Click below for talking points to consider for “Public Comment” or other communications with your municipal/county elected officials and staff.
Technology Specialist
New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition
Born in Ecuador and a lifelong Hudson County, New Jersey resident since the age of 5, Johan became passionate about urban streets and active transportation during a vacation to The Netherlands where his aunt resides.
Johan graduated from the New Jersey Institute of Technology with a degree in Computer Engineering and has worked in the tech industry for various sectors and corporations with a recent focus on improving IT systems for nonprofits.
Johan is co-founder and serves on the board of Hudson County Complete Streets and leads a local community group Bike North Bergen where he lives. | LinkedIn
Laura Torchio LLC, Principal
NJBWC Summit Coordinator
Laura Torchio is a certified planner specializing in active transportation, healthy communities, and placemaking. She is a seasoned facilitator with a forte to inspire thoughtful, creative initiatives and coalitions that strengthen the social, physical, and economic vitality of communities. Her expertise applies to public, private, and not-profit sectors and she passionately believes communities are empowered by zealous civic engagement.
Executive Vice President, Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Chair, Circuit Trails Coalition
Patrick Starr serves as Executive Vice President. He leads the southeast regional office located in Center City Philadelphia and coordinates several statewide initiatives. These include planning and implementing multi-purpose trails and water trails, promoting and implementing green stormwater infrastructure, coordinating education and outreach to community-based watershed organizations, and piloting a statewide Outdoor Towns initiative.
Related to his work, Patrick serves on various task forces and boards. Starr serves as the Chair of the Circuit Trails Coalition and as convener of the Philly Upstream Suburban Watershed Cluster. He is the Chair of the Board of the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers. He was a founding member of the Riverfront North Partnership (formerly the Delaware River City Corporation) and served on the boards of the TTF Watershed Partnership, the GreenSpace Alliance and the Schuylkill River Development Council.
Communications Manager
New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition
Emmanuelle Morgen is NJBWC’s part-time Communications Manager as well as a co-founder of Hudson County Complete Streets and a trustee of Bike JC. Born in France and raised in Oregon, she has lived in NJ longer than anywhere else and experienced a wide variety of transportation systems. Prior to joining NJBWC, she worked as a literary agent and still co-represents the producers of The War on Cars podcast. She previously served on the board of Bike Hoboken and the Fund for a Better Waterfront.
Assistant Vice President, Campus Services
Princeton University
Belleville School Board President and Coordinator of the Belleville Green Team
Belleville
I work at the NJSEA as the manager of parks, trails and open space. In my hometown – I am the President of the Belleville Board of Education, and also serve on the Belleville Zoning Board, Historic Preservation Commission and Municipal Green Team.
I am an advocate for improving ways in which the board of education and community interact. Having residents actively involved in the school and the community we are able to respond more effectively to everyone’s needs.
Assistant Superintendent
Burlington City School District
Dr. James Flynn has been a proponent for creating safer school zones in New Jersey since his time as Principal of Burlington City High School. One of his students, Antwan Timbers, Jr., was killed in the Burlington City School Zone in 2016. Dr. Flynn, along with his students and staff began a “25 Saves Lives Campaign” asking motorists to slow down. Governor Murphy signed Antwan’s Law in 2019 which established a 25 miles per hour speed limit on Route 130 in the Burlington City School Zone.
President
West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance
Anne Clifton has been a board member of the West Windsor Bicycle & Pedestrian Alliance (WWBPA) for over six years. She enjoys teaching students about biking and walking safety and educating drivers about New Jersey’s Safe Passing Law. For the past few years, she has organized the WWBPA’s Learn to Bike clinic for children and an opening day walk to the local farmers market.
Board Member
West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance
Silvia has been on the WWBPA board from 2008-2013 and 2021-present. She launched the WWBPA’s annual learn to bike class, helped get a mile of sidewalk installed on a complicated county road, and led a WWBPA campaign for wayfinding signage. She is on the board of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail, on the Circuit Trails steering committee, a regional board of Girls in Gear, and is a former East Coast Greenway advisory board member. She blogs about her bike adventures on exploringbybike.com.
Manager of Planning for Operations and Technology
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
Andy is a Manager in the planning department at NJTPA. He has extensive experience in engineering & planning regional multimodal transportation. Prior roles include redevelopment of LGA, JFK & managing the PANYNJ transportation management center. Andy also has extensive experience in transportation safety – including development of NJ and national safety programs, research and policy. Andy has received numerous prestigious industry recognitions for his work and leadership.
Architect
Princeton Future
Marina is the principal of an award-winning architecture practice based in Princeton and a real estate developer. Her firm focuses on creative and unique approaches to addressing the housing crisis. In addition to her professional work, Marina is actively involved in her community as a council member of Princeton Future and hosts the podcast “Who Killed the Starter Home?”
Councilwoman
Borough of Hopewell
Krista Weaver is a Hopewell Borough councilwoman and traffic safety advocate. She led a successful effort to win a Safe Routes to School grant for the borough in 2024 that will overhaul the town’s streetscape. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Regional and City Planning at Rutgers’ Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. Krista lives in Hopewell with her husband, two daughters and five cats.
