Who We are

KATE GALLEGO | Co-Chair
Mayor of Phoenix, AZ

Mayor Gallego is a strong advocate for smart business growth and investment – she recently helped land the city’s largest-ever business development deal, which, at $12 billion, is also the second largest deal in state history. She is leading the city to global status as a leader in bioscience, scientific research, and advanced medical manufacturing.

The Mayor is also leading Phoenix to meet its goal to become the most sustainable desert city in the United States. She has fostered investments in cool solutions, including the nation’s first, publicly funded Office of Heat Response and Mitigation; launched the city’s successful cool pavement pilot; and led the charge toward building the necessary EV infrastructure to get fossil fuel powered vehicles off the road.

Mayor Gallego is the second elected female Mayor in Phoenix history and one of the youngest big city Mayors in the United States. In November 2020, she was returned to office with the highest number of votes ever cast for a mayoral candidate in Phoenix.

A graduate of Harvard University, she earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. She was elected to the Phoenix City Council in 2013, representing south Phoenix. Prior professional pursuits include strategic planning and economic development for one of Arizona’s largest utility companies and service in state government, including the Office of the Governor.

QUINTON LUCAS | Co-Chair
Mayor of Kansas City, MO

Mayor Quinton Lucas is the 55th mayor of Kansas City and the youngest elected Kansas City mayor in more than a generation. Known affectionately as “Mayor Q” to Kansas Citians, he prioritizes making Kansas City’s neighborhoods safer, creating more accessible and affordable housing and public transportation, maintaining efficiency and transparency in governance, and improving basic services.

Mayor Q has led Kansas City in launching an innovative Zero Fair Transit initiative, making all public transit fare free in Kansas City, and serves as Vice Chair for Transit on the United States Conference of Mayors Transportation Committee. Working with grassroots organizations, he also led the City Council in adopting the City’s first-ever Tenants’ Bill of Rights. Mayor Q remains focused on decriminalizing poverty and providing second chances, which is why he led the City Council in removing possession of marijuana as a violation from the City Code of Ordinances and launched a Municipal Marijuana Pardon Program.

JANE CASTOR
Mayor of Tampa, FL

Mayor Jane Castor is the 59th Mayor of the City of Tampa. Born and raised in Tampa, Jane has spent a lifetime in service to the community, first as a police officer, then as Tampa’s first female Chief of Police, and finally as the city’s 59th Mayor. She graduated from Chamberlain High School and attended the University of Tampa on an athletic scholarship.

Jane spent 31 years with the Tampa Police Department, serving in nearly every capacity and in nearly every neighborhood of the city. In October of 2009, Castor became Tampa’s first female Chief of Police, serving for six years in that role. During her time as a senior staff member, Castor worked to reduce major crimes by 70% citywide. While Chief, she developed and successfully executed a progressive policing strategy during the 2012 Republican National Convention and oversaw the successful Bollywood Awards, held in America for the first time. In addition, she oversaw the multi-jurisdictional security plan for Super Bowl XLIII and led the Department of Homeland Security’s Tampa Bay Urban Area Security Initiative.


Castor was instrumental in the development of the plan that reorganized the police department, consisting of 1,300 officers and employees with a $145 million annual budget – creating three smaller, more manageable districts. Decentralization ensured commanders had the necessary resources to fulfill their missions and gave officers the opportunity to immerse themselves within the community.

Community outreach was a cornerstone of her career. During her time as a beat cop working night shifts, Jane knew the families, business owners, and community leaders in her neighborhood and, as chief, she expected every officer to do the same. Under her watch, the ‘golden rule’ was that “everyone was treated with dignity and respect”. She also brought an added focus that to be successful, the police department had to be immersed in the community as a partner.

PAIGE COGNETTI
Mayor of Scranton, PA

Mayor Cognetti was sworn in as Mayor of Scranton on January 6, 2020.

Prior to becoming Mayor, she advised the Pennsylvania Auditor General, the chief fiscal watchdog of the commonwealth, on oversight of public school districts, care for older adults, criminal justice reform, and student debt.

Mayor Cognetti previously served as a director on the Scranton School Board. Mayor Cognetti served in the Obama administration as a senior advisor to the Under Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Treasury Department. She was a fundraiser and project director on numerous political campaigns. She also worked as an investment advisor in New York City.

Mayor Cognetti holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and graduated summa cum laude from University of Oregon Clark Honors College with a BA in English Literature and Romance Languages.

Mayor Cognetti was born in Eugene, Oregon and spent most of her childhood in Beaverton, Oregon. She lives in Scranton with her husband and their daughter.

JOHN GILES
Mayor of Mesa, AZ

John Giles was elected Mayor of Mesa, Arizona in 2014 and began his second full term in January 2021. Building on the foundation of his first term, his key areas of focus include 5Es: Economic Growth, Education, Environment, Equality & Compassion, and Emergency Response.
Mayor Giles oversees a growing economy that has added tens of thousands of new jobs, over $7.9 billion in new capital investment, and employers like Apple, Amazon, ElectraMeccanica, Google and Meta.

He brings renewed focus and attention to Mesa’s downtown resulting in the new Arizona State University Media, Immersion and eXperience Center (ASU MIX Center) with cutting-edge programs and a budding creative economy with new businesses, restaurants and entertainment options.

Building Mesa’s workforce through strategic education initiatives is also a high priority for Mayor Giles. He spearheads the Mesa College Promise which provides qualified graduates with a free community college education. He also chairs the Arizona Mayor’s Education Roundtable.

