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Here’s the full speaker lineup for Capital Ideas 2018

Update 10/18/2018: For the most up-to-date version of the conference agenda & speakers, please refer to the main conference page and click on the agenda tab.

Capital Ideas brings together state and local elected officials, policymakers, advocates, chambers of commerce staff, academics, and industry leaders from across the country under one roof.

This year’s conference will be no exception. Some of the nation’s leading experts on state policy and new mobility will join us in Atlanta in December. Together they will lead a conversation about how some states are already leading the way on this, and what other states can do to catch up. Here’s a first look at the full lineup.

Keynote speakers

    • Debra Lam

      Managing Director for Smart Cities and Innovation Inclusion at Georgia Institute of Technology

    • Mayor Sly James

      Kansas City, MO

    • Rusty Roberts

      Vice President for Government Affairs, Brightline


    Debra Lam is the Managing Director of Smart Cities and Inclusive innovation for Georgia Tech, a newly created role to drive smart cities and urban innovation work across the university and beyond. Prior to this, she served as Pittsburgh’s first ever Chief of Innovation & Performance where she oversaw all technology, sustainability, performance and innovation functions of city government.

    Mayor Sly James was sworn in as the 56th Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri on March 22, 2011. Since taking office, he has focused his efforts towards making Kansas City best in four key areas: Education, Employment, Efficiency, and Enforcement. Among his accomplishments as mayor of Kansas City, he has been a champion for the Kansas City Streetcar throughout its planning and construction, and has emphasized that without a strong partnership with the federal government, Kansas City wouldn’t have achieved the level of success that it has seen along the streetcar route. Read more about Kansas City’s transportation successes.

    Rusty Roberts is the Vice President for Government Affairs at Brightline, the only privately owned, operated and maintained passenger rail system in the United States. Brightline recently announced plans for a new system connecting Southern California to Las Vegas. Roberts will share lessons from the Brightline’s work in Florida, ways they are adapting in California, and tips any state leader should know about making innovative projects like this possible. Read more about the Brightline’s new plans for California.

    Panelists and session leaders

    The full agenda for Capital Ideas 2018 includes five panel discussions, two walking tours of transportation projects in Atlanta, several small group breakouts. Here’s a look at the full group of panelists and session leaders who will be leading those parts of the program.

      • Lilly Shoup

        Senior Director of Transportation Policy, Lyft

      • Beth Osborne

        Director, Transportation for America Technical Assistance

      • Dan Hoffman

        Assistant City Manager, City of Gainesville, Florida

      • Marcel Porras

        Chief Sustainability Officer, Los Angeles DOT

      • Rep. Kevin Tanner

        Chair, Georgia House Transportation Committee

      • Commissioner Charlotte Nash

        Chair, Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners

      • Michael Sullivan

        President and CEO, ACEC Georgia

      • Dave Williams

        Vice President of Infrastructure & Government Affairs, Metro Atlanta Chamber

      • Jennifer Ball

        Vice President for Planning and Economic Development, Central Atlanta Progress

      • Carol Wolfe

        Economic Development Supervisor, City of Tacoma, WA

      • Jenna Hornstock

        Executive Officer, Transit Oriented Communities, LA Metro

      • Maritza Pechin

        Project Manager, City of Richmond Master Plan, AECOM

      • Nick Donohue

        Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Commonwealth of Virginia

      • James Turnwald

        Executive Director, Michiana Area Council of Governments

      • Andrew Gruber

        Executive Director, Wasatch Front Regional Council

      • Madeline Janis

        Executive Director, Jobs to Move America

      Register today to join this group and learn the newest ideas in state transportation policy, hear lessons that other states have learned, and ask questions about how your own state can use this approach.

      Thank you to our sponsors

      Host Committee

      Have questions about registration, sponsorship, or our program? Email capitalideas@t4america.org to talk with our team.