Councilwoman
Eatontown Borough
Candace Faust is serving her first term on the Eatontown Borough Council. She served as Vice Chairperson of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, Chairperson of the Shade Tree Commission, and co-founder and chair of the Complete Streets Advisory Committee. Eatontown ranked 13th nationally and 1st in New Jersey on Smart Growth America’s Best Complete Streets Policies of 2023. Due to Eatontown’s successes, they are a Sustainable Jersey Spotlight town in the Complete Street category.
Trails Network Manager
New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition
Tiffany Robinson is a seasoned transportation planning and community outreach professional with 19+ years of experience. A global expert, she has worked on projects domestically and internationally. Tiffany holds a BA in Urban Studies and Public Policy from Boston University. As the Trails Network Manager at NJ Bike and Walk Coalition, she focuses on developing safe trail systems, including the North Jersey Trail Network, to connect communities and promote active transportation.
Program Manager
New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition
Paul joined the New Jersey Bike Walk Coalition as a certified cycling instructor and Program Manager in 2021. His primary role is leading the SAFE Network Program to support, inspire and educate fellow safe streets advocates working to build bike and walk friendly communities around the state.
Founding Principal + CEO
Mercer Planning Associates
Courtenay D. Mercer, PP, AICP is the Founding Principal of Mercer Planning Associates, a boutique land use planning firm specializing in comprehensive planning, economic development, and strategic community engagement. With substantial public and non-profit sector experience, Mercer has overseen diverse and complex projects within all types of communities.
Program Director
Program Director, East Trenton Collaborative
Caitlin Fair is the Program Director of the East Trenton Collaborative, a community organizing initiative overseen by Isles, Inc. Caitlin is responsible for working collaboratively with community members and the ETC team to develop programming and initiatives to develop and revitalize the East Trenton neighborhood in the areas of housing, economic, infrastructure, and community development.
Public Projects Manager
Artworks Trenton
Jonathan Conner (LANK) is an artist, designer, and educator from Trenton, New Jersey. A graduate of the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, LANK is the Public Projects Manager for Artworks Trenton focusing on community-based art installations.
Executive Director & Co-founder
Friends of Metcalf Park
Kweli is an avid lover/user and advocate for green spaces, car free travel, and everything environmentally friendly! Born and raised in Brooklyn; and, a transplant of Orange, NJ, Kweli has spent over 30 years in community grassroots organizing of which 15+ has been spent in transportation advocacy. She fuels a passion for elevating and activating unheard voices.
Chief, Hudson County Division of Planning
Founder, Black & Urban
Byron Nicholas is the Chief of Hudson County New Jersey’s Planning Division, where he oversees the County’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, Vision Zero Initiative, the new Comprehensive Plan’s development, the State’s Cross-Acceptance Process, and various Environmental and Greenway Planning projects and initiatives. Byron also serves as the County’s Planning Board Director and Secretary.
Principal Engineer & Planner
NV5
Matt Ludwig is a civil engineer and planner who specializes in the planning and design of complete streets, Vision Zero, and active transportation including trails and protected bike lanes. Matt has been involved in the planning and design of many of the region’s major trail corridors including the Camden County LINK Trail, Essex-Hudson Greenway, and the Delaware River Trail. Matt is a Principal Planner & Engineer at NV5 where he oversees active transportation projects throughout the region.
Executive Director
Sustainable Princeton
Christine Symington is the Executive Director at Sustainable Princeton. Christine joined Sustainable Princeton in 2014 and held several roles before becoming Executive Director. She led the organization’s effort to develop Princeton’s first Climate Action Plan in 2018 and was a key team member involved in creating the organization’s current 5-year strategic plan.
Deputy Administrator & Municipal Engineer
Princeton Municipality
Deanna Stockton is Princeton’s Deputy Administrator and Municipal Engineer. She directs a $27m annual capital infrastructure program, supplementing municipal funds with state/federal grants and infrastructure bank loans. Princeton’s award-winning Witherspoon Street Streetscape project is an example of this collaborative funding effort.
Deanna is the First Past President of the NJ Society of Municipal Engineers and municipal representative to the State Transportation Innovation Council.
Senior Research Specialist
Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
Dr. Hannah Younes is a Senior Research Specialist at the Voorhees Transportation Center in the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University. Her research interests revolve around sustainable and safe transportation. In her role at Rutgers University, Dr. Younes focuses on crash and medical records research, build environment and geometric roadway design, and active travel research.
Trustee
Hudson County Complete Streets
Ryan is a software developer, trustee of “hudcostreets,” Bike JC, and the Embankment Coalition, and maintains web dashboards about Citi Bike, NJ crashes, and PATH ridership. He owns 4 e-bikes and a scooter, and is obsessed with transit, micromobility, and urbanism.
Executive Director
Brooklyn Greenway Initiative
Hunter Armstrong is Executive Director of Brooklyn Greenway Initiative where he calls on two decades of experience improving NYC’s public realm. Since 2004, BGI has focused on planning, advocacy, and community engagement. A non-profit, BGI is the founding convener of the NYC Greenways Coalition, which includes 45+ groups. Previously, Hunter worked at Natural Areas Conservancy, and CIVITAS, where he led an ideas competition for the East River. He has a masters degree in urban planning from UVa.
