Saving Our Region’s Public Transportation Systems & Building for Tomorrow is an online panel of the 30th RPA Assembly.
Ali Chaudhry
Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer, AECOM
![Ali Chaudhry](https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/300x300/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Ali-Chaudhry.png?bossToken=4db6493e988beada7c7f4f3b363a36cb6be241ea80d574755162df49c433be3e 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/600x600/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Ali-Chaudhry.png?bossToken=e3555afa39881993651f0972d95ef0a2381ef32d1449ad6ec1f0008026594651 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/900x900/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Ali-Chaudhry.png?bossToken=deefa6620d8efc447399814c9f260bf05662af14bd9c825230d3c3f3f62b13a0 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1200x1200/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Ali-Chaudhry.png?bossToken=92d32009173f5e43a53308dbc6cf3794d3ce4332e70b782d2fb64bb1fcd9d17f 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1500x1500/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Ali-Chaudhry.png?bossToken=f159a498def246ff5102c2635e854fd2a77cc18f2b3c8f26a5b5ef09fbeb0765 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1800x1800/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Ali-Chaudhry.png?bossToken=4407180a99cff54e6bd285c1d1ae9f899a8020afb62713a82714e7244df642f4 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2100x2100/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Ali-Chaudhry.png?bossToken=77041b684714013a528f3e901cd01cc05f4a0cf03cffc42526c0cb25122e2d40 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2400x2400/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Ali-Chaudhry.png?bossToken=f4973bb67e95993d7d4ba5c1bda8e6b58d28651cccccd96ba6e7274026487a81 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2700x2700/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Ali-Chaudhry.png?bossToken=e64f27ae72e05ca0ceec95812110fd43db8c52699e5c477a7289e5d9997f1c5f 1543w)
Ali serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer at AECOM, where he plays a key leadership role in in managing all new business strategy in New York State. This involves developing marketing opportunities for all AECOM business lines in New York, managing several public and private sector clients, and fostering brand awareness.
Prior to joining AECOM, Chaudhry served as the Deputy Secretary for Transportation to New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. In this role, he oversaw policy, operations, and funding at all New York State transportation entities, including the Department of Transportation (DOT), MTA, Thruway Authority, Port Authority, Department of Motor Vehicles, in addition to regional transit agencies. He has also served as Assistant Counsel to Governor Cuomo and for the New York State Senate.
Between his government experience and work at AECOM, Chaudhry has played an essential role in some of the biggest infrastructure projects and programs delivered in New York State over the past 50 years, including the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, the Second Avenue Subway and redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport. He currently serves as the project executive for American Airlines’ Terminal 8 redevelopment, Design-Build lead for Off-Rikers jails, and as a strategic advisor for the construction of the LaGuardia AirTrain and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
Chaudhry hails from Lahore, Pakistan and currently lives in Long Island City. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Ohio Wesleyan University and a law degree from Albany Law School.
Rick Cotton
Executive Director, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
![Rick Cotton](https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/300x300/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Rick-Cotton.jpg?bossToken=4f310ce73dbb7cdd482826f22bf1155bba38818c82a6699065120f4a1a52d25a 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/600x600/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Rick-Cotton.jpg?bossToken=91a32814c8d3f463028698950a8328a748d346ee080cef0abbdd03e63aeb6bdf 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/900x900/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Rick-Cotton.jpg?bossToken=c617b301e4be56936efe9d6ecb52562565c44e9263257557296d32b5a4b98e99 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1200x1200/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Rick-Cotton.jpg?bossToken=f5bb43a903e680b1e583306555c90ed836f8fe40d02082003413444d82a720bd 