YPT Members and Friends,
YPT Elections are just around the corner. Voting will be open from October 15 at 9 A.M. eastern to October 26 at 8 P.M. eastern. You will receive voting instructions from our voting host server, www.simplyvoting.com, before October 15. YPT uses a ranked voting process. We use this method so that:
- Candidates can run for multiple positions, and if someone wins two positions, they will choose which position they want. The votes they received will be reallocated to the voters’ second choices.
- In the event of a tie, we will not need to have a separate run-off vote. The votes from the candidate receiving the lowest total will be reallocated to each voter’s second choice candidate.
The results will be made available to the YPT membership in early November. The new Board term for all winning candidates will begin on November 1, 2018.
YPT International candidate information has been reproduced below. Please visit yptransportation.org for descriptions and duties of each position. If you are affiliated with a local YPT chapter that is hosting elections, you will receive an additional e-mail containing local chapter candidate statements soon. Only current YPT Members are eligible to vote. Check your status and renew your membership today at yptransportation.org.
Thanks for your support of YPT International. Please let our Deputy Chair know if you have any questions or technical difficulty throughout the elections process.
Sincerely,
Your 2017-2018 YPT International Board
YPT International Candidate Statements
These candidate statements have also been e-mailed to our Members.
Candidate(s) for Chair
Jaime McKay
Transportation Planner, WSP
I would like to be considered for the role of Chair for the YPT International Board. After spending the 2017-2018 term as the Deputy Chair and the 2016-2017 term as the Director of Communications, I have gained an enormous amount of knowledge about the operations and administration of the International Board.
I have played a multifaceted role in assisting many of my fellow Board members, including assisting with covering the Deputy Chair position in 2017 for a time before a new Deputy Chair was named. In 2018 as Deputy Chair I oversaw the transition of a new Board of Advisors, and have continued to expand YPT International’s successes through innovative avenues. I’ve worked hard with each of my fellow Board Members to ensure open and productive communications alongside metrics-driven and measurable results.
In my role as the Director of Communications, I collaborated on a process to initiate a new database management system that would enable us to provide more responsive and streamlined communications to our Members and Friends. I undertook a campaign highlighting the unique contributions of individual Chapters, and I helped to recognize our Sponsors through innovative communication strategies.
Transportation can be fun and exciting, and the ways in which we connect people to transportation resources, information, data, and more can be out of the box, creative, and worthwhile. I am excited for the opportunity to continue to participate in YPT International in a meaningful way.
Candidate(s) for Deputy Chair
Haley Estelle
Community Outreach Section Lead, HDR, Inc.
I feel I would be a good addition to the YPT International Board of Directors because I excel at group organization and work hard to orient peers toward common goals. Under my leadership and direction, I have worked with my colleagues and peers to reinstate the YPT Phoenix Chapter which has experienced rapid growth in membership.
I currently hold the role of Interim Chair of YPT Phoenix. I also serve as the WTS Metro Phoenix Award Ceremony Chair and am a member of the WTS Metro Phoenix Legislative Committee. I also work with Red Mountain High School Marching Band here in Mesa, Az as the Chaperone Chair, helping to organize volunteers for various marching band activities. In my role with HDR, Inc. I manage a staff of two employees and work with local agencies to accomplish broad community outreach goals for a variety of transportation projects.
Volunteer management, event organization, and a true passion for our industry makes me a good candidate for serving on the YPT international board. I look forward to continuing to serve the organization in a local capacity and hope to be able to serve on the international board as well. Thank you for your consideration.
Nicholas R. Stewart
Senior Transit Service Planner, Maryland Transit Administration
My desire to serve on the YPT International Board of Directors is rooted in my belief that organizations like Young Professionals in Transportation serve multiple purposes. Not only are professional associations important to the social aspects of their members, but they can also play a valuable role in professional development, allowing professionals to expand their knowledge of the industry and add skills to their toolbox. In addition, there is potential for involvement in public education of transportation topics.
I have experience working on Boards of Directors. From 2008 to 2014, I served on the Board of Directors of an educational non-profit, moving from board member to a Vice President, and, finally, Executive Director/President of the Board. As part of the Board of Directors, I helped organize an annual academic conference, which was attended by as many as 200 students from up to a dozen colleges and universities.