New Jersey & New York Manager
East Coast Greenway Alliance
Sofia is responsible for advocacy to develop the East Coast Greenway, an envisioned 3,000-mile trail from Florida to Maine, in New Jersey and New York. She is an active member of the Circuit Trails Coalition, North Jersey Trails Network Initiative, New Jersey Trails Action Network, and NYC Greenways Coalition, which work collaboratively to develop trail networks across the region. Sofia holds a Master’s in city planning from Rutgers University and has a background in environmental studies.
Principal
Vaccaro Law
Steve Vaccaro, Rutgers Law-Newark ‘96, represents seriously injured cyclists and pedestrians in New Jersey as a trial lawyer and public policy advocate. He has helped draft and win passage and enforcement of numerous laws to make streets safer, and serves on the boards of Bike New York, Transportation Alternatives, the New York Cycle Club, and StreetsPAC, the cyclists’ political action committee. Learn more about his work on Instagram (@SteveVaccaroLaw) and his firm’s website, Vaccaro-Law.com.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator
NJ Department of Transportation
Elise Bremer-Nei, AICP/PP is the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the New Jersey Department of Transportation and has worked on local, county, regional and state active transportation projects for more than twenty-five years. Elise has managed NJDOT’s Office of Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning, including the statewide Bike Ped Master Plan, Complete Streets guidance and reviews, and the Safe Routes to School and Local Planning Assistance programs.
State Trails Coordinator
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Mackenzie Piggott has been in the position of State Trails Coordinator with the NJDEP Green Acres Program since 2022. Her passion for outdoor recreation, conservation, active transportation, and sustainability are driving forces in her work administering the Recreational Trails Program, facilitating the New Jersey Trails Council, and coordinating statewide trails planning efforts for the Department.
Master’s Student
Voorhees Transportation Center, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Rebecca Levitsky is a soon-to-be graduate of the Master of City and Regional Planning Program at the Bloustein School at Rutgers University, focusing on transportation and land use planning. At the Voorhees Transportation Center, Rebecca has worked primarily on complete streets policy research and active transportation funding in New Jersey. She has also spent time in SEPTA’s Strategic Planning Department, supporting Transit-Oriented Community initiatives in the greater Philadelphia area.
Policy Director – Land Use
New Jersey Future
Chris builds movements and changes policies to make New Jersey communities healthy and prosperous for everyone with a special focus on infrastructure and land use regulations. As Policy Director – Land Use at New Jersey Future, she leads the team focused on active transportation and trails, great homes and neighborhoods for all, age-friendly communities, and state and regional planning.
Senior Research Specialist
Voorhees Transportation Center
James Sinclair is a Senior Research Specialist at the Voorhees Transportation Center, located within the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. With over ten years of experience at the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center, James has dedicated his efforts to research and technical assistance aimed at improving safety for vulnerable roadway users and enhancing travel options across New Jersey to promote shifts to more sustainable modes of transportation.
Research Project Manager
Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University
Sean Meehan is a Research Project Manager at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University. Sean works in the area of pedestrian and bicycle mobility and safety with a goal of making it easier and safer for both children and adults to walk and cycle more. Sean oversees projects for the New Jersey SRTS program in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Transportation and with the state’s eight Transportation Management Associations (TMAs).
Principal Planner
New Jersey Department of Transportation
William Riviere is a Principal Planner and the Safe Routes to School Coordinator at NJDOT. He is also lead administrator of NJDOT’s Bike/Ped Planning Assistance Program. He has been part of NJDOT’s Office of Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs since 2001. In addition to his work with the BPPA program, Bill has served as an in-house subject matter expert making sure bicycle and pedestrian needs are accommodated as part of state roadway projects.
Manager, Regional Trails Program
Office of Climate and Environment
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
Shawn Megill Legendre manages the Regional Trails Program at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC). The program supports trail development across Greater Philadelphia with funding, technical assistance, data, and coordination with a focus on the nine-county region’s 800+ mile Circuit Trails network. Shawn is a board member of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals. Shawn has worked at DVRPC for over 13 years.
Director of Transportation Planning
City of Jersey City
Mike serves as the Director of Transportation Planning for the City of Jersey City. The Division is responsible for leading the City’s Vision Zero Task Force, developing conceptual plans for the design of Complete Streets, administering the City’s transportation services, including microtransit and shared use mobility, and conducting low-cost pilot intervention projects to evaluate enhancement to the safety for all users.
Executive Director
South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization
Jennifer Marandino is the Executive Director of the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization (SJTPO). Mrs. Marandino began with SJTPO in March of 2011, previously serving as Team Leader of Capital Programming and Safety. Before she worked at SJTPO, Mrs. Marandino worked in the traffic and transportation engineering field for 10 years. Mrs. Marandino has over 20 years of experience in the transportation industry.
Principal Planner, TMA & Mobility Programs
North Jersey Transportation Authority
Jasmine is a Principal Planner at the NJTPA. She manages the TMA program and works on mobility and regional planning initiatives. Jasmine has experience in municipal and county planning and teaches two urban design courses at Rutgers University. She holds a master’s degree in city and regional planning and a bachelor’s degree in urban planning and design, both from Rutgers. Jasmine is also a LEED Green Associate with a community sustainability certificate.