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1500x1500/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Rick-Cotton.jpg?bossToken=c432d56437845b6edce79be0cee4e6a58d96f62dd8c5545e56afb43be966203d 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1800x1800/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Rick-Cotton.jpg?bossToken=5f42e06636515be22cb8d4eefc8d32b288fd3153311a698cc33e6c3512444d67 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2100x2100/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Rick-Cotton.jpg?bossToken=084076fe110c0e438e19d3ac5ae8b331b423df5af1166c0c70d3e483e9ab44cd 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2400x2400/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Rick-Cotton.jpg?bossToken=fdb6465b2c09aeee7fcd465f74e9c3034e552cbf96489801aa28700759553915 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2700x2700/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Rick-Cotton.jpg?bossToken=15977bfec5c5754f514557e92de04921c044ed65b023ef3c18be9af6b0a369ea 1543w)
Rick Cotton became the Executive Director of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on August 14, 2017. Prior to joining the Port Authority, since January 2015, Mr. Cotton served as Governor Cuomo’s Special Counsellor for Interagency Initiatives, serving as the point person within the Governor’s office for most of the Governor’s major downstate infrastructure priorities including LaGuardia and JFK Airports, the Moynihan Train Hall and Penn-Farley Complex, the new Tappan Zee Bridge, the expansion of the Javits Center, and the MTA’s Second Avenue Subway project. Mr. Cotton joined the administration following 25 years at NBC Universal, where he held a number of positions beginning in 1989, including 20 years as EVP and General Counsel and four years in London as President and Managing Director of CNBC Europe. He also served as Executive Secretary to the Department at the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare under Secretary Joseph A. Califano, Jr. and Special Assistant for Renewable Energy to Deputy Secretary of Energy John Sawhill at the U.S. Department of Energy. Mr. Cotton received an A.B. from Harvard College and a J.D. from Yale Law School, and served as a law clerk to Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Tom Donahue
Vice President, Rail & Transit, Jacobs
![Tom Donahue](https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/300x300/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Tom-Donahue.jpg?bossToken=5b39d06330be8ad83e74f3b3e018ef4a284177801e9cd58335ff7f059c16df23 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/600x600/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Tom-Donahue.jpg?bossToken=f35244fd598d2c131c30da8dd5cb585e35ca72136ecb50e1c56437909438c0f3 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/900x900/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Tom-Donahue.jpg?bossToken=9a87af8aed4e56e35d0b7d7451860898a128718c98aee8ecdd57736492e38203 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1200x1200/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Tom-Donahue.jpg?bossToken=51c6a4e150592e95c75f12bc2ff461b865f6a936ccf78a5c418de60ee0b05542 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1500x1500/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Tom-Donahue.jpg?bossToken=6a2513185eb2252b26b2018a4480722555fd09ce4e1d574f94aa10afd0555b5b 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1800x1800/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Tom-Donahue.jpg?bossToken=fa9f0af038433cbd16460fc8d8ea0cdd9e09bb123912c7394cfd90815c01fc03 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2100x2100/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Tom-Donahue.jpg?bossToken=51565e3af033f659ebf73ed1a598950909d378b9198ef789167b8e2dfbd51dc7 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2400x2400/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Tom-Donahue.jpg?bossToken=d01b39d8f5b9f809946b0805a4cfcf827c0d097837726a76e748aa071a7fb939 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2700x2700/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Tom-Donahue.jpg?bossToken=b6f7c255cd2e20b9a22a408bc72f3b22b22faf45d2243b1680237e484660937a 1543w)
Thomas Donahue Jacobs US Transit and Rail Practice Leader, has more than 20 years of experience as a transportation management consultant with a focus on transportation policy, performance management, asset management, finance and technology implementation. Tom manages multiple contracts across vehicles, systems, and operations with and for transit and transportation agencies in a variety of roles where he develops an in-depth understanding of the organization, its people and priorities. His specialties include federal, state and transit requirements in regards to policy, procurement, funding, and operations.