While pursuing my Master of Urban Planning at San Jose State University, I served on the Executive Board of the Planning Student Organization, the Urban Planning Coalition. For one year, I was one of the Speaker Series Coordinators, helping to arrange for both our fall symposium and our spring planning
skills workshop and resume clinic. My second year on the Executive Board, I was the Vice President. I again took an active role in organizing the fall symposium. During both years on the Executive Board, I assisted with fundraising, both in helping to identify fundraising opportunities in addition of volunteering at several of our fundraisers. This past year, I’ve served as Deputy Chair of the YPT Baltimore Chapter. We brought Transportation Camp to Charm City for the first time, with great success, hopefully setting up for future events.
Candidate(s) for Director of Administration
Zachary Bugg, Ph.D, P.E.
Senior Engineer, Kittelson & Associates
I have served on the YPT International Board of Directors since 2014 and ask for your vote as 2018-2019 Director of Administration. One of the main responsibilities of the Director is the YPT International Award. My vision for this year is to expand and improve the YPT International Award solicitation and selection process. My passion for the award stems from the fact that it helps YPT achieve its goals of connecting young professionals through networking opportunities, including the TRB Young Member Reception where we announce the award winners, assists in professional development by encouraging innovation and research, and encourages collaboration and friendly competition. We have had some talented applicants in the brief history of the YPT International Award, and the more talented applications we can receive, the more competitive and prestigious the award will become.
As 2018-2019 Director of Administration, I will continue to serve YPT through planning international board calls and meetings, taking minutes, assisting other board members, and, most importantly, conducting a detailed evaluation and revamp of the YPT International Award categories, timeline, and selection process.
Candidate(s) for Director of Finance
David Moyer, P.E.
Transportation Engineer, McMahon Associates
YPT members,
I am seeking to continue my work with YPT International by serving on the YPT International Board of Directors as the Director of Finance. I am passionate about YPT’s vision and believe my experience working with YPT over the past five years will help me succeed in this role. I have served on the International Board of Directors for the past three years as Chair, Director of Finance, and Director of Programs as well as being active in multiple positions at my local chapter in Boston since 2013. I have planned, assisted, or attended over 100 YPT events. My experience over the years working in a variety of roles for YPT has given me a well-rounded awareness of our organization’s operations, achievements, and failures.
The responsibilities of the Director of Finance position include maintaining detailed financial records, collecting and distributing dues to chapters, planning a budget, knowledge of the CRM system, among others. I am prepared to provide a seamless transition into the coming year. YPT is a unique organization among the selection of other networking groups that are out there. From local happy hours, trivia nights, and lunch and learns, to larger events like the TRB reception, and partnering with Transportation Camps – YPT is promoting an image that people want to be a part of. We are a growing organization with interest coming from new cities across North America and elsewhere. I look forward to helping YPT continue its growth while maintaining and improving the operations of the organization.
I appreciate your consideration and look forward to continuing to work with YPT.
Candidate(s) for Director of Programs
Haley Estelle
Community Outreach Section Lead, HDR, Inc.
I feel I would be a good addition to the YPT International Board of Directors because I excel at group organization and work hard to orient peers toward common goals. Under my leadership and direction, I have worked with my colleagues and peers to reinstate the YPT Phoenix Chapter which has experienced rapid growth in membership.
I currently hold the role of Interim Chair of YPT Phoenix. I also serve as the WTS Metro Phoenix Award Ceremony Chair and am a member of the WTS Metro Phoenix Legislative Committee. I also work with Red Mountain High School Marching Band here in Mesa, Az as the Chaperone Chair, helping to organize volunteers for various marching band activities. In my role with HDR, Inc. I manage a staff of two employees and work with local agencies to accomplish broad community outreach goals for a variety of transportation projects.
Volunteer management, event organization, and a true passion for our industry makes me a good candidate for serving on the YPT international board. I look forward to continuing to serve the organization in a local capacity and hope to be able to serve on the international board as well. Thank you for your consideration.