His advocacy for a community that is healthy at every level led to the development of Mesa’s Climate Action Plan. Building on the city’s history of implementing sustainable practices, the goals of the plan include achieving carbon neutrality, using 100% renewable energy and diverting 90% of the waste from the landfill by 2050. In keeping with these goals, Mayor Giles is a champion for building an infrastructure that makes electric vehicle ownership more attainable, and for testing innovative technologies that reduce our impact on the environment.

Mayor Giles is Chair of the Immigration Task Force for the U.S. Conference of Mayors Board of Trustees and is a member of the Mayor’s Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. He is also the immediate past Chair of the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and Vice-Chair of the Mayor’s Alliance to End Childhood Hunger.

TODD GLORIA
Mayor of San Diego, CA

A third-generation San Diegan of Filipino, Dutch, Puerto Rican, and Native American descent, Mayor Gloria’s lifelong career in public service was inspired by a lesson his parents – a hotel maid and a gardener – taught him at a young age: if you care about something, then you should leave it better than you found it. That lesson continues to motivate Mayor Gloria to improve San Diego every single day.

Mayor Gloria has spent his entire professional life in service to the public, beginning his career at the County of San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency. He then went on to serve as District Director to United States Congresswoman Susan A. Davis, whom he credits as his mentor.


In 2008, Mayor Gloria was elected to the San Diego City Council following Christine Kehoe and Toni Atkins in serving the Third District. In 2012, after serving his first term, Mayor Gloria’s colleagues on the City Council elected him as their City Council President. In 2013, he assumed the reigns of the City, beginning his time as Interim Mayor after the resignation of Bob Filner. During that time, Mayor Gloria is widely credited with restoring the public’s trust in city government. In 2016, Mayor Gloria was elected to the California State Assembly to represent the 78th Assembly District. He immediately rose to a leadership position in the Assembly serving first as Assistant Majority Whip and eventually Majority Whip.

During his time in the Assembly, Mayor Gloria passed legislation on many of the major issues San Diego is working to address including building more affordable housing, fighting gun violence, combatting climate change, and providing resources for those experiencing homelessness. As the 37th Mayor of San Diego, Mayor Gloria is committed to making San Diego a city of opportunity that invests in every neighborhood and every San Diegan. Mayor Gloria is a graduate of the University of San Diego and an enrolled member of the Tlingit Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. He lives in the neighborhood of Downtown.

QUENTIN HART
Mayor of Waterloo, IA

Now serving his third term, Quentin Hart is the first African American to serve as Mayor of Waterloo, Iowa. Hart took the office in January 2016. Previously he served three terms as Ward 4 Councilman from 2008 through 2015 including an appointment as first African American Mayor Pro-Tem for the City of Waterloo.

Previously, Mayor Hart provided leadership for multicultural initiatives and promoting awareness and appreciation for diversity on campus and the community as Associate Director of Multicultural Affairs for Hawkeye Community College. He received his MAE in Postsecondary Education: Student Affairs from the University of Northern Iowa and has a BA in Sociology from Minnesota State and a Liberal Arts Degree from Iowa Central Community College. Hart serves with the US Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities, Accelerator for America Advisory Board, and National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) as well as numerous regional and state organizations and appointments.

DAVID HOLT
Mayor of Oklahoma City, OK

Mayor David Holt was elected Feb. 13, 2018, with 78.5 percent of the vote. It was the largest vote percentage achieved by a non-incumbent candidate for Mayor since 1947, and it made Holt the youngest Mayor of Oklahoma City since 1923, the first Native American mayor of Oklahoma City, and at the time of his election, the youngest mayor of a U.S. city with more than 500,000 residents. Mayor Holt took office April 10, 2018, as Oklahoma City’s 36th Mayor.

Mayor Holt served in the White House, and then for five years as chief of staff to former Mayor Mick Cornett before serving almost eight years in the Oklahoma Senate. There, then-Sen. Holt authored over 70 pieces of legislation that became law. He was a champion in the Senate for increased teacher pay, better public schools, more government transparency, protections for domestic violence victims and higher voter participation.

TISHAURA JONES
Mayor of St. Louis, MO

Tishaura Jones was sworn-in as the 47th mayor and the first Black female mayor in the City’s history on April 20th, 2021.

Transparency, Integrity, and Service define who she is and how she did it. Since 2012, Tishaura O. Jones has helped the City of St. Louis earn and save over $30 million and counting.

With a deep personal commitment, a wealth of experience, and a proven record of leadership, Jones started her career as a public servant in 2002 when she was appointed as Democratic Committeewoman of the 8th Ward in the City of St. Louis. A history-maker on a mission, she served two terms in the Missouri House of Representatives, and was selected as the first African American woman in Missouri history to hold the position of Assistant Minority Floor Leader. She also is the first African American woman to serve as Treasurer of St. Louis.

TIM KELLY
Mayor of Chattanooga, TN

Tim Kelly is the 74th mayor of Chattanooga. He grew up in Chattanooga and attended undergraduate school at Columbia University. Upon return to Chattanooga, Kelly expanded his family’s automotive dealership and launched several successful ventures of his own, including co-founding Chattanooga’s professional soccer club. He later earned his MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business. Kelly has always been active in the community, serving on boards for multiple nonprofits and even teaching as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Since being elected mayor in April 2021, he has made great strides on his vision to create One Chattanooga - a city where every resident has the opportunity to thrive and prosper.

