2021 Southeast Wisconsin Transportation Symposium

Dr. Bai has conducted extensive research in drone and AI technologies, as well as infrastructure construction and maintenance.

Jeff has been with CH2M HILL/Jacobs since 1990, and has worked on and led the design for various significant projects in Wisconsin including the Marquette Interchange North Leg in Milwaukee and I-41 in Winnebago County . He is currently serving as the design project manager for the Jacobs team on the I-94 East-West Study between 70th and 16th Streets.  Jeff is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and is a registered Professional Engineer in Wisconsin and Ohio. Jeff serves on the board of ACEC WI and the WTBA Consultant Council.

Nick has experience designing and managing reconstruction and rehabilitation projects of varying sizes around the Midwest. Nick is a graduate of UW-Madison and has 13 years of experience delivering projects in collaboration with WisDOT. Project highlights include working on the 41/29 interchange reconstruction in Brown County, 10/441 corridor reconstruction in Winnebago County, and leading design for the Madison Beltline Flex Lane.

Brian has worked for WisDOT for 33 years. He has held a number of positions in Project Development, Operations and Planning with the Department. He has worked both in SE Region and the WisDOT Bureaus. Over his professional career, Brian has gained significant experience in public involvement and the NEPA process, managing EIS development for FDL Bypass, Burlington Bypass, Whitewater Bypass, Highway 164 expansion, and I-43 expansion. On the I-94 EW project he leads a large consultant and WisDOT team working on completing a Supplemental EIS and Record of Decision.  Brian is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Wisconsin.

Ted Bristol is the chief operating officer for the Mileage-Based User Fee Alliance (MBUFA). After spending ten years on Capitol Hill working for a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee working on infrastructure issues, Ted moved to Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath as leader of the public sector policy team.  One the Hill and at Faegre Drinker, Ted helped secure significant project funding and provisions ins four key transportation authorization bills, ISTEA TEA-21, SAFETEA-LU and the FAST Act.  He helped launch MBUFA ten years ago.

Donna leads a team of approximately 400 employees responsible for Fleet Management, Highway Maintenance, Transportation Services on County Trunk Highways (CTH) and county-owned bridges; and Airport administration and support; Additionally, Donna oversees another 900 staff as part of the Milwaukee County Transit System, which reports directly to the Department. Donna started her career in transportation with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. She is a 25-year veteran of public service with the State of Wisconsin and has demonstrated extensive experience in management and public policy including but not limited to public administration, planning, environmental analysis, social justice, and racial equity.

Beth has been at WisDOT for 36 years.  She has been the Director for the Bureau of Project Development for the past 10 years and in that role is responsible for design and construction policy and oversight, asset management, consultant and contractor procurement, design and construction technologies and alternative contracting.  She started her career in the Wisconsin Rapids office and spent 10 years as a construction supervisor in the Madison regional office.  Additional roles include the Director of Structures, Chief Roadway Development Engineer and Contracts Engineer.  She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Madison and is a registered professional engineer in the State of Wisconsin.   

June Coleman has been with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for nearly ten years.  In 2020, she joined the Division of Budget and Strategic Initiatives (DBSI) as the director of the Bureau for Performance Improvement, Research, and Strategic Initiatives.  Prior to joining DBSI she was the program and policy manager for the Local Programs & Finance Section in WisDOT’s Division of Transportation Investment Management.  

Lea Collins-Worachek has been the Director since September 2020. OBEOC serves as WisDOT’s regulatory arm that works to promote business opportunity and equity for the Disadvantaged Business En terprise (DBE) program, labor and wage compliance under Title VI and the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Lea came to WisDOT from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) where she was the Milwaukee County District Director for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Lea has worked for the State of Wisconsin for 21 years.

Glenn has been Division Administrator since June 2019. Prior to that, he served as the Assistant Division Administrator (ADA) in the Illinois Division since 2001.  Glenn began his career with FHWA in 1985. Upon completing the Highway Engineer Training Program, he was assigned to the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division in Northern Virginia where he served as a Roadway Design Engineer, Bridge Design Engineer and as head of the Bridge Inspection Unit. In 1996, he became the Division Bridge Engineer in the Missouri Division.

