Speakers
Tuesday, May 20 to Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Laura Chace
Lunch & Opening Session
May 20, 2025, 12:00 pm
Mike Mollenhauer
Dr. Michael Mollenhauer is the Director of the Division of Technology Implementation at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. He is a human factors engineer by training and has 20 years of experience conducting research and on automobile safety, driving simulation, connected, and automated vehicle topics. His current responsibilities include helping transportation system operators evaluate and deploy early implementations of emerging connected and automated vehicle technologies. More recently, Mike leads an effort to evaluate and deploy smart intersection technologies to understand their performance and value to transportation operations and safety initiatives.
Intersection Safety & Tech
May 20, 2025, 1:30 pm
Patrick Marnell, PE
Patrick Marnell is Q-Free America's Vice President of Product. He focuses on bringing innovative ITS and traffic signals solutions from concept to market. Patrick works with a talented team of designers, software developers, professional engineers, and technicians to drive strategic development in Q-Free America's products. Patrick also oversees Q-Free's factory in Tucson, AZ where all Q-Free traffics signal controllers are manufactured. Further, Patrick manages Q-Free's software Quality Assurance team. Patrick is the 2025 ITE Western District President. He is past chair of the Oregon Traffic Control Device Committee and a former City of Hubbard Oregon Planning Commissioner. Patrick has 15 years of experience as a Consultant, Vendor, Researcher, and Transportation Specialist. He has a master's and bachelor's degrees in civil and transportation engineering from Oregon State University. Patrick is a registered professional engineer in Oregon, and Montana.
Intersection Safety & Tech
May 20, 2025, 1:30 pm
Paul Nelson
Spanning over three decades, my experience in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) - dating back to the early days when it was known as IVHS - spans a broad range of ITS projects, with a focus on outside plant design. Throughout my career, I've contributed to several high-profile projects, including: I-66 Outside the Beltway; I-15 Reconstruction in Salt Lake City, Utah; I-95 Camera Installations South of the James River; I-95 over the Rappahannock River; ATSPM deployment along Route 1 in the Fredericksburg District; and a Real-Time Parking System for Washington Metro
Intersection Safety & Tech
May 20, 2025, 1:30 pm
Jon Bondanella, P.E.
Jon J. Bondanella is the Vice President of Engineering and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) at Traffic Systems & Technology (TS&T), a leading provider of traffic safety solutions in the Mid-Atlantic region. With over two decades of experience at TS&T, he has been instrumental in the design, implementation, and management of advanced traffic and ITS systems across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Virginia. Jon specializes in ITS engineering, offering expertise in system planning, design, and training. He has played a pivotal role in deploying major projects, including multiple Express Lanes projects, enhancing traffic flow and traffic safety in the region. Beyond engineering, Jon contributes to the company's growth through sales and client relations while ensuring the delivery of cutting-edge traffic technology solutions.
His dedication to both his career and personal interests underscores his dynamic and well-rounded character.
Intersection Safety & Tech
May 20, 2025, 1:30 pm
Bradley Verrier
Intersection Safety & Tech
May 20, 2025, 1:30 pm
Kevin Gregg, Chief of Operations & Maintenance, VDOT
Kevin began his VDOT career in the Lynchburg District on the survey party while attending Community College. He spent five years as a Bridge Safety Inspector before leaving the district for the Engineer Training Program.
Kevin has over 40 years of international, domestic and state surface transportation expertise from both the public and private sectors, including 29 years with VDOT in residencies, districts and Central Office. He took a short 15 year break in the middle working as a contractor and consultant.
Among his chief positions, he has served as resident engineer, deputy district administrator for both the Richmond and Hampton Roads districts, and has also served as the state maintenance administrator in Central Office. He took over as the Chief of Maintenance and Operations in the fall of 2019.
Kevin holds a bachelor's degree and master's degree. He is a graduate of the Virginia Executive Institute, the Commonwealth Management Institute and the Transportation Construction Management Institute.
Breakfast in the Commonwealth
May 21, 2025, 8:00 am
Zach Trogdon, Chief of Public Transportation, DRPT
Zach Trogdon has over two decades of government service at the local and state level. Mr. Trogdon has worked for the last seven years in the public transit field. During his career, Mr. Trogdon has seen IT projects, when designed and implemented well, greatly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public organizations. While a transit agency head, he worked on projects involving real-time vehicle location and arrival information, mobile surveillance on transit vehicles, on-demand scheduling, and mobile electronic payment functionality.
Breakfast in the Commonwealth
May 21, 2025, 8:00 am
Ashley Hall
Breakfast in the Commonwealth
May 21, 2025, 8:00 am
Michael Fontaine, PE, PhD
Mike Fontaine is the Associate Director for the Safety, Operations, and Traffic Engineering team at the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC), which is the research division of VDOT. In that role, Dr. Fontaine manages VDOT's research program in the areas of highway safety, traffic engineering, operations, intelligent transportation systems, and connected and automated vehicles. Dr. Fontaine has also previously worked for the University of Virginia, Old Dominion University, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, and the City of Charlottesville.
Plenary Session: VDOT Technology
May 21, 2025, 10:45 am
Nathan OKane, P.E., PTOE
Plenary Session: VDOT Technology
May 21, 2025, 10:45 am
Matt Nice, PhD
Dr. Matthew Nice received a M.Eng. in cyber-physical systems, and a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from Vanderbilt University. He is a research faculty at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and is based in Alexandria, VA. He leads experimental research on the impact of technology in connected and automated vehicles on transportation systems, and on technology's role in urban mobility though the Smart Mobility Lab with the City of Alexandria.
Plenary Session: VDOT Technology
May 21, 2025, 10:45 am
Yi-Chang Chiu
Plenary Session: VDOT Technology
May 21, 2025, 10:45 am
Christopher Arabia
Chris Arabia has more than 30 years of experience in transportation demand management at the city, county, regional, and state levels. Chris has been with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public transportation for the past 18 years. His work focuses on getting more people to use transit, carpool, vanpool, and bike instead of driving. This work has included oversight of statewide TDM/commuter assistance grant programs, and planning, operations, marketing, evaluation, and implementation of technologies for multimodal ridematching, trip planning, rewards, and guaranteed ride home programs.
Plenary Session: VDOT Technology
May 21, 2025, 10:45 am