MATTIE PARKER
Mayor of Fort Worth, TX

Mattie Parker was elected in June 2021 as the 45 th Mayor of Fort Worth. Leading one of the fastest growing large cities in the nation, Parker has set her focus on key issues that move Fort Worth forward including economic development growth, innovative transportation and mobility solutions, quality education opportunities for every student, and building safer, more prosperous communities.
Parker is a licensed attorney, with more than seventeen years of experience in national, state and local public affairs, including her service as the chief of staff for Mayor and the Fort Worth City Council where she helped shape major policy decisions on a variety of complex issues. She was the founding CEO of Fort Worth Cradle to Career and the Tarrant To & Through (T3) Partnership.

RON NIRENBERG
Mayor of San Antonio, TX

Ron Nirenberg is the mayor of San Antonio, which has the 7th largest population in the United States and is one of the nation’s fastest growing cities. Mayor Nirenberg is the first San Antonio Mayor of Asian Pacific Islander descent. His mother is Filipino and his paternal grandparents were immigrants from Eastern Europe who passed through Ellis Island. Under his leadership as mayor, the city has adopted an equity framework in budgeting to reduce poverty, improve public health, and overcome historical socioeconomic inequality. He is focused on making key investments necessary to accommodate San Antonio’s growth, which is expected to nearly double the city’s population by 2040. This forward-looking approach drives the mayor’s vision of a compassionate community with a globally competitive economy.

The Mayor’s policy priorities include workforce development. In 2020, he successfully championed SA Ready to Work, a four-year workforce development program approved by 77 percent of voters and funded without raising the tax rate. In 2017, Mayor Nirenberg created the Mayor’s Housing Policy Task Force seeking to ensure that all San Antonians, regardless of income level, can find quality affordable housing within the city limits. In an effort to combat the effects of global climate change, Mayor Nirenberg spearheaded a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, which was adopted by the City Council in October 2019. Shortly thereafter, Mayor Nirenberg joined the Climate Mayors Steering Committee, a group of 24 mayors who will serve as a leading voice in efforts to further climate action in the more than 400 cities across the U.S. that make up the Climate Mayors coalition.


He was first elected to represent District 8 on the San Antonio City Council in 2013. Prior to his public service, Mayor Nirenberg was the founder of two small-businesses, worked as the general manager of KRTU-FM San Antonio, and served as a program director for the Annenberg Public Policy Center where he developed and directed award-winning civic engagement programs.

ANDY SCHOR
Mayor of Lansing, MI

Andy Schor was elected 52nd Mayor of Lansing, Michigan on November 7, 2017, and took office on January 1, 2018. Upon taking office Mayor Schor immediately began focusing on the priorities of his campaign: Neighborhoods; Economic Development; Infrastructure; and Lansing Schools.

Under Schor’s leadership, Lansing expects approximately $2 billion in new investment in the city in the next few years. The city was also named the number one affordable city to live in the United States based on high quality of life and low cost of living. And the city has become transparent and engaging with the citizens of Lansing as well as the many visitors and daytime workers. During his 2019 State of the City Address, Mayor Schor announced Lansing 2030, a Lansing vision plan highlighting the ways that Lansing will be its best self: a diverse, dense, livable and welcoming environment.

VICTORIA WOODARDS
Mayor of Tacoma, WA

As Mayor of Tacoma, Victoria Woodards is an equity champion focused on transformational efforts that improve public engagement and trust in government and highlight the livability of Tacoma. She has brought focus and resources to local community while expanding her involvement in regional and national efforts related to homelessness and affordable housing, public safety, support for youth and families, growing local business, and the creation of family wage jobs.

Under her leadership, the City appointed members to its first Commission on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, launched Compassionate Tacoma to recognize acts of compassion and service in our community, established the South Sound Housing Affordability Partners to regionally address affordable housing, and started a paid Introduction to Healthcare Apprenticeship Pathways pilot that guides equitable workforce development to this day. She has also worked to more fully engage the City’s youth in community decisions that impact them every day, by expanding Student Government Day and establishing the City's first Youth Commission.

RANDALL WOODFIN
Mayor of Birmingham, AL

Mayor Randall L. Woodfin’s philosophy of “putting people first” has guided his leadership. Revitalization of the city’s 99 neighborhoods is his top priority. He is focused on enhancing education for young people, fostering a climate of economic opportunity for all residents and leveraging public-private partnerships to make the city the best version of Birmingham it can be.

His vision to create new education and career opportunities for students led to the Birmingham Promise, a public-private partnership that provides apprenticeships and tuition assistance to cover college costs for Birmingham high school graduates. Mayor Woodfin led a regional effort to invest in the renovation and expansion of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex making the city an emerging destination for sports and entertainment. Through Pardons for Progress, he removed a barrier from employment opportunities and offered a second chance with the mayoral pardon of 15,000 misdemeanor marijuana possession charges dating back to 1990.

He entered his second term as Birmingham’s 30th mayor on November 23, 2021. A graduate of Morehouse College and Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law, he previously served as president of the Birmingham Board of Education.

ANNA VALENCIA
City Clerk of Chicago, IL

Anna Valencia was sworn-in as City Clerk of Chicago on January 25, 2017 overseeing one of the largest offices in the City serving 1.2 million Chicagoans and generating more than $130 million annually. As City Clerk, Valencia has focused on making government accessible to all Chicagoans. Under Valencia’s leadership, the Office of the City Clerk has made it a priority to find new and innovative ways to bring services directly to residents, increase civic engagement, improve inefficiencies and collaborate across government in the private and public sectors.

Prior to becoming Clerk, Valencia served as the second woman and first Latina to run Mayor Emanuel’s Legislative Counsel and Government Affairs (LCGA) where she spearheaded the passage of police accountability reform, the modernization of the CTA’s Red and Purple lines, the stabilization of pension funds and creation of the City’s legal fund that assists immigrants and refugees threatened with deportation.