Opeyemi Thomas
Roadi, LLC
My name is Opeyemi Thomas and I relocated to Baltimore from New York City 4 years ago and absolutely love living here. I founded Roadi, LLC, a transportation-related startup company, while being a student at the University of Baltimore. This venture came about because of the constant frustration with difficulty searching for and finding parking. I enjoy bringing people together to achieve a goal and share
ideas. With the assistance of a colleagues and classmates, an app was developed that finds drivers available parking spaces by intuitively visualizing crowdsourced parking data.
I have a diverse professional background, ranging from finance to auto sales and transportation startups. I believe my diverse professional and personal experience will positively impact YPT International and add a valuable perspective to the group and members. As the Director of programs, I will effectively utilize my leadership and project management skills to suggest topics that are very engaging, thoughtful, and informative and beneficial to YPT and members. I will give focus to having each event operate smoothly and gives members a valuable experience. I strongly believe as professionals we should continually seek to improve and upgrade our knowledge and skill base. For this purpose, I will always strive to provide support, through program topics, that will improve the professional skills of members.
I am passionate about urban innovation, optimization, smart cities, big data, community building, and leadership. Lastly, my network is open for access to an extensive, and relevant, resource for event topics, speakers and other contacts interested in contributing to YPT.
Candidate(s) for Director of Membership
Christopher Lau, EIT
Roadway Design Engineer, Jones | Carter
Hello YPT. My name is Christopher Lau, and I would like to run for the Director of Membership position. I am currently on the Houston YPT Chapter board as the Director of Programs, where I planned and coordinated our monthly luncheons and networking nights. As an established board member, I already understand the responsibilities and workload of being a board member, and I am seeking to increase my involvement with the organization by taking on the YPT International Director of Membership position. As a young transportation professional at Jones|Carter, I feel very passionately about improving the industry and helping other young transportation professionals around the area not only connect on a social level, but also learn and improve their technical skills to develop their careers. As your Director of Membership, it would be my mission to build on my aforementioned vision for the organization and help YPT achieve its core values of Professional Development, Fellowship, and Networking. Thank you for your consideration.
Candidate(s) for Director of Chapter Development
Alvaro Villagran
Program Manager, Shared-Use Mobility Center
Dear Fellow YPTers,
My name is Alvaro Villagran, and I have been serving as YPT International Director of Chapter Development for the past six months, after being appointed by the YPT Board to fill a vacancy for this position. Today, I am asking YPT members to support my candidacy for the 2018-2019 Director of Chapter Development position with your vote.
As Chair of the YPT Chicago Chapter, my initial motivation to join the YPT International Board as Chapter Development Director was inspired both by the idea of promoting a YPT chapter exchange program and addressing the lack of other YPT chapters in the Midwest region. Today, thanks to months of hard work and local leadership efforts, YPT has one new chapter in the Midwest (YPT-Indy) and we are working to launch more soon, such as in Detroit and Cleveland. But my work serving on the YPT International board by no means is limited to the Midwest region: I have been assisting passionate YPT members in their efforts to launch (or re-launch) YPT chapters in various regions throughout the US and Canada, including: Phoenix, Albany, Montreal, Orlando, and Miami.
My recent experience assisting local leaders to launch new YPT chapters has led to the realization that, while YPT has been growing over the past several years (yay!), our institutional knowledge and organizational materials have often lagged behind and need to be updated. If elected for the YPT Chapter Development position 2018-2019, I will pursue two main goals: first, as YPT International celebrates its 10th anniversary with an established presence in the US and Canada, I will support the efforts to make YPT a more international organization by expanding YPT chapters in other regions and countries. Second, I will develop a YPT Chapter Creation Guideline as a compass to guide enthusiastic YPTers in their efforts to create new YPT chapters.
I believe YPT International has the potential to expand its network, connecting more young professionals in transportation across the world. With your support, I will apply my leadership experience and management skills to guide this national and international expansion.
Brandon Orr
Transportation Planner, Registered Professional Planner, Stantec Consulting Ltd.