Senior Transportation Planner
Department of Infrastructure, City of Jersey City
Lyndsey Scofield is a Sr. Transportation Planner in Jersey City’s Department of Infrastructure, where she has the privilege of working on projects that improve safety and comfort for all users of the street. In this role, she coordinates the Vision Zero Task Force and is involved in numerous transportation policy, infrastructure, and education initiatives. Lyndsey holds a Master of Urban Planning from NYU Wagner and a B.S. in Environmental Science & Policy from the University of South Florida.
Community Advocate
Montclair Vision Zero Task Force
Since December of 2023, Amy Veach has been a resident advocate on the Montclair Vision Zero Task Force. She helped develop Montclair’s Complete Streets policy, facilitate the Task Force’s communications and the Safe Routes to School survey.
Founder
Nikhil Badlani Foundation & Families for Safe Streets NJ
Sangeeta has been a driving force in traffic safety, leading efforts like Nikhil’s Law, 50 Practice Hours, and the NJ Target Zero Bill. Through programs like the Traffic Safety Youth Advisory Board and Drivers Ed Through Art, she has educated thousands and supported crash victims’ families. After losing her 11-year-old son, Nikhil, to a reckless driver, she turned tragedy into a mission for safer roads.
Deputy Director
Hudson County Department of Planning and Business Opportunity
Having grown up in Jersey City and being a current resident of Bayonne, Francesca Giarratana has spent most of her personal life and career in Hudson County. In her role as Deputy Director, she focuses on the Open Space Trust Fund and serves as the County Executive’s designee for the Vision Zero Task Force. Her daughter, Celeste, has strengthened her conviction and drive to protect green spaces and make our streets safer.
Mercer County Executive
Mercer County
In January 2024, Dan Benson was sworn into the role of Mercer County Executive with a mission to unite our community. His vision is about progress and inclusivity, bringing fresh ideas and innovation to county government while ensuring we have leadership that works for everyone.
In Mercer County, if you have a good idea that can help people, he would like to hear it. The Benson administration will work tirelessly to make sure everyone has a seat at the table.
New Jersey Project Director
Rails to Trails Conservancy
Upendra is the New Jersey Project Director at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, leading efforts to expand active transportation networks and promote sustainable, equitable development across the state. He has more than 15 years of experience in planning and community development, both in private and public sectors and at the state and local levels.
Upendra is driven by a passion for ensuring that all communities have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.
Supervising Planner
City of Hoboken
Jessica leads Hoboken’s Redevelopment Program, which focusses on expanding housing, infrastructure, public spaces, and resilient urban designs. She negotiates redevelopment agreements expected to bring 6,000 units, including 600+ affordable units, 500,000 sq. ft. of new retail, hotels, public parks, community spaces, woonerfs/plazas, complete streets redesigns, and millions in community benefits. Jessica serves on the NJAPA Executive Committee and the Zoning Board in Westfield, her hometown.
Supervising Engineer
Middlesex County Office of Planning
Michael Dannemiller is a Supervising Engineer in the Office of Planning at Middlesex County, NJ. Throughout his 30+ years of experience, he has worked to make it safer for people to get around however they choose to travel. Mr. Dannemiller is experienced in transportation planning, traffic engineering analysis, transit access, and the design of conceptual plans for implementing safe and inclusive transportation facilities.
President
Princeton Council
Mia is the Chair of the Infrastructure and Operations Committee and supports the implementation of the town’s Bicycle Mobility Plan and Complete Streets Policy. As Chair of Princeton’s Affordable Housing, Planning, and Redevelopment Committee, she ensured that the town’s new housing developments incorporated significant pedestrian and bike infrastructure enhancements. She negotiated developer agreements that funded these improvements and created a Sustainable Transportation Fund.
Active Transportation Program Manager
Tri-state Transportation Campaign
As the Active Transportation Program Manager at Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Corey chairs the Vision Zero NJ Alliance, NJ Trails Action Network, NJ Complete Streets Working Group, and the Circuit Trails Mercer County Action Team. He works to facilitate coordination between local grassroots advocates, larger non-profit organizations, public agencies, and elected officials to meet the region’s climate goals, eliminate traffic deaths, and improve transportation equity.
Executive Director
New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition
Debra currently serves as Executive Director of the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition. She leads the organization’s strategic planning, policy, and programs including the advocacy and community outreach for the Essex-Hudson Greenway project, the Safe Passing Law campaign, and the Safe Streets For All Network. She comes to the Executive Director position after serving as Director of Programs for NJBWC, including producing the 2020 NJ Bike & Walk Summit. She currently serves on the Hudson County, Meadowlands and Montclair Vision Zero Task Forces, the Executive Committee of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Council, the Steering Committee of the Strategic Highway Safety Plan, and the Advisory Board of the September 11th National Memorial Trail. She previously served as President of Bike & Walk Montclair, and currently serves as a member of the Bike & Walk Montclair Board. She also has led the revitalization of the Lenape Trail as New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Trail Manager for the trail. Previously, she worked for over 25 years in the education field in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors, as a partnership and program director, and non-profit management consultant.
