People News: ACTA, STV, AAR, NTSB
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
Left to Right: Jaime Aguilar, Vice President for San Antonio, Texas, STV; Kelly Saladis, Vice President, STV; and Don Steel, Vice President in Oklahoma City, STV. (Photos Courtesy of STV)
The Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) elects Tim McOsker as Board Chair. Also, STV elevates senior transportation leaders to support the growing Texas/Mountain Region; Union Pacific’s (UP) Sanjay Verna becomes the new Chairperson of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Quality Assurance Committee; and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Member J. Todd Inman welcomes a new team to his staff.
ACTA
Los Angeles Councilmember Tim McOsker has been elected Chair of the Governing Board of ACTA for the 2024-25 term. Long Beach Councilwoman Suely Saro will serve as Vice Chair. The leadership of the Governing Board traditionally rotates between the representatives of the Los Angeles and Long Beach city councils each year.
McOsker was elected in 2022 to represent the Los Angeles City Council District 15—the One Five—which includes the communities of Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, San Pedro, Watts, and Wilmington, as well as the Port of Los Angeles. An attorney and lifelong resident of Council District 15, McOsker was previously the Chief Executive Officer of AltaSea, a non-profit advancing scientific discovery and collaboration in ocean sustainability and the blue economy, augmenting job creation at the Port of Los Angeles.
“There is no doubt that the scale, function, and utility of the Alameda Corridor to U.S. rail cargo movement continues to be critically important to the success of the Los Angeles and Long Beach Port Complex. Speed, efficiencies and upcoming improvements in intermodal and on-dock rail infrastructure all place the Alameda Corridor at the center of the global supply chain,” said Councilmember McOsker. “The board, along with ACTA’s leadership, look forward to some very exciting months ahead for the Corridor as we also continue to advance the many health and safety benefits this engineering marvel provides to the community.”
ACTA is the intergovernmental agency formed under the joint-powers authority of the cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach that oversees the dedicated section of railway from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles (the “Corridor”). The $2+ billion Corridor project, according to the agency, “successfully improved conditions in once-impacted communities by consolidating three circuitous rail routes into a single grade separated route along Alameda Street.” The Corridor provides an efficient high-speed rail route to handle cargo by rail rather than trucks, which would cause congestion on regional freeways. These rail transportation improvements, ACTA adds, “lead to economic benefits, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and enhanced safety.”
STV
STV on June 24 announced new senior leadership promotions for its Transportation Texas/Mountain operating group, including Jaime Aguilar, PE; Kelly Saladis, AICP, ENV SP; and Don Steel, PE. The professional services firm says it is “elevating its local leaders amid continued growth in regional infrastructure projects, with more than 11,000 Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) projects currently under development.”
Aguilar has been promoted to Vice President for San Antonio, Texas. He will oversee existing projects, client relationships and business growth, specifically in San Antonio. With a career spanning 30 years in transportation engineering, Aguilar’s experience includes community improvement projects, roadway expansions and infrastructure upgrades in the area.
Saladis has been promoted to Vice President, where she will work closely with local area managers to grow STV’s environmental practice throughout Texas and Oklahoma. With more than 20 years of experience leading National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) studies and multi-discipline teams for transportation and other infrastructure projects, she will “continue to guide a collaborative team in analyzing and solving local environmental challenges for clients.”
Steel has been promoted to Vice President in Oklahoma City and will work closely with roadway clients to “advance projects and remain at the forefront of industry innovations that preserve and advance projects like the reconstruction of a historic Route 66 bridge.” With 25 years of experience in transportation management, Steel serves as the roadway design lead for numerous projects at STV.
“I’m thrilled to work alongside this extraordinary team of industry experts, who bring integrity and insight to the communities we serve,” said J.J. Roohms, P.E., president of the Transportation Texas/Mountain Region at STV. “They’ve each delivered transformational projects throughout the region, and their new roles will empower them to provide invaluable growth for our clients while continuing to develop our project teams.”
STV has successfully completed projects in Oklahoma City and the surrounding region, as well as every major metropolitan region in Texas, including Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin. This includes major milestones for TxDOT on each segment of the Capital Expressway improvement projects: from final plans delivery of CapEx South, planning for CapEx North and schematic and environmental support for CapEx Central. The firm supported system-wide upgrades for the Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority’s New Starts light rail transit system and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Light Rail Transit System. Most recently, STV was the lead designer and reconnaissance data collector for a 100-foot bridge on the historic Route 66 near Oklahoma City.
AAR
Every two years the Chairman of the AAR Quality Assurance Committee moves on and passes the torch to the new Chairperson.
This year Amtrak’s Tony Paralusi (left) completed his term and handed things over to UP’s Sanjay Verna (right), who will serve the next two years.
NTSB
NTSB Member J. Todd Inman on June 24 announced the addition of Andrew Giacini and Olivia Marcus to his staff. With their start, NTSB says the Office of Member Inman is “fully staffed and prepared to make a difference in transportation safety alongside his fellow Board Members.”
Giacini, Special Assistant to Member Inman, joins the NTSB after most recently helping draft and pass the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 as a professional staff member of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Prior to joining the Committee, he worked in the aviation industry, serving on several governmental and private sector working groups “advocating for and developing best practices and standards to support the safe integration of electric and powered-lift aircraft as well as unmanned aircraft systems.” Giacini served as the Acting Assistant Administrator for Government and Industry Affairs at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and worked for two former Members of Congress, focusing on transportation safety and other policy areas. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Economics from the University of Florida.
Marcus, Confidential Assistant to Member Inman, joins the NTSB following her role as a public affairs consultant at APCO Worldwide, “working specifically on high profile events, coordinating media strategies, establishing diverse coalitions, and helping clients identify strategic solutions while working in domestic and international political environments.” Prior to joining APCO, Marcus interned on a Congressional campaign and at the National Head Start Association (NHSA). She received her bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in education studies and political science.
“I thank Andrew and Olivia for their willingness to serve the public as part of the NTSB team. Andrew brings a wealth of transportation policy and governmental process experience to his role as my Special Assistant. In particular, his work in the aviation sector and past focus on the safe integration of new and novel means of transportation into our existing transportation landscape will benefit all users of our transportation systems,” said Inman, who was sworn in on April 8, 2024, as the 48th member of NTSB.
“Olivia’s significant strategic corporate and media background and organizational experience combined with being an adept learner makes her a great addition to my office. I am thrilled Andrew and Olivia agreed to join me in serving our country and improving transportation safety,” Inman added.