HENRY CISNEROS
Chairman, American Triple I

Henry Cisneros is Chairman of American Triple I, an infrastructure investment firm based in New York. He is also a Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors & Equity Owner of Shank Williams Cisneros & Co., L.L.C, and Principal of Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC. a national municipal and corporate finance firm. Mr. Cisneros founded CityView in 2003 and continues to actively invest in its projects. CityView is a partner in building more than 100 communities in 13 states, building more than 7,000 homes with a total value of over $5 billion.

Mr. Cisneros’ community-building career began at the local level. After serving three terms as a City Councilmember, in 1981, Mr. Cisneros became the first Hispanic-American mayor of a major U.S. city, San Antonio, Texas. During his four terms as Mayor, he helped rebuild the city’s economic base and spurred the creation of jobs through massive infrastructure and downtown improvements.

In 1984, Mr. Cisneros was interviewed by the Democratic Presidential nominee as a possible candidate for Vice President of the United States and in 1986 was selected as the “Outstanding Mayor” in the nation by City and State Magazine. After completing four terms as Mayor, Mr. Cisneros formed Cisneros Asset Management Company, a fixed income management firm operating nationally and ranked at the time as the second fastest growing money manager in the nation.

In 1992, President Clinton appointed Mr. Cisneros to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. As a member of President Clinton’s Cabinet, Secretary Cisneros has been credited with initiating the revitalization of many of the nation’s public housing developments and with formulating policies which contributed to achieving the nation’s highest ever homeownership rate. In his role as the President’s chief representative to the nation’s cities, Mr. Cisneros personally worked in more than 200 U.S. cities in every one of the 50 states.

MICHELLE DIPPEL
Executive Vice President, Western US, HNTB

Michelle Dippel is an Executive Vice President and the President of HNTB’s Western Region, she is based in the firm’s downtown Los Angeles office. As Western Region president, Dippel is responsible for leading sales, operations and project delivery in the region, overseeing two divisions, 8 operating offices, numerous field offices and more than 900 colleagues. She actively represents HNTB in civic- and industry-related associations, helps recruit top talent to the firm, and fosters relationships with clients and thought leaders. Dippel first joined HNTB in 2005. Prior to her current role, she served as president of the firm’s Mid-Atlantic Division where she oversaw complex infrastructure programs, business operations and more than 500 HNTB professionals from Pennsylvania to South Carolina. Michelle grew up in Austin, Texas, and attended the University of Texas at Austin.   She earned her Master’s in anthropology and a Bachelor’s in archaeological studies from the University of Texas. Her technical background as a NEPA practitioner has allowed her to work with clients across multiple service lines including federal and energy as well as all modes of transportation. Dippel’s commitment to the community and industry goes beyond critical infrastructure projects. She is a founder and at-large board member of Soaring Spirits International, a non-profit providing peer-based grief support to widowed people. She served on the founding board of the Heart of Texas Chapter of WTS. She also serves on the Advisory Board of ACE Mentor and is active with the Transportation Research Board and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure firm serving public and private owners and contractors. With 109 years of service, HNTB understands the life cycle of infrastructure and addresses clients’ most complex technical, financial and operational challenges. Professionals nationwide deliver a full range of infrastructure-related services, including award-winning planning, design, and program and construction management.

AMANDA EDWARDS
Former Council Member, Houston, TX

Amanda K. Edwards served as the Houston City Council Member in At-Large Position 4 until January 2020. She is an attorney and native Houstonian with a passion for building communities through public service. She also serves on the Economic Development Committee and the Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee. Amanda strives to innovatively address the city’s fiscal challenges and its urban core needs to move all of Houston forward so that it can be the place where the Gulf Coast and the world’s future meet.

DAVID GILFORD
Head of Policy, Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners

David leads policy for SIP, building public-private partnerships to deliver value to national, regional, and local governments and communities.

Over two decades at the intersection of the public and private sectors, David has built cross-sector programs to support innovation. He was previously Principal at HR&A Advisors and co-founder of the Broadband Equity Partnership, where David designed digital and social infrastructure to close the digital divide. Before that, he co-founded the Connected Communities practice at Intersection, developing technology strategies for neighborhood-scale real estate developments. David’s public sector leadership includes serving as Vice President for Urban Innovation & Sustainability for the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Earlier in his career, he was an analyst at the Federal Reserve, following experience as a telecommunications entrepreneur.

David holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA in Economics from Williams College.

LARRY JACOB
Consultant

Jacob was named a NextGen Leader by the Kansas City Business Journal and 40 Under Forty by Ingram’s Magazine. A Boston-area native, Jacob lives in the Kansas City area with his family, received his undergraduate degree from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, and completed his master’s degree at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University.

BRUCE KATZ
Co-Founder and Director
Drexel University, Nowak Metro Finance Lab

Bruce Katz is, with Jeremy Nowak, the Co-Founder of New Localism Advisors and the co-author of The New Localism: How Cities Can Thrive in the Age of Populism. Katz founded the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, where he most recently served as the Institution’s Centennial Scholar. Before joining Brookings, Katz served as chief of staff to U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros and was the senior counsel and then staff director for the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs.

MICHAEL MCAFEE
President and CEO, PolicyLink

Dr. Michael McAfee became President and CEO of PolicyLink in 2018, seven years after becoming the inaugural director of the Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink. His results-driven leadership, depth of knowledge about building and sustaining an organization, and devotion to serving the nation’s most underserved populations made him the obvious choice to lead the 20-year-old PolicyLink as Angela Glover Blackwell transitioned to founder in residence.