Director of Operations
Trenton Cycling Revolution
Wills Kinsley owes his life to the bicycle as his parents met in college when his dad repaired his mother’s broken English 3 speed and has been trying to repay the debt ever since. He is the Director of Operations of Trenton Cycling Revolution, a 501c3 bicycle advocacy group that operates the Community Outreach Garage, a neighborhood bike repair shop. He is a Board Member of Freedom NJ, an indoor public skatepark in Trenton, a trustee of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail and the founder of Trenton Bike Polo. He is also the fabrication department at Zienowicz Signs and Bike Arts LLC, making commercial signage and bicycle sculptures.
Instructor
Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation
Ted Green, P.E. (NJ, NY, PA) has been providing technical training as part of the national Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) community for 15 years on various roadway related subjects including accessible public pedestrian networks across the country. Ted has over 30 years of experience as a civil engineer performing training, project management, design, and condition inspection of various highway and railroad bridges and the associated roadway safety features, parking structures, bus maintenance facilities, and airport terminal buildings. With a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from North Dakota State University he is a licensed Professional Engineer in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Ted is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) with leadership positions held at the local level, past Region 1 Governor (New England, NY, NJ), and past chair of national committees.
AARP New Jersey Speakers Bureau
AARP New Jersey
Marty’s New Jersey credentials include growing up in nearby Highland Park, graduating from Rutgers and being named a Loyal Son of Rutgers for his volunteer efforts. Many years ago, he ran a number of 5Ks down the Jersey Shore and throughout the state, and participated in nine New York City Marathons. His current physical fitness regimen consists of daily walks around his neighborhood in East Brunswick and scenic trails such as the Delaware & Raritan Canal towpath. Marty is a member of the AARP’s New Jersey Speakers Bureau and a volunteer mentor for SCORE. He works as a consultant in the non-profit field.
Northeast Regional Director
Rails to Trails Conservancy
Tom has been with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy since 1991 and presently directs policy and trail development work in the 10-state northeast region where he communicates with volunteers, local officials, planners, and state and federal agencies to preserve rail corridors and facilities. He is also the conservancy’s lead on maintenance, resiliency, user counts, and sharing with electric utilities.
In the early 90’s Tom was the leader in implementing the federal Transportation Alternatives Program in Pennsylvania, still the single largest funder of rail-trail development in the nation. He served on the Pennsylvania Greenway Commission, launched the New England Rail-Trail Network Vision, and is presently a member of the New Jersey Trails Council.
He has authored several trail guidebooks and was the founder and organizer of the Greenway Sojourn, a week-long trail mass ride in the mid-Atlantic states totaling almost 5000 bicyclists over two decades. He was also co-chair of the 1997 International Trails and Greenways Conference.
Prior to RTC, Tom worked as a congressional staffer, a naturalist in NYC and six years with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation during which he also served as an officer in the US Naval Reserve. He has a Masters in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts.
Research Project Coordinator
Voorhees Transportation Center
Jon Dugan is a Research Project Coordinator for the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University. Jon works in pedestrian and bicycle mobility and safety with the main goal of making it easier and safer for both children and adults of all abilities to walk and cycle more. Jon’s professional work at VTC focuses on access, mobility, safety, and equity issues through projects including Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets, and Mature Drivers. Prior to joining VTC, Jon worked as a Safe Routes Coordinator for RideWise TMA, the Education Manager at Duke Farms, and a Project Coordinator for NJDEP’s Coastal Land Use Management team where he assisted in creating the state’s public access map. Jon also spends his time as the Volunteer Monitoring Manager for the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership where he educates and trains citizen-scientists on water quality monitoring. Jon received his B.A. from Rutgers University.
Managing Director & Adjunct Professor
Voorhees Transportation Center, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Leigh Ann Von Hagen, AICP, PP is a Managing Director and Adjunct Professor with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center and a founder of the Planning Healthy Communities Initiative at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She has worked in the transportation-planning field for over twenty years with a focus on developing sustainable and equitable transportation and land use solutions for communities. Leigh Ann is a licensed professional planner, both nationally and in New Jersey and is a leader in creating multi-disciplined approaches to environmental and policy change through community-based initiatives and partnership building. Leigh Ann manages the NJ Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School Resource Center and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center. She specializes in initiatives that address pedestrian and bicycle safety, health, equity, and access through research, training, education, community engagement, and best practice in policy and design.
Director, Transportation and Parking
City of Hoboken
Ryan Sharp has served as the Director of Transportation and Parking for the City of Hoboken since 2017. He is responsible for the safe, equitable, and efficient operation of Hoboken’s surface transportation systems. Ryan oversees Hoboken’s award-winning Complete Streets and Vision Zero Programs, which have received national acclaim after seven consecutive years without a traffic death. Ryan is also responsible for Hoboken’s shared mobility programs and green transportation initiatives, such as bike share, car share, local public transit, and the buildout of New Jersey’s largest public on-street EV charging network. Ryan also oversees Hoboken’s Parking Utility, which generates over $22 million annually in revenue and is responsible for curbside management, maintenance and operation of municipal parking facilities, permit parking, and more. Ryan is an alum of the MCRP program at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, and studied public administration at Florida International University in Miami, FL.