Sarah Meyer
Chief Customer Officer, New York City Transit
![Sarah Meyer Headshot Square](https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/300x300/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Sarah-Meyer-Headshot-Square.jpg?bossToken=ed308cbbab215740bde5f9119c8782a80c76f6f198449ee7dd8cfbc4eabe4616 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/600x600/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Sarah-Meyer-Headshot-Square.jpg?bossToken=34ff90cd7d65a49f84ea47c9536ed182a053f5c9b05f64b49edb51f735479e25 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/900x900/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Sarah-Meyer-Headshot-Square.jpg?bossToken=e808c597356fb1aadcf9cc4c275e9225b582da4d142e066db073607190ce9e30 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1200x1200/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Sarah-Meyer-Headshot-Square.jpg?bossToken=33cc6201c9b8b8f87f295fdbbb4e83b6ddbae2edb72ce4724457b081de4f5ae5 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1500x1500/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Sarah-Meyer-Headshot-Square.jpg?bossToken=067f0f37716cb8552ad0812c75aeb6b45ec8bbee7f19d824debccd99c6965044 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1800x1800/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Sarah-Meyer-Headshot-Square.jpg?bossToken=0a9463dc1e2eb8188c60ddfc0f6ef2d42e48bdf3414b2a9a44b174c9ed9b5684 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2100x2100/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Sarah-Meyer-Headshot-Square.jpg?bossToken=6ccf467c9bcb0a1e07f8a11fd9c9d6f7e811c86762961160d7bd5bb275a7386c 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2400x2400/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Sarah-Meyer-Headshot-Square.jpg?bossToken=9577194f6bcb4b7ca81b4dbf950166484169eb80911166e60ccdbcf059ee0425 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2700x2700/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Sarah-Meyer-Headshot-Square.jpg?bossToken=6af58b5cbb7bbcd822bae96a3bac76ed122b033a07473148a65735162b9c09bd 1543w)
Sarah Meyer is the Chief Customer Officer for New York City Transit. She is charged with modernizing and enhancing the customer experience for New York’s subway and bus riders. From trip-planning, to purchasing fares, to on-board experiences, she is responsible for their journey end-to-end. She is currently focused on redesigning the bus network, getting the community approvals needed to improve our subway infrastructure, and developing better digital tools to help customers get from A to B, quickly and easily.
Prior to her work at Transit, Sarah was a communications and business transformation consultant. Most recently, she was an SVP at Edelman in the Corporate and Public Affairs Practice. She has more than 15 years of experience in strategic communications, marketing and advertising, issues management, crisis communications, community building and fundraising, social media strategy, content creation and amplification. Sarah led the execution of the award winning #IDO campaign for Lambda Legal and the #BurnBright campaign for the WNBA’s New York Liberty, both of which leveraged content partnerships and celebrity engagement. Sarah also directed the digital war-room for the Virgin Galactic spaceship crash and created rapid response content for product recalls.
While a Vice President at Blue State Digital, she led social strategy for Ford Motor Company, successfully transitioning the team to create an always-on content production studio that increased followers and engagement rates. She also developed and executed fundraising and membership campaigns for the Museum of Modern Art, UNICEF, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the United Way and No Kid Hungry.
She won two Webby awards for her work on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s campaign ‘Remember Me’, a website built to identify and locate displaced children from documentary photographs. She won a third Webby for a website she developed for Lady Gaga’s Born this Way Foundation.
Born and raised in New York, Sarah received a B.A. from Wellesley College in Art History.
Beth Osborne
Director, Transportation for America
![Beth Osborne Headshot](https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/300x300/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Beth-Osborne-Headshot.jpg?bossToken=5142c4f1c3582825442360808a0abf82b3be61c1857ed85f4c4346fa6e934179 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/600x600/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Beth-Osborne-Headshot.jpg?bossToken=bac74ea917efd21a55ad873f1824d1dccbc74d313dec4295243392cfa5c4ee77 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/900x900/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Beth-Osborne-Headshot.jpg?bossToken=76f687b269ec1e156547aebcdf9de41d699128b70aa79dbee179991d838a5592 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1200x1200/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Beth-Osborne-Headshot.jpg?bossToken=83d806b62f92fd0077996b6ef5ea4ed13d674a920148c4c6be09c2a7c0e1f561 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1500x1500/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Beth-Osborne-Headshot.jpg?bossToken=39767721fd125aad652d276bd1a42e42d99994d0c5b9edbcefd5e60dbcca6c10 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1800x1800/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Beth-Osborne-Headshot.jpg?bossToken=22d24eb76f991b7ce071e7a7d6fc2e0fd23bf4bcd76ee953192e078e35325b19 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2100x2100/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Beth-Osborne-Headshot.jpg?bossToken=fb8b4361ca1d5e60a7ad801dfc1affdf4bf92f9fd826914908fc4704c8a47b56 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2400x2400/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Beth-Osborne-Headshot.jpg?bossToken=0c34473ee132ece6a611cfa46324dc950980597565578cc47bccfa3614ea52c6 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2700x2700/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Beth-Osborne-Headshot.jpg?bossToken=f95b80caa5775f52764aee265ed594198f549ac7cc6459363d5ce2cf3337e56e 1543w)
Beth serves as the director of Transportation for America, which is Smart Growth America’s transportation arm. In this position she leads transportation policy development and technical assistance with departments of transportation. She was previously at the U.S. Department of Transportation, where she served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy beginning in 2009. At USDOT, Beth managed the TIGER Discretionary Grant program, the secretary’s livability initiative, the development of the Obama administration’s surface transportation authorization proposal, and the implementation of MAP-21. Before joining USDOT, Beth worked for Sen. Tom Carper (DE) as an advisor for transportation, trade and labor policy, as the policy director for Smart Growth America and as legislative director for environmental policy at the Southern Governors’ Association. She began her career in Washington, DC in the House of Representatives working as a legislative assistant for Rep. Ron Klink (PA-04) and as legislative director for Rep. Brian Baird (WA-03).