During his time at PolicyLink, Michael has played a leadership role in securing Promise Neighborhoods as a permanent federal program, led efforts to improve outcomes for more than 300,000 children, and facilitated the investment of billions of dollars in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty. He is the catalyst for a new and growing body of work — corporate racial equity — which includes the first comprehensive tool to guide private-sector companies in assessing and actively promoting equity in every aspect of their company’s value chain. Michael carries forward the legacy to realize the promise of equity — just and fair inclusion into a society in which all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential.

MIKE MONROE
Chief of Staff, North Americas Building Trades Union (NABTU)

SWATI MYLAVARAPU
CEO, Incite.org

Swati Mylavarapu runs Incite.org, which invests in early stage technology entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. Through Incite Ventures, she invests in technology entrepreneurs who are building businesses that also address important social or environmental issues. Through Incite Labs, a foundation, she makes grants to and invests in social entrepreneurs starting movements for catalytic social and environmental change.

She was a Partner on the venture capital team at Kleiner Perkins, where she focused on consumer digital and hardware investments. Previously, Swati built the international business and product marketing efforts at Square. She earned her AB at Harvard and holds MPhil in Economic History from Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.

NATHAN OHLE
President & CEO, International Economic Development Council (IEDC)

Nathan Ohle is an internationally recognized expert in economic development and a leader of public, private and nonprofit organizations. He currently serves as the President & CEO of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers, with more than 5,000 members globally. In 2017, he was selected as one of 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in economic development internationally.

JOHN PORCARI
Former Port Envoy, Biden-Harris Administration Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force

John D. Porcari is Managing Partner at 3P Enterprises and Port Envoy to the Biden-Harris Administration's Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force. He previously served as Presindet of US Advisory Services for WSP, where he directed the firm’s management consulting, financial advisory, and research & development activities. Prior to joining WSP, Porcari served in the Obama administration as Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Transportation, the Chief Operating Officer of a cabinet department with a $77 billion annual budget, 10 operating administrations, and 55,000 employees worldwide. John twice served as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation, as COO/CFO of the University of Maryland and in a number of economic development-related local and state government positions.

REBECCA RHYNHART
Senior Vice President for Finance, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Deputy Treasurer, Drexel University

With over 20 years of experience in finance and administration, Rebecca began her career on Wall Street before moving back to Philadelphia during the 2008 recession to work in Mayor Nutter’s administration from 2008 until 2015, first as City Treasurer and then as Budget Director. During her tenure, the city not only recovered from the economic downturn, but also achieved its highest bond rating in over 30 years. She then served as Chief Administrative Officer of the city in 2016, overseeing 11 city departments and functions with over 1,000 employees. Most recently, Rebecca served as Controller for the City of Philadelphia, becoming the first woman elected to that position in 2017. And as many of you may know, Rebecca vacated that position in 2022 to run for mayor in the Democratic primary held this past spring. She remains active in civic life, serving on the local boards of Mural Arts Advocates and the Schuylkill River Development Corporation.

JOE SCANTLEBURY
President & CEO, Living Cities

Joe Scantlebury is the President and CEO of Living Cities, a collaborative of 19 of the world’s leading foundations and financial institutions who work together to close racial income and wealth gaps in American cities.

Prior to joining Living Cities, Joe Scantlebury served as vice president for program strategy (places) at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan. He led, designed and implemented strategic programming efforts to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families in the W.K. Kellogg Foundation priority places.

Prior to joining the Kellogg Foundation in January 2015, Joe served as senior program officer, U.S. Program Advocacy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Washington, D.C. In this role, Joe led state policy advocacy within a subset of priority Northeast and Mid-South states, as well as led civil rights and equity work at Gates. He was responsible for advancing foundation strategies, priorities and brand by building public and political will among national, federal and state leaders and constituencies. Prior to working at the Gates Foundation, Joe was a staff attorney at the Youth Law Center in Washington, where he advocated and litigated nationally to reduce disproportionate minority confinement and addressed conditions within the juvenile justice system.

Joe received a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University’s New York State School of Industrial & Labor Relations. He holds a Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law.

SONAL SHAH
Founding President, The Asian American Foundation

Sonal Shah is the Founding President of The Asian American Foundation and the former Founding Executive Director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation and Professor at Georgetown University. Sonal served as Deputy Assistant to the President for President Obama and founded the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. She has extensive experience in the public sector including as an international economist at the Department of Treasury, setting set up the central bank in Bosnia, working post conflict reconstruction in Kosovo, and implementing poverty reduction strategies in Africa and financial crises in Asia and Latin America.

She has extensive private sector experience. At Google, Sonal led a technology initiative for civic voice and investing for impact as the head of Global Development Initiatives. At Goldman Sachs, she developed the environmental strategy and ran the initiatives, including investing clean technologies at Goldman Sachs.

One of Sonal’s proudest accomplishments is working with her siblings to create a non-profit, Indicorps, to build a new generation of socially conscious global leaders. Indicorps created the service movement in India inspiring and incubating new social enterprises like Teach for India and Sarvajal. Sonal serves on the boards of Oxfam America, the UBS Optimus Foundation, the Case Foundation Non Profit Finance Fund, Voto Latino, and The Century Foundation. She also serves as an adviser to the Democracy Fund and is coordinating the Initiative on Tech & Society at Georgetown University.

