MWCOG.org - Transportation - Disability Awareness Day

Linda Q. Smyth was elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors as a representative of the Providence District in November 2003. In addition to the Transportation Planning Board, Supervisor Smyth serves on the following committees: BOS Information Technology Committee (chair); COG Metropolitan Washington Air Quality; BOS Interjurisdictional Committees of Arlington, Fairfax City and Falls Church; Northern Virginia Regional Commission. Previously, from 1999 to 2003, Supervisor Smyth served on the Fairfax County Planning Commission.

John Hudson, TPB AFA Committee Member

Team 2

Cathy Hudgins, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

Supervisor Catherine “Cathy” Hudgins was elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to represent the Hunter Mill District in November 1999 and was re-elected in November 2003. Currently she is the Chairman of the Board's Human Services and the Housing and Community Development Committees, Vice-Chair of Information Technology and Transportation Committees, and is a member of the Economic Advisory Committee. In addition to the Transportation Planning Board, Supervisor Hudgins represents the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on several regional and state organizations.

Michael LaJuene, TPB CAC Member

Team 3

Christopher Zimmerman, TPB Chair

Christopher Zimmerman was first elected to the Arlington County Board in 1996 and re-elected both in 1998 and 2002. Mr. Zimmerman serves as one of Virginia’s two members on the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. For 2004, he is Chair of the Transportation Planning Board and is a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission. He also serves as the Region II Representative on the Executive Council of the American Public Transit Association’s Transit Board Members Committee; is an alternate member of the Virginia Railway Express Operations Board; and is an appointee to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.

Dr. Raymond “Bud” Keith, AFA Committee Member

Team 4

Kathy Porter, TPB AFA Committee Chair

Kathy Porter was elected as Mayor of the City of Takoma Park in 199. Prior to becoming Mayor, she served on the Takoma Park City Council for six years. In addition to serving on the Transportation Planning Board which she chaired in 2000, she has also served on the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee and the Chesapeake Bay Policy Committee. Mayor Porter currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Municipal League and she is a member and former president of the Maryland Mayors Association.

Phillip Strong, American Council for the Blind

Team 5

Carol Petzold, Delegate, Maryland House

Carol Petzold has been a member of the Maryland House of Delegates since January 14, 1987, representing District 19 in Montgomery County. Currently, she is a member of the Judiciary Committee and the Protocol Committee, and is Vice-Chair of the Special Committee on Drug and Alcohol Abuse as well as the Montgomery County Delegation.
In addition to her service on the Transportation Planning Board, Delegate Petzold represents Maryland in the Virginia-Maryland-District of Columbia Joint Legislative Commission on Interstate Transportation, and is President of the Women’s Legislative Network of the National Conference of State Legislators(NCSL) and chair of NCSL's Transportation Committee.

Connie Caldwell, Montgomery County's Commission of People with Disabilities

Team 6

Marsha Kaiser, Maryland Department of Transportation

Marsha J. Kaiser was appointed to the position of Director, Office of Planning and Capital Programming for the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) in September 1998. In that capacity, she is responsible for the development of the Consolidated Transportation Program, the Maryland Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan, multi-modal planning activities, and oversees the Department’s $9.8 billion six-year capital program. Prior to joining MDOT, Ms. Kaiser worked for a leading transportation consulting firm, specializing in the development and implementation of transportation measures and programs required under the Clean Air Act. Ms. Kaiser represents MDOT on the Transportation Planning Board.

Ron Spalding, Maryland Department of Transportation

Regina Lee

Regina Lee operates her own Word Processing and Travel Consulting business. She holds an Associate of Arts in Journalism and is a member of the City of New Carrollton Board of Elections and serves on the Board of Directors for the Assisted Technology Guaranteed Learning Program in Baltimore. She has previously served on the Board of Directors of Independence Now, Inc. and the Prince George’s County Commission for Individuals with Disabilities. Ms. Lee has been active in disability-related awareness and advocacy, and was the recipient of a Special Achievement Award and the 1st Runner-Up in Maryland's Ms. Wheelchair Pageant in 1993.