Co-Founder
Montclair Bike Bus
Jessica Tillyer is the President of RoAndCo, a brand studio focused on supporting underrepresented visionary leaders. She is an avid everyday bike commuter and joy rider. In the early 2000’s she founded the Brooklyn Bike Adventure Club. More recently, she’s the co-founder of Montclair Bike Bus and Bike Bus World. She serves as a Board Member of the National Women’s History museum and more locally is a representative on Montclair’s Vision Zero Task Force. Most importantly, she’s the mother of two bike-loving girls.
Vice President
Bike JC
Tony has served on the board of Bike JC since 2014 after volunteering for several years; today he is the manager of the Bike JC social media presence, a liaison to the Jersey City government, and a chief marshal for many organized bike rides. A native of Queens, Tony lived in several urban and suburban towns in North Jersey before moving to Downtown Jersey City’s Hamilton Park neighborhood in 1997. He lives on the same block today. After a decade as a newspaper reporter, and stints editing and writing for Manhattan management and marketing firms, Tony is currently a proofreader and copy editor for Prudential Insurance in Newark, where he is also a member of the revived Brick City Bike Collective advocacy and riding group. A longtime explorer of Jersey City and its urban environs by bike and mass transit, Tony also enjoys triathlons, marathons and distance running, and Jersey City’s art, music, dining, and nightlife scene.
Founder
Girls In Gear
Dr. Gabrielle Rossi’s blended background of educational and practical experience uniquely poised her to start Girls in Gear in 2021. She has 10+ years of experience leading youth development organizations that use recreation as a platform for life lessons. As the executive director of Girls in Gear, Gabrielle has the pleasure of seeing girls take what they learn on their bikes and apply it to their lives with verve, tenacity, and pluck. Gabrielle is a full-time faculty member at Rutgers University where she’s been honored for her work in the Camden community. Her research focuses on how biking makes you a better person. She is a Wilderness First-Responder and League Cycling Instructor.
Transportation Outreach Coordinator
Clean Air Council
Titania Markland was born and raised in Jamaica. Protecting the environment and native species has always been near and dear to her heart. Humans contribute a tremendous amount to the changing climate resulting in more natural disasters. During high school in Jamaica, she competed in track and field, and earned a scholarship to the University of Minnesota. After undergrad, she completed her Master’s Degree in Land and Atmospheric Science.
After graduating and moving to Philadelphia, she was determined to find a job and company culture where her colleagues shared her passion for environmental protection. As Transportation Outreach Coordinator for the Clean Air Council, she gets to work directly with residents of Philadelphia to find alternative ways to commute throughout the city with the big aim of reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions.
Founder
Trenton 365
Jacque Howard is Trenton’s modern-day visionary. Through civic engagement, he aims to help Trenton unleash its untapped potential, making it a worthy reflection of its population’s vibrant talent and diversity. Howard has taken many strides towards achieving this goal through various community-building projects and partnerships over the years.
Although Jacque’s many projects are multifaceted, diverse, and seemingly disparate, they all have one thing in common—they are each a testament to Howard’s gift at transforming the sometimes-overlooked facets of quotidian life into a means to enact greater social change and inclusion. Overall, Howard doesn’t wait to be prompted or to find glaring oversights to get involved. He seeks not merely to fix, but to improve and create anew. Howard’s many efforts to change his community for the better are conveniently spelled out here by the acronym R.E.A.C.H. (Recreation, Environment, Art, Civics, Health).
Senior Associate
Michael Baker International
Peter brings more than 30 years of project and managerial experience to his planning practice focused on multimodal transportation systems, mobility, and safety. He has a diverse background in project planning, policy analysis, and travel demand modeling with expertise in Complete Streets, bicycle, pedestrian and trails planning, statewide and metropolitan transportation planning, safety, land use and redevelopment, community engagement, and traffic operations.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Coordinator
Greater Mercer TMA
Kathleen Ebert is the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Coordinator at Greater Mercer TMA. She works with schools and municipalities to educate children and residents on street safety. Her focus is building community relationships by collaborating with community groups to promote bike and pedestrian safety. She is the founder of Point Pleasant Borough Complete Streets, a group created for residents and business owners to learn about and promote the benefits of Complete Streets. This group advocates for safer streets for all users, all ages, and all abilities. Kathleen graduated from the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, especially the beach, and attending her children’s various activities.
Transportation Planning Specialist
Greater Mercer TMA
Chris Townley is a Transportation Planning Specialist at the Greater Mercer TMA, where he has worked on the East Trenton Neighborhood ‘Inspired Safe Streets’ demonstration project in addition to Vision Zero and street safety plans. Previously, he worked as an Urban Designer at Arterial Design Studio, focusing on designing and implementing street designs. He was part of award-winning projects such as the Millburn Complete Streets Initiative and the Stuyvesant Avenue Streetscape Improvements. He is a graduate of the Bloustein School at Rutgers University, where he earned a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning. His goal is to make streets great again, where people can choose to travel safely without a car.
Constituent Affairs Coordinator
Town of Dover
Yahayra Mejorada is a native Peruvian who moved to the US at age 9. She is a first-generation graduate, she earned the Drew University Presidential Merit Scholarship and majored in International Relations and Public Affairs.
Following her graduation, she consulted for the Commission on the Status of the Woman (CSW) to decrease the NGO’s intergenerational gap through marketing and program development.