The transportation industry is experiencing a paradigm shift in the way our cities and regions address traffic congestion. This shift has extended beyond the scope of the physical infrastructure that comprises the traditional transportation network to include a multi-disciplinary view of transportation as a service. Over the next decade and beyond, transportation will be one of the greatest challenges to face cities, not only because of the physical constraints in urban centres that make infrastructure expansion challenging, but also because of the increasing social, environmental, and fiscal implications that accompanies urban growth. It’s these challenges that drive my passion and motivation to come up with creative solutions that led me to become a transportation planner and be involved with YPT as the Deputy Chair of the Toronto Chapter.
Much like what is happening in our industry, YPT represents a new format for exchanging ideas and empowering the next generation of professionals in transportation towards finding new and innovative approaches to address some of our most pressing challenges. As a member of YPT for over four years, I believe that there are opportunities to leverage YPT to further improve the cohesion between YPT’s various chapters and to empower them within the transportation industry to provide a new voice at the table that works alongside other organizations.
In my role as Director of Chapter Development I will work to address concerns regarding access to effective guidance from the YPT international board to help bring a united set of tools and opportunities for individual chapters to coordinate with each other. While YPT chapters serve an important local role within their respective geographies, there are opportunities to better align all chapters under the YPT International umbrella to further promote learning and relationships across the United States & Canada. To this end, the existing chapter exchanges that occur between some chapters is a perfect example of good collaboration that I would like to see further expanded upon at the international level. This should be a collaborative approach to get feedback from the individual chapters to identify how YPT International can best support them.
Haley Estelle
Community Outreach Section Lead, HDR, Inc.
I feel I would be a good addition to the YPT International Board of Directors because I excel at group organization and work hard to orient peers toward common goals. Under my leadership and direction, I have worked with my colleagues and peers to reinstate the YPT Phoenix Chapter which has experienced rapid growth in membership.
I currently hold the role of Interim Chair of YPT Phoenix. I also serve as the WTS Metro Phoenix Award Ceremony Chair and am a member of the WTS Metro Phoenix Legislative Committee. I also work with Red Mountain High School Marching Band here in Mesa, Az as the Chaperone Chair, helping to organize volunteers for various marching band activities. In my role with HDR, Inc. I manage a staff of two employees and work with local agencies to accomplish broad community outreach goals for a variety of transportation projects.
Volunteer management, event organization, and a true passion for our industry makes me a good candidate for serving on the YPT international board. I look forward to continuing to serve the organization in a local capacity and hope to be able to serve on the international board as well. Thank you for your consideration.
Candidate(s) for Director of Sponsorship
Gabriela Kappes
Urban Planner, WSP
As a young professional starting out in my transportation planning career, I have seen how valuable and helpful my membership in Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT) has been for both professional networking and making new friends in my field. I would like to continue to serve as the Director of Sponsorship on the International Board for a third term to continue to give back to YPT, to gain more leadership skills, as well as meet more professionals around the country. I would really appreciate the chance to further contribute to the growth and success of YPT.
I feel I am qualified for this position, as I’ve held several leadership roles where I have had to communicate with sponsors and solicit donations for various non-profit organizations. I acted as the Director of Sponsorship for YPT International for both the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 terms, and during my time gained six additional sponsors and more than doubled the previous years’ sponsorships. While I was receiving my undergraduate education at Pennsylvania State University, I participated in the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) in many roles. First, I was a Finance Chair for my sorority, where we raised almost $200,000.00 as an organization. Following this, I participated as a Donor and Alumni Relations Captain directly for THON. As a Donor and Alumni Relations Captain, I directed 60 Greek organizations, helping them develop fundraising strategies and acting as the main liaison between THON and the fundraising organization. Between 2012, to 2013 when I was a Captain, we increased corporate donations by 22% (1.05 million to 1.28 million). I directly managed 2,000 corporate donor requests and maintained the corporate online donation database. I am still involved with Hope Gala in New York City, which raises money for the Penn State IFC/Panellenic Dance Marathon (THON).
From August 2014-August 2015, I also served on the City Year Alumni Board, which is a national education-based non-profit organization. My position was Alumni Committee Member, and my role was to communicate with alumni for the purposes of soliciting donations, as well as inviting them to events. Further, I have volunteered both nationally and internationally in direct fundraising positions for PASSOP, Inc. in Cape Town and SPIN Inc. in Philadelphia where I prospected businesses to both raise awareness, and solicit donations. In both positions I helped to manage donation data through online databases. I think that all of these experiences would make me a great fit to continue to solicit and maintain relationships with our international sponsors for YPT. Thank you!