Gloria Swieringa

Team 7

Cicero Salles, Department of Public Works, Prince George’s County

Jessica Lehman, ACORN Organizer

Team 8

Michael Knapp, Montgomery County Council

Mike Knapp was elected to the Montgomery County Council on November 5, 2002, to represent the Upcounty and western areas of Montgomery County, including the communities of Olney, Germantown, Montgomery Village, Damascus, and Poolesville. He is the Chair of the Council's Homeland Security Committee, a member of the Council's Education Committee and also serves on the Public Safety Committee as lead Councilmember for Fire and Rescue Services. Regionally, Mr. Knapp serves as the Secretary-Treasurer for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments as well as the 2nd Vice Chair for the Transportation Planning Board.

Cindy Buddington

Team 9

Dan Tangherlini, DC Department of Transportation

Dan Tangherlini was appointed director of the new District Department of Transportation in November 2002, having served as acting director of the former division of transportation in the Department of Public Works starting in May 2000. Previously he was chief financial officer of the Metropolitan Police Department (November, 1998-May 2000). Before joining the District Government, Mr. Tangherlini was a senior program analyst (August, 1998-November, 1998) in the office of the Secretary of Transportation. In the Office of Management and Budget (July, 1991-August 1997), he was a special assistant, a program examiner, and a budget preparation specialist.

Michelle Pourciau, DC Department of Transportation

Michelle L. Pourciau is responsible for strategic planning and policy for the District Department of Transportation. She represents the department in local, regional and national forums. Michelle assists the Director in running the 600 plus employee Department that is responsible for improving the District’s economic competitiveness and quality of life by planning and coordinating the transportation system and managing and maintaining the transportation infrastructure. Previously, Michelle served as chief of Transportation and Public Space Policy. Michelle currently represents DDOT on the Transportation Planning Board.

Ronnie Edwards, DC Department of Transportation

Gil Williams, DC Department of Transportation

Robert Kairy

Team 10

Phil Mendelson, DC Council

Phil Mendelson was elected to the Washington, DC, City Council in November 1998 and re-elected in 2002. He chairs the Subcommittee on Public Interest and is a member of the Education, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, and the Human Services Committees. Mr. Mendelson represents the Council at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Currently, he is Chair of COG’s Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee and Vice Chair of the Transportation Planning Board. Mr. Mendelson has been outspoken in pressing the need for increased Metro/public transit funding.

Robert "Bobby" Coward, President of DC ADAPT

Team 11

Richard White, CEO and General Manager of WMATA

Richard A. White joined WMATA as General Manager/Chief Executive Officer in August 1996. He is responsible for the operation of the region's Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess (paratransit) systems. He manages the activities of nearly 10,000 employees, a $960 million annual operating budget, as well as a $340 million annual Capital Improvement Program, and recently led the completion of the $10 billion 103-mile Adopted Regional System. In addition to his service on the Transportation Planning Board, Mr. White serves as First Vice Chair of the American Public Transportation Association's Executive Committee and is a member of its Board of Directors.

Patrick Sheehan, Chair, WMATA Elderly and Disabled Advisory Committee

Patrick Sheehan works for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a technology specialist assuring that all information technology meets access standards so that veterans and people with disabilities can use VA systems effectively. Patrick chairs WMATA's Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee and strives along with the Committee to make Washington's transportation system the most accessible in the nation. He is also on the Board of Directors with the American Council of the Blind which is a blindness advocacy/consumer organization which strives to improve accessibility and opportunities for blind people to work and live effectively in their communities. Ensuring accessible transportation for disabled persons is a large part of what the American Council of the Blind is all about.

Disability Awareness Day October 20, 2004

Travel Team Member Profiles

Disability Awareness Day
October 20, 2004