SHAMINA SINGH
Founder & President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

For more than 20 years, Shamina Singh has been on the frontlines of developing and implementing solutions to make the global economy work for everyone, everywhere. Shamina is the Founder and President of the Center for Inclusive Growth, the philanthropic hub of Mastercard. She also serves as Executive Vice President of Corporate Sustainability. In both of these capacities, Shamina is charged with activating the philanthropic dollars of the Mastercard Impact Fund, a $500 million pool of capital committed to advance inclusive growth around the world.

ROB SLIMP
Chairman and CEO, HNTB

Rob Slimp oversees the strategic direction of HNTB Corporation, a 104-year old employee-owned infrastructure solutions firm with over $1 billion in annual revenue and 60 offices across the United States. HNTB provides engineering and architecture services to transportation markets; and is a national leader working with state departments of transportation, as well as tolling, aviation, transit and rail clients.

An engineer by training, Slimp is deeply engaged in HNTB's work to prepare young people for careers in engineering, architecture and planning, including the SPARK partnership with Chicago and Los Angeles public schools. He earned his Bachelor of Science, civil engineering, from Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College.

STUART SUNSHINE
Senior Vice President, National Director of Government Affairs, WSP USA

Stuart Sunshine has been appointed national director of government affairs at WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy.

In his new role, Sunshine is leading the firm’s U.S. government affairs team, which covers federal government affairs, state and local government affairs, and civic and community engagement programs across all markets – transportation, water and environment, energy, buildings, federal programs and logistics and advisory services within the U.S. His team also supports positioning, pursuits and program and project delivery across those same markets.

ERIC GARCETTI | Founding Advisory Council Chair
Former Mayor of Los Angeles, CA

Eric Garcetti was re-elected as Mayor of Los Angeles with a record 81.5% of the vote. He has led unprecedented job growth in L.A. by embracing innovation, raising the minimum wage, lowering business taxes, and leading the $120 billion Measure M, the nation's largest local infrastructure program. He spearheaded L.A.'s winning bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics. Garcetti was elected four times by his peers to serve as City Council President, and his Council District was nationally-noted for its revitalization during his tenure. He earned his B.A. and M.A. from Columbia University and studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and the London School of Economics. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy reserve.

STEVE BENJAMIN
Former Mayor of Columbia, SC

Since being elected mayor in a record turnout election, Mayor Steve Benjamin has made it his mission to make Columbia the most talented, educated and entrepreneurial city in America. He also serves as a Vice President of the US Conference of Mayors and as Chairman for Municipal Bonds for America. He helped secure billions of dollars in new capital investment for Columbia and his intense focus on job creation helped cut unemployment in the metro area by roughly half. He also serves as Vice President and Incoming President of the US Conference of Mayors and is Chairman for Municipal Bonds for America.

PETE BUTTIGIEG
US Secretary of Transportation

Pete Buttigieg is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana’s fourth-largest city. A Rhodes Scholar, he holds degrees from Oxford and Harvard Universities. He was the Democratic nominee for Indiana State Treasurer in 2010 against incumbent Richard Mourdock. Previously he was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company where he worked in energy, retail, economic development, and logistics. Elected in 2011 at the age of 29, he is one of America’s youngest mayors of a city with over 100,000 residents. A lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve, he spent most of 2014 leave from the office while deployed to Afghanistan.

JOHN CRANLEY
Former Mayor of Cincinnati, OH

Mr. Cranley is Cincinnati’s 69th Mayor. Since taking office in late 2013, John has helped bring more than 6,100 new jobs to Cincinnati; lobbied for three police recruit classes which added 97 officers, the first new hires in six years; added 46 firefighters, which effectively ended “brownouts” in the Fire Department; resolved the city’s pension crisis; approved a multi-year plan to repave and repair deteriorating roads; and drafted a major anti-poverty program, the Hand Up Initiative. Mr. Cranley was a lead negotiator for the historic Collaborative Agreement, which has helped improve race relations in the city. John is the co-founder of the Ohio Innocence Project, which has exonerated more than 20 people who were wrongfully imprisoned. John earned degrees from John Carroll University, Harvard Law School and Harvard Divinity School.

MARY ELLEN WIEDERWOHL
President & CEO

Mary Ellen was appointed as President and CEO of Accelerator for America in 2021 following an eight-year tenure in senior roles in Louisville Metro Government during the administration of Mayor Greg Fischer, who also served as the President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors during that time. As Chief of Louisville Forward, Mary Ellen led economic and community development in the city, and Louisville Forward was named a Top Economic Development Organization by Site Selection Magazine for six straight years. Prior to that role, she served as Mayor Fischer’s Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Strategic Initiatives. During the entirety of her city tenure, Louisville experienced more than $17 billion of new capital investment, made substantial new investments in affordable housing and new community-based efforts to invest in neighborhoods without displacement, and introduced industry-leading innovations in talent development and the future of work. Mary Ellen's leadership included oversight for the development and implementation of the city’s Strategic Plan, the Vision Louisville 25-year advanced plan, the Move Louisville strategic multi-modal transportation plan, the comprehensive land use plan, and the city’s first sustainability plan. Her senior roles included working daily in the community as primary liaison to business community and regional leaders for economic growth initiatives, engaging with community leaders in nonprofit and philanthropic roles, building institutional infrastructure, revitalizing neighborhoods and expanding opportunity for all. Mary Ellen also had the joy of serving as Interim President and CEO of the Louisville Housing Opportunities and Micro-Enterprise Community Development Loan Fund, Inc. (LHOME), a local Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

Before joining Louisville’s City Hall in 2012, Mary Ellen served in public and private sector advocacy roles, primarily at the state and local levels, specializing in budget, tax policy, governance, and several additional areas of public policy. Her private sector experience includes consultancy for over 100 entities, including several Fortune 500 companies. She earned her MA in Political Science and a BA in Music and Political Science from the University of Louisville.