Candidate(s) for Director of Communications
Yes Segura
Founder & Autonomous Vehicle Transportation Planner, Smash the Box
My name is Yes Segura, and I am the current Director of Communications for YPT International. I am running again for the Director of Communications position in hopes of continuing to provide our members, friends, and advisors with innovative social media resources needed to sustain our organization. Since joining the board in 2017, I have committed myself to bringing awareness of YPT to those who look toward driving our mission and would benefit from our resources. My time with this board has allowed me to implement and share new social media tools within the organization. Such tools have included:
● Slack (for transparent internal communications)
● MailChimp (new email design service & have increased our mailing list to 2,000+)
● Mainstreamed our digital file sharing tools from DropBox to Google Drive (file-sharing)
● Redesigned our WordPress website that was last updated in 2008 (website)
● Organized and designed our 2016-2017 Annual Report using Piktochart (infographic
site)
● Increased social media presence with help from YPT International Board team
Aside from YPT I volunteer my time as a YPT Seattle board member, and am the Founder of Smash the Box (StBox), a Seattle startup helping to plan and design cities for self-driving cars. I joined YPT Seattle in 2016, and have helped organized transportation related events, designed event flyers, and promoted our organization through (emails, FB, Twitter, and Instagram). If voted again for this position I will continue to help promote our organization and help others in the YPT world.
Jerome A. Horne
Ridership Experience Specialist, IndyGo (Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation)
I’m running for the position of Director of Communications with the YPT International board because I have an unapologetic passion for transportation and possess excellent communication skills. Currently, I’m the board chair and founder of the new YPT Indianapolis Chapter. In my day job, I’m the Ridership Experience Specialist at IndyGo where I focus on revamping IndyGo’s wayfinding program, figuring better ways to get information to riders and work towards innovative solutions to integrate technology into the transit system. Previously, I was the Community Outreach Coordinator at IndyGo. In that role, I ran the agency’s social media, maintained the website and sent out newsletters which are essential functions for the YPT Communications Director.
Outside of work I serve as a moderator for the Facebook group New Urbanist Memes for Transit-Oriented Teens (NUMTOT) which is one of the largest groups on Facebook catering to transportation nerds and all things urban. My personal social media is full of pictures from my travels across the U.S. to visit various transit systems and check out the wonders of cities large and small. Additionally, I curate an ever-expanding personal collection of model buses, trains, and bus stop signs. Transportation is more than just a career for me, it’s a way of life! I believe my strong interest, willingness to learn and experience in transportation would be an excellent choice for the YPT International Board.
Nicholas R. Stewart
Senior Transit Service Planner, Maryland Transit Administration
My desire to serve on the YPT International Board of Directors is rooted in my belief that organizations like Young Professionals in Transportation serve multiple purposes. Not only are professional associations important to the social aspects of their members, but they can also play a valuable role in professional development, allowing professionals to expand their knowledge of the industry and add skills to their toolbox. In addition, there is potential for involvement in public education of transportation topics.
I have experience working on Boards of Directors. From 2008 to 2014, I served on the Board of Directors of an educational non-profit, moving from board member to a Vice President, and, finally, Executive Director/President of the Board. As part of the Board of Directors, I helped organize an annual academic conference, which was attended by as many as 200 students from up to a dozen colleges and universities.
While pursuing my Master of Urban Planning at San Jose State University, I served on the Executive Board of the Planning Student Organization, the Urban Planning Coalition. For one year, I was one of the Speaker Series Coordinators, helping to arrange for both our fall symposium and our spring planning
skills workshop and resume clinic. My second year on the Executive Board, I was the Vice President. I again took an active role in organizing the fall symposium. During both years on the Executive Board, I assisted with fundraising, both in helping to identify fundraising opportunities in addition of volunteering at several of our fundraisers. This past year, I’ve served as Deputy Chair of the YPT Baltimore Chapter. We brought Transportation Camp to Charm City for the first time, with great success, hopefully setting up for future events.
Thank you to all the candidates for volunteering your time, energy, and enthusiasm to Young Professionals in Transportation!