Glenn has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Kentucky and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from The George Washington University. He is also a certified NHI instructor for the Conducting Effective Program Reviews (CEPR) and the Writing Effective Program Reviews (WEPR) courses.

Mark joined the MRMC executive team in 2016 as Vice President of Operations after completing a notable 25-year career in the United States Navy.

A native of Rosemount, Minnesota, Mark graduated from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and was commissioned through NROTC in May 1991. After completing nuclear training schools and officer training, Mark served in the U.S. Navy as a submarine officer on a nuclear-powered ship, later transferring to the Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps where he successfully completed tours of duty around the nation and world. Many of his duties included command responsibility, including his last position as the Commanding Officer of Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest where he provided oversight for four bases across 11 states.

Mark also holds a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. He is a Certified Energy Manager, a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Oregon, and completed the Executive Development Program at Wharton School of Business in 2012.

Mark’s primary focus of responsibility for MRMC includes overall design, construction, and operations of MRMC Thermal, MRMC Water as well as being accountable for campus public works operations.

Alex is the Planning Section Chief and project manager for the current update to WisDOT’s long-range statewide multimodal transportation plan, Connect 2050. Previously, Alex managed the statewide metropolitan planning program for the Florida Department of Transportation, and used innovative methods to effectively engage with Florida’s 27 MPOs. Alex holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography and a Master of Science in Planning from Florida State University.

Luke has worked for Strand Associates, Inc. for over 22 years and has managed numerous small to large-scale transportation planning, design and construction projects throughout Wisconsin and other areas of the US. His primary area of focus is technology design which includes traffic signal systems and intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Luke led the Strand Associates, Inc. team for several components of the Beltline Flex Lane project, including; systems engineering, ITS design, drainage design, environmental documentation, and public involvement. Luke is also involved in the 2021 deployment phase of the Beltline Flex Lane project, primarily focusing on the ITS installation and integration oversight.

Dr. Firas Ibrahim is the Director of the U.S. DOT’s Office of Research, Development, and Technology. In this role, he provides leadership to ensure that RD&T programs and activities across the Department and University Transportation Centers advance the Department’s goals and priorities, and that research is of the highest quality.

Dr. Ibrahim was previously the Federal Highway Administration’s Lead Manager for Stewardship & Oversight. In that role, he provided stewardship and oversight leadership to ensure the successful delivery of the $44 Billion Federal-aid highway program annually, and the alignment of enterprise activities and resources with priorities. He served in various leadership position within FHWA.

Dr. Ibrahim served as the Surface Transportation Team Leader at the United States Embassy in Kabul, and Transportation Counselor and Attaché at the United States Embassy in Baghdad. He also held positions in Academia and the private sector.

Dr. Ibrahim holds Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Science, and Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Jiang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Construction and Operations Management at the South Dakota State University. He has a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering from Marquette University. His research focuses on Drone and Artificial Intelligence in Construction Operations, Building and Infrastructural Facility Management.

Josh is on the Southeast Freeways Team. He has been with the department since 2001, and has worked on various design and construction projects. He has most recently served as a design project manager the Zoo Interchange project, I-94 East-West project, and various freeway rehabilitation projects.

Josh is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Wisconsin.

Andrew is an Urban and Regional Planning Supervisor at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation System Development in the Southeast Region. He oversees the region’s efforts to include bicycle and pedestrian needs, freight needs, economic development, business and community concerns, and data analysis at early stages of transportation project development. Prior to his work at WisDOT, he worked for 7 years as a Regional Planner and Sustainability Coordinator for the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission in East Central Illinois.

Dr. Bu Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has a Ph.D. degree in Ceramic Engineering from Alfred University and worked as a research scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles before joining UW-Madison. His research focuses on developing technologies related to sustainable construction materials, waste upcycling, and carbon capture and utilization. He is currently serving on the Academic Committee of the Envision sustainability rating program, the WHRP’s Steering Committee and Rigid TOC, and the Infrastructure Working Group of the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts.