AARON THOMAS
Former CEO & Senior Advisor

Aaron is the outgoing President and CEO of Accelerator for America, a national nonprofit co-founded by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2017. Guided by a network of mayors, labor leaders, corporate CEOs and non-profit executives from across the country, the Accelerator’s mission is to find and develop solutions to economic insecurity and share them with cities nationwide.

Under Aaron’s leadership, the Accelerator has developed economic development tools that are being used by more than 70 cities nationwide. It has also helped local communities generate more than $30 billion in funding for transit and transportation infrastructure through local ballot initiatives. Most recently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Accelerator developed a financial assistance model in Los Angeles that distributed $37 million to help people who lost income as a result of COVID-19, and this model is now being adapted by two states and eight cities nationwide. Currently, the Accelerator is partnering with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University to develop place-based recovery playbooks to help cities rebuild and recover from the pandemic. These playbooks include a groundbreaking new tool designed to help local leaders develop concrete strategies to close the racial wealth gap in their cities primarily through the formation and expansion of black-owned businesses.

Prior to joining the Accelerator, Aaron spent the majority of his career in investment banking, where he traded equity derivatives and facilitated equity transactions. More recently, he worked in middle-market private equity before pivoting into the public sector, first as a fellow in the California Senate and now with the Accelerator. He is a graduate of Harvard College and received his MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

ANNE BOVAIRD NEVINS
Director, Economic Development

Before joining the Accelerator, Anne had been with PIDC, Philadelphia’s official economic development corporation for nearly 16 years, serving as President since January 2020 and leading PIDC through the pandemic. As President, Anne was responsible for the organization’s efforts to develop and implement strategies to drive economic growth to every corner of Philadelphia.

Prior to her appointment as President, Anne served as PIDC’s Chief Strategy and Communications Officer. Prior to this role, Nevins served as PIDC’s Senior Vice President for Marketing and Business Development for six years. Anne currently serves as co-chair of the Racism and Economic Development Committee of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), co-managed Philadelphia’s Amazon HQ2 bid, and created PIDC and Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philadelphia’s partnership on the future of work and its impact on industrial and commercial land.

From 1999 to 2001, Anne served in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs. which is responsible for coordination between the President and all cabinet agencies.  She then joined the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and managed the logistical and hospitality arrangements for all U.S. dignitaries attending the Olympics.  Anne then managed corporate sponsorships for the Kimmel Center, the regional performing arts center in Philadelphia. She next served as Director of Development for Historic Philadelphia,Inc. and raised substantial funds to renovate Franklin Square, an 8-acre urban park in the center of Philadelphia’s historic district.  Anne has a Masters in Business Administration from the Wharton School and a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania.

A.J. HERRMANN
Director, Policy & Program Innovation

Before joining the Accelerator team, A.J. was the Director of Policy for Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. In that role, he led legislative efforts to establish and fund the city's first Housing Trust Fund, become the first major city in the country to launch Zero Fare Transit, and helped manage the city's public health and economic response to COVID-19. Prior to his time at City Hall, he was a Senior Program Officer at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he managed the Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship, a suite of data tools and visualizations focused on entrepreneurship and business growth, as well as a $5 million grant portfolio focused on entrepreneurship research and policy. AJ also has extensive experience as a policy-focused research consultant and has advised federal agencies, non-profits, and advocacy organizations with program evaluation, implementation, and strategic planning efforts. A.J. earned a Masters in Public Policy from the University of California-Berkeley and BA in History from Colby College.

MATT HORTON
Director, Policy & Strategic Initiatives

Matt Horton is the director of state policy and initiatives for Accelerator for America. In this role he interacts with government officials, impact investment and other community leaders in building capacity toward shaping infrastructure, jobs creation, and equitable community development efforts. Over the past fifteen years, Matt has worked to direct research driven programs and initiatives to develop public policy that impacts housing production, infrastructure finance, enhance access to capital, create jobs and other economic development strategies. Previously, Matt was the director of the California Center at the Milken Institute. There, he produced research, programs, and events designed to inform and activate innovative economic policy solutions to support job creation and infrastructure development as a catalyst to supporting resilient growth. Before, Matt worked for the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization. There, Matt served as the primary point of contact for external and government affairs, coordinating regional policy development with local elected officials, state, and federal stakeholders. In this role, he developed plans with leaders across Southern California to plan for growth, build resiliency, and improve quality of life throughout the region.

Matt is a Senior Advisor for the Milken Institute and a member of the California Economic Mobility and Entrepreneurship task force and participates on a number of advisory boards including: Lift to Rise; WorkingNation, and Abundant Housing Los Angeles. Matt earned an MA in political science from California State University, Fullerton and a BA in history from Azusa Pacific University.

SAMANTHA DEUTCHMAN
Manager, Events & Operations

Samantha manages Accelerator for America's day-to-day operations and runs all virtual and in-person events for the organization. Mary Ellen, President & CEO, frequently refers to Sam as the Chief Doer of Things. In her role, Samantha handles all intra-organizational operations amongst the staff and CEO and executes AFA's in-person Advisory Council Meetings attended by Mayors, CEOs, and civic and philanthropic leaders in cities all over the country.

