ARTBA Foundation hosts 12th annual Young Executive Development Program

Thirty "rising stars" from the U.S. transportation design and construction industry came to Washington, D.C. May 7-10 to participate in the American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) 12th annual Young Executive Development Program (YEDP). The intensive, three-day program focuses on the impact the federal government has on the industry and the role that ARTBA plays in shaping national transportation investment policy.

The YEDP program included sessions on the federal legislative and regulatory processes. Participants heard from Carolyn Edwards, team leader with the Federal Highway Administration Office of Legislation and Strategic Planning, about the structure and operations of the federal highway program. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), a member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, discussed the role of Congress and government in transportation funding and policy development. Susan Binder, executive director of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Commission, also provided an overview of challenges facing the nation's transportation infrastructure.

YEDP fellows also visited Capitol Hill and met with their members of Congress to urge them to support fully funding federal surface transportation investment programs in the fiscal year 2008 appropriations process.

Participants in the program included:

• Matthew Bieschke, consultant, PB Consult Inc., Washington, D.C.
• Peter Brahm, industry manager, Reflexite Corporation, New Britain, Conn.
• Gregory Brown, engineer, PB Americas Inc., Tampa, Fla.
• Matthew Clark, vice president, Psomas, Tucson, Ariz.
• Kevin Collins, vice president/transit project manager, HDR Engineering, Phoenix
• Jon Engelke, senior program director, Earth Tech Inc., Dallas
• James Gordon, associate vice president, DMJM Harris (AECOM), Pittsburgh
• Derick Hallahan, supervising engineer/project manager, PB Inc., New York
• Eric Hedman, marketing manager, 3M, St. Paul, Minn.
• Daniel Herring, structural engineer, H.W. Lochner, Inc., Chicago
• Ken Kubacki, project manager, Granite Construction Company, Salt Lake City
• Doug LaVoie, regional manager, Wilbur Smith Associates, Lansing, Mich.
• Curtis Long, project manager, Superior Construction Company Inc., Jacksonville, Fla.
• Greg Murphy, transportation planning manager, HNTB Ohio Inc., Columbus, Ohio
• Matthew Nardi, owner, Dennison Bridge Inc., Dennison, Ohio
• Matthew Natale, director of business development, Michael Baker Jr. Inc., Harrisburg, Pa.
• Thomas Nelson, Jr., vice president, CH2M Hill, Southfield, Mich.
• Robert Polcyn, manager, H.W. Lochner Inc., Canonsburg, Pa.
• Stuart Rankin, associate, Ammann & Whitney Consulting Engineers, New York
• Janel Rinderle, estimator/project manager, United Companies of Mesa County, Grand Junction, Colo.
• Ammar Salameh, project manager, Gannett Fleming Inc., Westerville, Ohio
• J. Mitchell Simpson, project manager, Wright Brothers Construction Company Inc., Charleston, Tenn.
• Alberto Sosa, project manager, HNTB, Miami
• Will Suero, vice president, HDR Engineering Inc., Miami Lakes, Fla.
• Jason Tucker, project manager, The Great Lakes Construction Company, Hinckley, Ohio
• Mark Unterkofler, senior bridge engineer, Dewberry, Fairfax, Va.
• Arthur Walker, vice president, The Walker Company of Kentucky Inc., Mount Sterling, Ky.
• J. Patrick Watson, deputy unit manager, Carter & Burgess Inc., Houston
• James Webb, county engineer, Williamson County Highway Department, Marion, Ill.
• Lee Yowell, director of construction services, Rummel, Klepper & Kahl LLP, Richmond, Va.