Engineering and Permits
Speaker: Robert Pento, PE

Topic 4: Highway Safety
Speaker: Thomas Glass

Moderators

Doug Tomlinson

Chief, Highway Safety and Traffic Operations Division, PennDOT

Speakers

Steve Gault

Chief, TSMO Arterials & Planning Section, PennDOT

Steve Gault strives to ensure smooth mobility throughout Pennsylvania with new approaches to using technology to safely and efficiency move humans. As PennDOT’s chief of TSMO Arterials and Planning, Gault uses his passion by overseeing traffic signals, arterial operations, and planning... Read More →

Bob Pento

Traffic Engineering and Permits Section, PennDOT

Mr. Pento began his professional career with PENNDOT in 1992 and has held a variety of engineering positions within the Department. Since 1998, Bob has worked in PennDOT’s central office on traffic operations issues in the Bureau of Operations. He received a bachelor’s degree... Read More →

Ryan McNary

Chief, TSMO Operations and Performance, PennDOT

Ryan helps steer the vision for PennDOT’s Traffic Management Centers and Systems, Temporary Traffic Control, and the TSMO Performance Program. In 2021, the TSMO Performance Program’s efforts won “Best Overall Project” from the National Operations Center of Excellence. The... Read More →

Thomas Glass

Section Chief, PennDOT

Tom’s Highway Safety Section administers programs addressing driver behavior and roadway safety issues, in addition to supporting crash data systems and analysis. Before leading the Section, Tom spent 14 years as manager of the Program Services Unit (now referred to as Behavioral... Read More →

Friday December 13, 2024 8:30am - 10:00am EST
Room: TBD

Leadership

10:30am EST

A Day In The Life

Friday December 13, 2024 10:30am - 12:00pm EST

Room: TBD

Moving people and goods through Pennsylvania takes a wide range of professionals working in a many different facets of transportation. This session will explore stories from three of them to help us experience a day in the life...

Topic 1: Stop the Presses
Speaker: Alexis Campbell

Topic 2: Everybody Stay Calm
Speaker: Christopher Fisher

Topic 3: During Blue Skies and Disasters - Grocery Supply Chain Logistics 101
Speaker: Katie Murphy

Moderators

Doug Tomlinson

Chief, Highway Safety and Traffic Operations Division, PennDOT

Speakers

Alexis Campbell

Press Secretary, PennDOT

Alexis is the Press Secretary for PennDOT where she serves as primary spokesperson for the Department. She works with a team of communications experts to tell the story of PennDOT’s efforts to keep Pennsylvanians connected through smart, safe, and efficient transportation solutions... Read More →

Christopher Fisher

Deputy Director – Office of Emergency Management, Dauphin County Department of Public Safety

Chris is the Deputy Director and Emergency Management Coordinator for the Dauphin County Department of Public Safety where he oversees the comprehensive emergency management program for the county. He is also responsible for the County’s Hazardous Materials Response Team. Chris... Read More →

Katie Murphy

Senior Manager, Business Continuity, C&S Wholesale Grocers

Katie is the Senior Manager of Business Continuity at C&S Wholesale Grocers where she monitors threats to the supply chain, coordinates inter-department planning and responses, and coordinates with government partners to support the food supply chain. Over the past five years, she... Read More →

Friday December 13, 2024 10:30am - 12:00pm EST
Room: TBD

Leadership