John Porcari
President, Advisory Services, WSP
![Porcari John](https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/300x300/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Porcari_John.jpg?bossToken=ba36d89548434c027c508b327ff3c63408c39ad36f3bc8e92eb3f39bf045f3dd 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/600x600/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Porcari_John.jpg?bossToken=22a2ef7a71fb1be87c7e221b68e1e4023fc0a2dbb28c1423aa0b46e82906d0f0 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/900x900/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Porcari_John.jpg?bossToken=20ea4ddd9e82dae3d3f4108aba611bfe5f128c9367d15ae599bbbf239bf24216 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1200x1200/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Porcari_John.jpg?bossToken=4abbd7fb1e14d89c0a04604de0bb097e3f2e58090a6c9bed0ea1050925858ec0 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1500x1500/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Porcari_John.jpg?bossToken=94b7c057345801b85bd78b17307508d0738d9e0b8a30f48a344d39518a85c6e8 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1800x1800/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Porcari_John.jpg?bossToken=ec8bd2827f9d01c1f0fbaf45858ce603b66873cbd3ce4f273c97b5ddf8f4a194 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2100x2100/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Porcari_John.jpg?bossToken=a8945a3f21294a3ab5c3d7ff9c23d4f075fffa0faa4f5e358930aba39de878a5 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2400x2400/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Porcari_John.jpg?bossToken=cd76e1d14a04c14f687db72a287fccb8de099a10988c91c4fbc2668611d22283 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2700x2700/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/Porcari_John.jpg?bossToken=6cdb625ed771fd7f7cb9f08da4f2207d0b6f9a0842fa282032ced6444866025b 1543w)
John Porcari is responsible for integrating WSP’s technical expertise in planning, engineering, program/construction management and operations with the strategic thinking needed by owners, developers and operators to successfully deliver infrastructure programs and projects.
He served as interim executive director of the Gateway Development Corporation (GDC) from July 2016 until early 2019. The GDC oversees the Gateway Program, a comprehensive rail investment program to improve current services, add resiliency and create new capacity for a critical section of the Northeast Corridor – the most heavily used passenger rail line in the country. Mr. Porcari remains an advisor to the GDC.
Prior to joining WSP in December 2013, Mr. Porcari was deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation. He served as chief operating officer for an executive branch department with a $77 billion annual budget, composed of 10 operating administrations and 55,000 employees worldwide. He twice served as secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation, from 2007 to 2009 and from 1999 to 2003, managing a state agency responsible for integrated highway, transit, aviation, port, bridge and tunnel authority and motor vehicle administration components, with 9,300 employees and a $3.2 billion annual budget. From 2003 to 2007 he was vice president for administrative affairs at the University of Maryland, serving as chief administrative officer and chief financial officer for the flagship campus of the University System of Maryland.
Mr. Porcari has a master’s degree in public administration from the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the State University of New York at Albany and a B.A. in political science from the University of Dayton. He has served on the board of directors of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the American Public Transportation Association, the World Trade Center Institute and the National Aquarium in Baltimore.