Before joining Accelerator for America in 2020, Sam worked for many years as an Event and Project Coordinator for a variety of organizations. A native Angeleno, she is also an experienced yoga instructor with a Bachelor's Degree from SMU.

ZACH ETZIN
Manager, Infrastructure

Zach joined Accelerator in 2023 as Program Manager to support the Innovative Infrastructure Initiative. Previously, he served as Deputy Director for the City of Lansing's (MI) Office of Financial Empowerment. In that role he worked on economic mobility programs and policies. Additionally, he is a licensed EMT and holds certifications in firefighting and hazmat operations. Zach graduated with dual degrees in comparative cultures & politics and social relations & policy from Michigan State University's James Madison College.

LIZ ALKIRE
Manager, Workforce Development

Liz joined Accelerator for America in 2024 as Workforce Development Program Manager to support the Leveraging Infrastructure Network for Equity (LINE) Initiative. Before joining the Accelerator team, she worked for place-based foundations and workforce development, economic development, and civic organizations in Denver and Boulder, Colorado and Louisville, Kentucky. Throughout her career, Liz has led programs and advanced strategies to improve economic mobility and increase access to resources for disinvested and underinvested communities. Liz has a Master's Degree in International Affairs from the University of California, San Diego and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Vassar College.

MANDY BENSON
Human Resources Consultant

Mandy J. Benson founded MJ Benson Consulting in 2017 to bring together her passion and experience in both social justice advocacy and human resources. Mandy specializes in organizational development, employee relations, sexual harassment prevention, and works in partnership to provide diversity, equity and inclusion trainings and strategies. Mandy has held leadership roles in organizations including Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Stanford University, Mills College, and the National Organization for Women-California. Mandy has also served as President of California NOW and US National Committee for UN Women, SFBA; as Co-Founder and Vice President of Work Equity; and Board Member of Health Access.

SHEHARAZAD FLEMING
Communications Consultant

Sheharazad Fleming is a communications strategist, creative director and arts educator. Her core competencies include strategic communication, design and branding, content development and visual storytelling. Throughout her career, she has successfully led creative teams in both agency and in-house settings, with a focus on the civic, academic, healthcare, and non-profit sectors, most recently, serving as Director of Digital Design and Marketing for the Office of the LA Mayor. Sheharazad draws on her professional experience to teach undergraduate courses in Design Thinking and Brand Strategy and to serve as Chief Creative Officer of The Great Discontent, a platform that amplifies the work of emerging artists and under-represented creative communities.

BRUCE KATZ
Co-Founder and Director
Drexel University, Nowak Metro Finance Lab

Bruce Katz is the Co-Founder and inaugural Director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab. Katz regularly advises global, national, state, regional and municipal leaders on public reforms and private innovations that advance the well-being of metropolitan areas and their countries.

Katz is the co-author of The New Localism: How Cities Can Thrive in the Age of Populism (Brookings Institution Press, 2018) and The Metropolitan Revolution: How Cities and Metros are Fixing Our Broken Politics and Fragile Economy (Brookings Institution Press, 2013). Both books focus on the rise of cities and city networks as the world’s leading problem solvers.

MICHAEL GREENLE
Managing Director
Drexel University, Nowak Metro Finance Lab

Michael Greenle joined the Lindy Institute and Nowak Lab in October 2019 after a decade as an independent consultant focused on values-based, urban public affairs projects as a communications strategist and project/process manager. He has specialized in helping non-profits and advocacy groups create and leverage news, information and data to build constituency, raise funds and increase engagement and impact. As a consultant, he worked with Drexel to develop strategies for signature initiatives and manage multi-stakeholder collaborations, including supporting the creation of Connect to Compete, a Brookings-led study of Philadelphia’s Innovation District, the anchor partnership behind the Philadelphia Fellowship, and the Urban Strategy Summit and Urban Innovation Fellows program. As a consultant, Mike helped develop communications and engagement strategy for organizations like the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, the Committee of 70, ExCITe Center and helped manage the Philadelphia Public Interest Information Network and the creation of the Center for Public Interest Journalism at Temple University. Prior to his consulting work, Mike served as the Communications Director at PennPraxis during the Central Delaware planning process and facilitated the creation of the news organization, PlanPhilly, while at TechImpact. Mike has also worked in non-profit advocacy and technology, in political media, and in the U.S. House of Representatives for then-Congressman Jay Inslee. He holds a B.A. in American Studies from Cornell University and an MPA from the University of Pennsylvania.

MILENA DOVALI
Research Officer
Drexel University, Nowak Metro Finance Lab

Milena is a Research Officer at the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University, bringing a wealth of experience in economic development, data analysis, inequality, and urban policy. With a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago and a BA in Economics from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Milena's work is defined by a commitment to creating positive social change. Her extensive experience as a Research Coordinator at Oxfam-Mexico and as a consultant for the World Bank and Chicago Metropolitan Agency of Planning has honed her ability to identify patterns and trends in complex data sets, and her expertise in economic development and urban policy allows her to generate insights that support evidence-based decision-making.

BENJAMIN PREIS
Research Fellow
Drexel University, Nowak Metro Finance Lab

Benjamin Preis is a Research Fellow at Drexel University’s Nowak Metro Finance Lab. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Urban Studies and Planning at MIT, where he received his Master in City Planning in 2019. Ben is interested in the use of novel computational tools to better understand regional wealth inequality, specifically in the areas of housing and economic development. He has previously worked with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, the Cambridge Housing Authority, and the Center for Public Studies in Santiago, Chile. Prior to his time at MIT, he worked on science and higher education policy at Lewis-Burke Associates in Washington, DC.