New appointments and changes in leadership have been made by Kal Krishnan Consulting Services (KKCS), Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), STV, Transdev and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT).
KKCS
KKCS has brought on Alex Wiggins to serve as senior vice president, chief of operations and strategy officer. With 40 years of experience and 20 years within the transit industry, Wiggins has developed a skillset in client relations, safety and security operations, corporate administration, strategic planning and innovative leadership.
Wiggins' prior leadership roles includes CEO at New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, chief for the security and law enforcement division at Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, deputy executive director at Metra, chief administrative officer at North County Transit District and chief of staff for the Seattle Department of Transportation. In each of these positions, Wiggins worked to implement strategic growth and improved internal operations across the board.
Wiggins has a master of science degree, with a graduate concentration in homeland security management from the University of Maryland and a bachelor of arts in communications from Arizona State University.
In his new role as chief of operations and strategy, Wiggins will be optimizing operational processes and procedures. In addition, Wiggins will also be charged with helping to develop and implement the company's overall strategy, including ensuring an effective succession plan is in place for key positions within the firm.
MARTA
MARTA has promoted General Manager of External Affairs Steven Parker as interim chief of staff and its Assistant General Manager (AGM) of Labor and Employee Relations LaShanda Dawkins as interim chief administrative officer. Parker and Dawkins will assume their respective duties immediately.
Steven Parker
Coming into this new role with MARTA, Parker brings decades of experience to the interim chief of staff position, most recently as the chief innovation officer for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). While at the TSA, he led a team charged with creating an environment where innovation can thrive by mobilizing innovation teams across the agency, developing problem solving models and partnering with private industry to help TSA remain an agile security agency.
Prior to working at the TSA, he was general counsel at Storybrand, a brand and marketing company representing Fortune 500 companies and political director for the Jon Ossoff for U.S. Senate campaign. He was formerly a senior city attorney, handling commercial real estate and municipal law for the city of Atlanta director of logistics for the Ossoff for Congress campaign and prior to that, an attorney at Balch & Bingham LLP and vice president and senior counsel with Fidelity National Title Group.
LaShanda Dawkins
As the AGM of labor and employee relations, Dawkins has more than 18 years of experience with MARTA, which includes providing leadership to various administrative support departments, advising executive management on human resources and labor and employment matters and litigation.
Prior to her tenure with MARTA, Dawkins served as an assistant general counsel for the city of Jacksonville, Fla. and its independent agencies. She also served on the superintendent’s leadership team as the general director of policy and compliance for Duval County Public Schools. She is a member of the State Bars of Texas, Florida and Georgia and is also admitted to practice in federal court.
Dawkins is a certified retirement pension fiduciary. She serves as the chair of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Workforce Development Committee and is a Leadership APTA Class of 2015 graduate.
Dawkins will be taking over for MARTA Chief of Staff Melissa Mullinax, as she departs from the agency after six years of service.
STV
STV has brought on Sean Libberton as vice president and national transit corridor strategy and development leader. In this role, Libberton will partner with transit clients to help identify and advise on funding and corridor development strategies for bus and rail transit programs across North America.
Libberton has years of experience in federal transportation funding programs and the transit provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), particularly the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grants program.
He brings more than 30 years of experience in planning, policy and project management within the transportation industry, including 20 years with FTA and possesses specialized expertise in transit project development, including corridor planning, federal environmental review and project evaluation/prioritization.
“Sean has a profound understanding of the federal side of project development, especially how the FTA funds and finances transit programs,” said Phil Hanegraaf, FAICP, senior vice president and national planning director, STV. “Sean will help our transit clients unlock the full potential of their communities by leveraging our existing planning teams, as well as our infrastructure economics and grant advisory expertise.”
Prior to joining STV, Libberton served as a national transit practice consultant for a U.S. infrastructure services firm, where he provided technical input, strategic advice and leadership for transit corridor investments across the U.S., including bus rapid transit projects in Atlanta, Indianapolis, Raleigh, N.C. and Salt Lake City and complex rail programs in Chicago, Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area in California.
Libberton has also helped secure billions in federal discretionary funding for transit and rail clients, including leading Amtrak’s recent successful $4.7 billion Federal-State Partnership grant application for the Frederick Douglas Tunnel program in Baltimore, the Federal Railroad Administration’s largest IIJA award to date.
Libberton is a member of the APTA’s policy and planning committee. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in urban planning/political studies from the University of California San Diego and his masters of urban and regional planning from Virginia Tech.
Transdev
Joanna Cornell has been named Transdev’s new vice president of safety and security. With more than 15 years of experience in safety and risk management, Cornell will work to lead Transdev’s efforts to maintain and enhance the safety and security of its operations.
In her new role, Cornell will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of safety and security, from incident prevention and regulatory compliance to employee training and the integration of advanced safety technologies. She will focus on embedding innovative solutions, enhancing driver safety programs and fostering a culture of continuous improvement to safeguard both employees and passengers.
Cornell holds a master’s degree in safety science and has earned a reputation for her strategic approach to safety operations. As the former global fleet safety director at UPS, she spearheaded the adoption of video telematics systems, significantly reducing vehicle collisions and improving driver performance. Known for her ability to combine technology with operational processes.
“I’m excited to join Transdev and contribute to the company’s strong safety and security culture,” Cornell said. “As we continue to expand our services, my priority will be ensuring that safety and security remain at the forefront of everything we do, from our daily operations to the innovative technologies we use.”
“Joanna’s extensive background in safety technology and risk management, along with her leadership experience, will be a tremendous asset as we continue to enhance our safety and security protocols. Her expertise will help us maintain our commitment to the highest standards of safety for both our employees and the communities we serve,” said Lauren Skiver, COO, Transdev U.S.
WisDOT
Long-time engineer and WisDOT leader Scott Lawry has been appointed to serve as the agency’s new deputy secretary.
As COO, Lawry will oversee the department’s operations, which includes 3,200 employees, dozens of field offices and a biennial budget of more than $8 billion.
Lawry started working for WisDOT as an intern in the La Crosse office and after graduating from UW-Madison with a degree in civil engineering, Lawry joined WisDOT full time in 1991. Over the years, he’s worked as a staff engineer, project manager and supervisor in a variety of division leadership roles.
He most recently served as deputy administrator of WisDOT’s division of transportation system development (DTSD), where he helped manage the department’s infrastructure programs.
“Scott’s decades of experience in planning, coordinating and managing highway improvement programs make him a perfect fit for this position,” said WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman. “WisDOT has been recently able to deliver more than 300 projects every year to transform our communities but we still have more work to do to improve our transportation system. We’re thrilled to add Scott’s vast engineering knowledge to the Secretary’s Office team to help us reach our goals.”
Lawry replaces Boardman as deputy secretary, after her initial appointment as secretary in September.
“It’s our job as leaders of WisDOT to do everything we can to improve safety for the traveling public and the many workers who build and support our transportation network,” Lawry said. “We will focus on responsibly managing the department’s funding to build a transportation system that meets the needs of a 21st Century economy and workforce.”
Eman Abu-Khaled | Associate Editor
Eman Abu-Khaled is a recent graduate of Kent State University with a bachelors in journalism. She works through Endeavor Business Media with Mass Transit as an associate editor. Abu-Khaled brings a fresh perspective to the visual side of journalism with an interest in video and photography work.