David specializes in bus stops, transit advocacy in construction, and development of the East-West BRT system. He began his career with MCTS as a bus driver in 2005, then holding positions as platform instructor, route supervisor, and transportation specialist. His passion for transit throughout Milwaukee County and the region has positioned David to help manage the East-West BRT and provide operational guidance for the first ever BRT system in the state of Wisconsin.

Madalena grew up in a family-owned, small business in rural Wisconsin. Her heart has remained steadfast in cultivating small business opportunities throughout her career. She has provided guidance to small businesses in identifying vision and mission for their companies, creating strategic plans, and improving communication processes. At WisDOT, Madalena leads a team of DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) professionals, who are committed to helping traditionally underrepresented small business owners participate in statewide highway and bridge construction projects.

Bill has over 33 years of experience in providing detailed knowledge and expertise in the delivery of major projects along interstate and local highway systems.  Prior to joining the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Bill worked for both the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS), and for a private consultant in Wisconsin. Since 2005, Bill has devoted his time and efforts to the reconstruction of the SE Freeway system with notable projects including: the $1.65 billion-dollar Kenosha to Milwaukee I-94 North/South segment with the Mitchell interchange, and the $1.71 billion-dollar Zoo interchange project. Currently, Bill oversees the delivery of the final in-house design of the north leg of the Zoo interchange project. He is also leading the effort for the re-evaluation of the I-94 East/West major project which will reconstruct 3.5 miles of the freeway between the Zoo Interchange and the Marquette interchange – including a new system interchange at Miller Park stadium.  Bill is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison and is a registered Professional Engineer in the states of California and Wisconsin

Kevin Muhs is the Executive Director for the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, the regional planning agency and metropolitan planning organization for Southeastern Wisconsin. Kevin supervises and directs the Commission’s advisory regional planning efforts in the areas of transportation, land use development, and environmental resources. Prior to becoming Executive Director, Kevin helped lead the development of VISION 2050, Southeastern Wisconsin’s regional land use and transportation plan. Kevin’s background is in transportation planning and engineering, with particular experience in planning and implementing public transit services. Kevin strongly believes that a robust multimodal transportation system is needed for Southeastern Wisconsin to compete with other metro areas.

Andre has over 15 years experience in the transportation engineering field and is currently the Practice Area Leader for the GRAEF Transportation Design group in Milwaukee. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2006. Andre is a registered Professional Engineer in Wisconsin, Florida, Illinois and Minnesota, as well as a registered PTOE.

In his career, Andre has worked on a wide range of traffic and transportation engineering projects, however he most enjoys the challenges of complex urban roadway projects.

Andre also serves on the ITE Wisconsin Board of Directors and is currently the Treasurer.

Outside of work Andre enjoys spending time with his wife Katie and three children who are 12, 9 and 5. When not driving his kids to activities, you will likely find Andre and his family outside walking or biking around Wauwatosa.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Jeff Polenske has worked for the City of Milwaukee for 30 years. After working within the City’s Traffic Engineering and Planning & Development units, Jeff served as the City Engineer from August 1st, 2000 until taking on the role of Commissioner of Public Works in November of 2018. During his time with the City of Milwaukee, Jeff has worked towards building a more comprehensive multi-modal transportation system and helped guide the development and adoption of the City’s Complete Streets Policy. When it was first adopted in 2018, the City’s Complete Streets Policy was regarded as one of the top three policies in the country and it is now being used to guide the City in making equitable improvements that will benefit all users of our public ways with a focus on the most vulnerable users. Jeff has also been involved in many community mobility improvements, including the development and operations of the City’s streetcar project.

Dr. Qin is the Director of the Institute for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation at UWM.  His research focuses on highway safety and crash modeling, traffic operations, ITS, sustainable transportation planning, statistical methods and applications in transportation, and GIS/GPS applications.

Dr. Schneider has more than 20 years of experience in the pedestrian and bicycle transportation field. He has led more than 25 peer-reviewed journal articles on topics such as active transportation safety, demand analysis, and data collection. Dr. Schneider chaired the Transportation Research Board Pedestrian Committee from 2014 to 2020 and was named the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals Research Professional of the Year in 2019.