She spent 12 years working and advocating for adults with developmental disabilities as a developmental instructor, and later, as a business development professional. Yahayra also held a parallel career as a political consultant with a focus on new candidate training.
Yahayra uses her passion for government and community engagement in her current role as the Town of Dover’s Constituent Affairs Coordinator. She humbly serves on the boards of:
Yahayra is thrilled to moderate this year’s panel at the 2nd Annual NJ Women Economic Forum alongside the esteemed Dr. Denise Fernandes- former outreach coordinator for the United States White House.
Director of Sustainability Programs
EZ Ride
Lisa is a League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor and received a B.A. from Wellesley College, an executive M.P.A. from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and a Master of Divinity degree from Alliance Theological Seminary. Currently studying Urban Planning at Rutgers University Bloustein School.
Lisa connects and encourages stakeholders to use policy, environment and system change to create safer and healthier places to live, work, study, and play. Serves as the regional Safe Routes to School Coordinator for Monmouth, Bergen, and the urban parts of Essex, Union, and Passaic Counties. Lisa assists communities to conduct Street Smart NJ pedestrian and driver safety campaigns, walk/bike audits, and writes travel plans for municipalities and schools to apply for New Jersey Department of Transportation grants. Works on walking, biking and Complete Streets policies, infrastructure change, and tactical urbanism demo projects to support safe active transportation. Helps promote walk and roll to school days, walking school busses/bike trains, wellness councils, community gardens, and healthy corner store/barbershop partnerships. Lisa developed Healthy Community initiatives/coalitions in Asbury Park, Long Branch, Farmingdale, Plainfield, Belmar and Fanwood-Scotch Plains.
Board Member
New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition, Rails to Trails Conservancy
M. Katherine Kraft (Kate) is a nationally recognized expert on the impact of the built environment on health outcomes. She is immediate past Executive Director of America Walks and was the founding Director of the EveryBody Walk! Collaborative at America Walks. America Walks is the only national organization focused on cultivating local and state walking and walkable community champions to push for safe, accessible, equitable places to walk and move.
Prior to leading America Walks, Kate worked as a planning and program consultant with local foundations, national organizations and research groups developing and evaluating local community change efforts and designing comprehensive prevention initiatives. The hallmark of her work is implementing policy and environmental changes at the local level, including the development of cross-sector coalitions.
Before that, she spent a decade as a senior program and evaluation staff member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). While at RWJF, Dr. Kraft was involved in developing several of the foundation’s major initiatives designed to promote healthy behavior. Specifically, she was the chief architect of the Active Living research, community change and leadership portfolio. These programs worked to link public health, urban planning and community development to improve health outcomes and have been models for the nation’s efforts to address obesity and prevent chronic disease.
Kate speaks and writes about the impact of the built environment on health and why place matters. Dr. Kraft received her Ph.D. in social work and social research from Bryn Mawr College and was a Lenard Davis Fellow in health economics at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining RWJF, Dr. Kraft was on the social work faculty at Rutgers University.
Princeton Pedestrian & Bicycle Advisory Committee
Lisa Serieyssol is a transportation professional, with an emphasis on creating safe, equitable, accessible, and climate-conscious places to walk, bike, and roll.
She is active in Princeton’s Pedestrian & Bicycle Advisory Committee (PBAC), and collaborates with elected officials and municipal staff to advance walking and biking safety infrastructure. While PBAC’s chair (2018 – 2021) she worked with Princeton elected officials to commit to Vision Zero policies and establish a Vision Zero Steering committee.
Lisa has worked as Executive Director of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail and as Safe Routes to School Program Coordinator at Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, arranging programs and events around New Jersey to teach communities about walking and biking safety and to broaden safety awareness among drivers. Through extensive analysis and discussions with the community as well as engineers, planners, and elected officials, she has compiled reports with recommendations. Often these led to successful grant applications to improve the safety and accessibility of roads and trails around New Jersey.
Program Director
Cross County Connection TMA
Patrick Farley is the Program Director at Cross County Connection TMA. He has been with the organization for 12 years. In his role, he oversees the organization’s work with local governments, businesses, social service organizations, and residents to plan and create a more equitable and sustainable regional transportation network that encourages walking, biking, and public transit. Patrick grew up in South Jersey and is deeply invested in Cross County Connection’s work in the region. He received a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Penn State University and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.
Access Nature Disability Advocate
Pinelands Preservation Alliance
Sean joined Pinelands Preservation Alliance in November of 2022 as the Access Nature and Disability Advocate. Attending Rutgers University, He graduated with a B.A. in American History & Political Science. Since 2014 he has worked in the New Jersey Park Service at Batsto Historic Village in Wharton State Forest as a member of the history department. A lifelong Southern New Jersey resident. Being an avid outdoorsman – any chance he gets, you’ll find him kayaking one of the many rivers in the Pinelands or exploring the countless historic/cultural sites. He’s devoted to the preservation of natural, cultural, and historic sites being a proud member of American Battlefield Trust which protects hallowed ground. He’s thrilled about working in an organization that shares the same goals and commitments as he does for preserving, restoring, and interpreting natural and historic resources for current and future generations and ensuring everyone in our diverse collective community has a chance to enjoy the magnificence of New Jersey’s great outdoors. Sean leads efforts in working with land managers to establish best practices for accessible trail designs, and inclusive programming. Completing site surveys on accessibility. In addition to managing an interactive story map that is populated with nature sites that have accessibility built into their sites. As well as organizing an online forum for individuals with disabilities, land managers, and advocates to learn from each other and build ideas to break down barriers to accessing nature.
