Hesam Rashidi is a Sr. Scientist & System Architect at IT Curves, where he designs and deploys large-scale, AI-driven mobility and routing systems. He holds a PhD in Transportation Engineering from the University of Toronto, with a focus on optimization and operations research for real-world logistics and on-demand transportation. His work mainly focuses on human-centered AI. Hesam has led the design of end-to-end optimization pipelines, from data ingestion and modeling to real-time decision support, with applications in microtransit, paratransit, last-mile delivery, and dynamic routing.

Dr. Masoud Hamedi is the Director of Data Science and Analytics at Iteris, responsible for data driven research and development in the transportation analytics space. He works closely with the development team and users to make sure that Iteris's data analytics products continue to grow and stay competitive in the industry. His team of data scientists explore applications of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence methods to create descriptive and predictive models for transportation safety and mobility. Masoud has a BSc in Computer Science, Masters in Systems Engineering and graduated from University of Maryland with a PhD in Transportation Engineering.

Dan leads Jacobs' Digital and Data Integrated Solutions for Transportation group and brings a deep understanding of integrating transportation engineering, planning, and geospatial analytics into practical, high impact tools. With 20 years of experience in transportation planning, freight analysis, corridor studies, and data driven decision support, he has guided complex planning efforts involving freight mobility, trade and supply chain analysis, network needs assessments, project prioritization, stakeholder engagement, and implementation strategies for major transportation programs. Dan specializes in developing advanced data applications that translate complex datasets into intuitive planning tools, including the integration of probe data to support mobility analysis, performance monitoring, and scenario evaluation. His work spans multimodal freight planning, port and border connectivity analysis, feasibility studies, and investment decision support, all strengthened by his expertise in geospatial analytics and visualization. Dan's leadership ensures that digital planning applications are not only technically robust but also aligned with the real-world needs of public agencies, enabling more informed, transparent, and data driven transportation decisions.

Mariia Zimmerman serves as the Director of Rail and Public Transportation for the Commonwealth of

Virginia. She brings to this role her 30 years of transportation industry experience working in the public,

private and non-profit sectors. Zimmerman most recently served as the Founder and Principal of MZ

Strategies, LLC, a Richmond-based planning and policy firm, where she assisted dozens of states,

regions and organizations across the country to adopt transit-oriented development policies and

implement transportation projects and plans that improve transportation mobility and access. Over her

career, she has been involved in a number of transportation planning projects across the

Commonwealth.

Mariia previously held executive positions at the U.S. Department of Transportation where she was a

senior member of Secretary Buttigieg's leadership team overseeing implementation of the Bipartisan

Infrastructure Law. She served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and was

a Co-Director of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Implementation Team. In these roles, she managed

several major discretionary grant and technical assistance programs and oversaw policies and programs

advanced by the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Railroad Administration to allocate historic

federal funding to expand rail and public transportation service in urban and rural communities.

Prior to launching MZ Strategies and her time at USDOT, Mariia served as Deputy Director of Sustainable

Housing and Communities at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and as Vice

President for Policy with Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit Oriented Development. She

co-founded the national non-profit, Transportation for America, and worked for several years on capitol

hill for Congressman Earl Blumenauer. Mariia began her public service at the Federal Transit

Administration during the Clinton Administration after working for transportation planning and

engineering firms in her home state of Minnesota. She and her husband have raised their family in

Virginia.

Mariia has served on numerous local and national boards and commissions including the Virginia

Passenger Rail Authority, the Arlington Transportation Commission, and the Shared Use Mobility Center,

among others. She holds advanced degrees from PennState and the University of Minnesota and has

been a Visiting Fellow with Virginia Tech's Metropolitan Institute.

A native Richmonder. Founder and CEO of StreetLight Data for 15 years, a pioneering transportation analytics and Big Data company out of Silicon Valley. SVP or Data and Digital for transportation at Jacobs Engineering, after StreetLight's acquisition by Jacobs in 2022. Before StreetLight, worked at the Rocky Mountain Institute and then the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Electric Vehicles. PhD in Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley, dissertation focus on Transportation and Climate Change. Undergrad in Literature from Yale.

Robert A. “Bob” Schneider, PhD, is the Executive Director of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), which operates as OmniRide. With the goal of moving more people to reduce traffic congestion in the region, OmniRide provides commuter and local bus services as well as ridesharing services in Prince William County, the City of Manassas, and the City of Manassas Park. PRTC also co-sponsors the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) in partnership with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC).

Before joining OmniRide, Bob was Executive Director at The COMET in Columbia, South Carolina, General Manager at ValleyRide in Boise, Idaho and formerly served as Director of Program Administration and Chief Operating Officer for Knoxville Area Transit. He earned a master's degree in public administration and a doctorate in political science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and also holds a bachelor's in political science and history from Western Carolina University. And he's still wondering when jet packs will start showing up in transit.

Allan Fye serves as the Deputy Director of Rail and Public Transportation for the Commonwealth of Virginia. He brings to this role two decades of transit industry experience focused on policy, strategic planning, and coordination in local and Federal government, regional bodies, and transit agencies. Mr. Fye most recently served as a Senior Director at LA Metro leading strategic planning for passenger rail in Southern California. Allan has held leadership positions in Virginia at the City of Alexandria and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, overseeing a broad portfolio of transit initiatives, including planning for high-capacity BRT corridors in Alexandria, implementation of capital investment projects, overseeing and modernizing TDM efforts, growth and development of NVTC's groundbreaking Commuter Choice program (partnership with DRPT, VDOT and CTB to invest toll revenue in multimodal corridors across Northern Virginia), strategic planning (Zero-Emission Buses, Transit Technology) and legislatively directed transit funding efforts (Chair of Technical Working Group for Sen. Ebbin's SJ28 Northern Virginia Growing Needs of Transit Joint Subcommittee). Allan has successfully completed two of Eno's prestigious leadership programs - Transportation Mid-Manager (TMM) and Transportation Senior Executive (TSE) - and leveraged those skills to become a thoughtful, strategic leader. Allan holds a Master of Public Administration (Urban & Regional Affairs) and Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Zhitong Huang is the Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) Program Manager at the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), where he leads statewide initiatives related to connected and automated transportation technologies. He oversees CAV planning, deployment, stakeholder engagement, policy development, and cross-agency coordination to support transportation safety, mobility, and operational performance across Virginia. He also represents VDOT on national committees and working groups focused on CAV research, strategy, and implementation.
Prior to joining VDOT, he worked at a leading transportation and technology consulting firm supporting the Federal Highway Administration Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory. With more than 21 years of transportation experience, he has led over 30 projects in connected and automated vehicles, AI applications, digital twins, transportation simulation and modeling, and traffic operations management.