Prior to her current role, Brenda was a Southwest Region Project Development Supervisor for 9 years. Brenda is a 1994 graduate of UW-Milwaukee and was a WisDOT transportation project manager for 11 years prior to her management role. Brenda’s team managed many highway design and improvement projects including US 12/18 Madison Beltline corridor rehabilitation of pavements and bridges and interchange upgrades.

Over the past 18 years she has led a range of transportation studies for transit, passenger rail and roadway corridors throughout Wisconsin and beyond. Most recently Carolyn has been working with WisDOT to deliver virtual public engagement strategies for the Connect 2050 plan. Carolyn also has worked with WisDOT to complete environmental documents for roadways in Southeastern Wisconsin, and has been part of the Muskego Yard, TCMC, Milwaukee streetcar and East-West Bus Rapid Transit project teams.

Jerry is involved with various traffic engineering and transportation planning projects. Jerry is a graduate of UW-Platteville and Iowa State University and has over 20 years of transportation experience including corridor studies, traffic studies and highway design while specializing in travel demand modeling and traffic forecasting. Project highlights include working on the I-41 reconstruction in Brown County, the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, and the Madison Beltline Flex Lane.

Dr. Sobolev’s research is focused on high performance cement based composites, application  of nanomaterials in construction and waste utilization.

Dave has been at RTLC since 2018.   Prior to RTLC, he was President & CEO of PAVE Milwaukee, an organization supporting quality K-12 education options in the city. Steele holds a Masters in Urban Planning from UW-Milwaukee a non profit management certificate from Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Initiative. 

 Aileen Switzer is the administrator of the Division of Budget and Strategic Initiatives (DBSI) at WisDOT. DBSI oversees the department’s biennium budget; manages the department’s performance improvement program; administers the department’s research and library programs; and serves as the liaison for federal transportation issues. The division develops and coordinates department strategic initiatives and emerging issues, such as connected and automated vehicles. Aileen has extensive experience in transportation management and research, serving 24 years at WisDOT and nearly 2 years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UW-Madison. 

Ben joined the Alternative Contracting Section at WisDOT after 8 years in project development at the WisDOT Southwest Region.  Before joining WisDOT in 2012, I completed an MS Degree at UW-Madison focusing on alternative contracting methods for highway construction projects, worked as a research engineer at UW-Madison, and as a bridge design engineer at MSA Professional Services. 

Secretary Thompson was appointed to lead WisDOT in January 2019.  WisDOT is one of the largest state agencies, with 3,400 employees and a biennial budget of over $6 billion.  Prior to his appointment, he was executive director of the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin.  He has over 25 years experience working with Wisconsin businesses, communities, legislators and local governments.  He is a graduate of UW-Madison.

Dr. Titi has more than 28 years of experience in advanced experimental research and analysis, especially in problems related to pavement materials and geotechnical engineering. During his current position at UW-Milwaukee and previous positions at Louisiana Transportation Research Center and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, he conducted advanced research and served as PI and Co-PI for projects funded by different entities including: Wisconsin Highway Research Program (WHRP)/Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Midwest Regional University Transportation Center, and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Dr. Titi served on several TRB committees and NCHRP panels. Dr. Titi is the author and co-author of more than 80 publications (journal, conference and research reports) in the area of geotechnical and pavement engineering.

Chuck has over 20 years experience in transportation planning.  His ureau is responsible for many of the WisDOT’s multimodal long-range planning efforts and administers planning and economic development programs. In his former role, Chuck was responsible for long-range planning, managing planning systems data, the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), and administering state and federal requirements for the state’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) and Regional Planning Commissions (RPC).

Prior to WisDOT, Chuck worked on corridor planning, access management, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and environmental documentation projects as a Wisconsin based consultant. Chuck graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning and University of Wisconsin – Green Bay with a Bachelors degree in Environmental Policy and Planning and Urban and Regional Studies. He is a Certified Transportation Planner (CTP) within the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).