Contact (609) 859-8860 ext. 117 or sean@pinelandsalliance.org.
Transportation Systems Engineer/Accessibility Specialist
U.S. Access Board
Juliet Shoultz is a Transportation Systems Engineer with the U.S Access Board where she serves as lead staff on accessible transportation. She has fifteen years of experience in transportation planning and engineering for state government, and extensive experience in Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) policy and standards development as well as ADA transition planning. Juliet has been an active participant on Transportation Research Board standing committees, and a member of a National Cooperative Highway Research Program panel.
Research Project Coordinator
Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University
Sam Rosenthal, AICP, is a Research Project Coordinator at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University. As a staff member at the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center, Sam contributes to planning for safe and accessible active transportation in New Jersey. His work involves transportation research, report writing, and graphic and web design. His recent projects have focused on developing public-facing resources related to e-bike and e-scooter legislation and safety, as well as research on Complete Streets approaches that improve safety for those with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to joining VTC, Sam served as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Hoboken, NJ, coordinating community engagement and job training programs related to green infrastructure. Sam received a Master of City and Regional Planning from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University and a B.A. in Urban Studies from Vassar College.
Research Project Coordinator
Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University
Greg Woltman, AICP, is a Research Project Coordinator at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center. His work with the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center includes research focused on micromobility safety, pedestrian access for older adults, best practices in pedestrian scale lighting, and federal zero deaths initiatives and grant programs. As a staff researcher at the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center, Greg dedicated his efforts to researching and synthesizing information on different federal discretionary grants to identify optimal funding opportunities for State, MPO, county, and municipal governments to expand their active transportation networks and enhance safety for vulnerable road users.
Greg has provided Complete Streets technical assistance to multiple municipalities throughout New Jersey. This assistance has included developing bikeway plans, conducting walk audits, and facilitating community visioning at public outreach activities. Greg has also conducted research and provided technical assistance for metropolitan planning organizations and the state on best practices in pedestrian and bicyclist education and awareness campaigns for the public and law enforcement.
In his research, Greg has focused on identifying the political, bureaucratic, and technical barriers to the implementation of active transportation projects. His research has helped local communities more confidently focus their resources when applying for appropriate federal programs and projects that will help them reach their safety goals.
Senior Director of Planning
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
Jeffrey Perlman is a principal planner at the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, managing the agency’s climate change research activities, notably the regional greenhouse gas inventory and forecast project. He has worked as a planning consultant for a number of New Jersey municipalities, where he conducted a variety of planning studies including master plans, redevelopment plans, and affordable housing plans. He holds a Masters of City and Regional Planning from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, and is a NJ licensed professional planner. Jeffrey also holds LEED-Accredited Professional status from the US Green Building Council.
Administrator, Office of Urban State Parks & Initiatives
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Maggie McCann joined the NJDEP as the Administrator for Urban State Parks and Initiatives within the DEP’s Parks, Forestry and Historic Sites Program Area November 2023. Previously, Maggie was Director of Camden County Parks managing 4,000 acres of parkland and open space in a landscape that included urban, suburban, and rural areas. She is passionate and focused on revitalizing aged parks infrastructure, creating new, equitable urban open spaces and working with diverse groups of partners to create access and programs that reconnect people to their natural resources.
Land Project Director
Open Space Institute
Dene “Dene Hofheinz Lee directs the Open Space Institute’s Northeast Land Protection program. With close to 30 years of conservation expertise, she structures and completes acquisitions that create and enhance public open space across the Eastern United States, with a specialty in linear greenway parks. In this capacity, she originated and built OSI’s Greenway Trails acquisition program that focuses on rail line acquisitions for parks and economic development. She structured and closed on the $65M acquisition of 9 miles of rail-line that traverses the two most densely populated counties in New Jersey. In addition, in 2021 she closed on the purchase of the 9-mile Schunnemunk Rail Trail in Orange County, NY, which will ultimately provide green mobility between the Harriman Trail Station in Harriman NY and the Salisbury Mills Station in Cornwall, NY.
Along with her rail trail portfolio, she directed, initiated, and executed over 40 conservation transactions from 2021 to 2023 protecting more than 4,000 acres of land and representing almost $100M in FMV. Her broad range of real estate experience includes negotiation, valuation, and project and public finance.”
Manager, Office of Safe Streets
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
Over 25 years with DVRPC Kevin has become a seasoned team leader guiding safety-focused planning studies, regional safety plans, and Road Safety Audits. He facilitated the adoption of Regional Vision Zero 2050, and the setting of regional safety targets, and is currently leading the development of a regional Vision Zero plan to advance the region’s 2050 zero fatalities goal. He possesses a comprehensive knowledge of transportation safety planning and is a thoughtful collaborator in diagnosing problems and building consensus to advance safe and equitable access for all system users.