LA Infrastructure Forum Agenda

Mark Pestrella
Director
Los Angeles County Public Works.

Mark Pestrella is Director of Los Angeles County Public Works. with Its diverse operations defined within areas of water resources, transportation, environmental services, construction management and municipal services. With an annual budget of more than $2.7 billion and a workforce of 4,000 employees, LA County Public Works is the largest municipal public works agency in the U.S, providing vital public infrastructure and civic services to more than 10 million people across a 4,000-square-mile service area.

A 35-year veteran of Public Works and a licensed professional engineer, he was inducted into the National Academy of Construction and is a board member of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers Industry Leaders Council and the Southern California Water Coalition. A native of Southern California, Mark earned a B.S. degree in civil engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Scott Blair
Editor-in-Chief
Engineering News-Record

Scott Blair serves as editor-in-chief of Engineering News-Record, including all editorial print and digital products, websites, videos, podcasts and events. Published by BNP Media, ENR's predecessor magazines date back nearly 150 years. Winner of multiple awards from Jesse H. Neal, Construction Media Alliance, Construction Working Minds, AZBEES and The Telly Awards for his writing, editing, photography and videography, Blair frequently posts in-depth project tour videos and interviews with industry leaders on ENR's video channel. In 2023, Blair was selected as the McAllister Editorial Fellow, which promotes the study of business media by placing fellows as teachers and advisors at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He applies his 25 years of experience covering the construction industry as a frequent speaker and moderator on topics such as diversity and inclusion, design and jobsite technology, construction means and methods and marketing. Blair has spent more than 30 years working in almost every facet of media and publishing, including radio, film, television, print and digital media, music composition and public speaking

Kelly LoBianco
Director
Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity

Kelly LoBianco is the first director of the LA County Dept. of Economic Opportunity, created as the county’s central economic development agency that seeks to unlock the potential of its local workers and small businesses; and drive new competitive investment that creates quality jobs, career pathways and diverse talent pipelines. Kelly joined the county in 2021 to support the department’s establishment and was appointed director in 2022.
Previously, she served as Chief Program Officer for a leading New York City-based nonprofit, The HOPE Program, focused on workforce development and social enterprise programming in the green economy. Kelly also was Assistant Commissioner of Training for the NYC Dept. of Small Business Services and held various roles in local and state government in New York and in the U.S. Senate in Washington DC. She earned a Master’s of Public Administration from Columbia University and a BA in Political Science from Northwestern University.

Janice Lin,
Founder and President,
Green Hydrogen Coalition

Janice Lin is founder and president of the Green Hydrogen Coalition, which facilitates policies and practices to advance production and use of green hydrogen at scale in sectors where it will accelerate transition to a carbon free energy system. Its board members include top state and federal officials and corporate and nonprofit executives in the energy sector. She also is founder and CEO of Strategen, a clean energy and environmental consulting firm.
Janice held several senior management positions at PowerLight Corp. (now SunPower Corp.). including vice president of product strategy and vice president of business development. She has been cited for achievement by the Energy Storage Association and advanced battery technology advocacy group NAATBATT’ International and as Cleanie 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year, a leading recognition in the cleantech and renewable energy sector. Janice also co-founded the California Energy Storage Alliance in 2009, serving as executive director for ten years, growing the organization to over 100 active members. She has served on the US Energy Dept. Electricity Advisory Council, the University of San Diego Energy Policy Initiatives Center board of advisors and the Energy Storage Committee of Joint Venture Silicon Valley. Janice holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a BS from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, and a BA in International Relations from the university’s College of Arts and Sciences

Janisse Quiñones,
CEO and Chief Engineer,
Los Angeles Dept of Water and Power

Janisse Quiñones is CEO and Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Dept of Water and Power (LADWP), the nation’s largest publicly owned water and power utility. She leads the organization of more than 11,000 employees, delivering water and power to 4 million residents of Los Angeles. Janisse has more than 25 years of experience as a senior executive in utility and engineering industries and joined LADWP from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E), where she was senior vice president of gas engineering and also senior vice president of electric operations. In the latter, she oversaw PG&E electrical system operations and the power generation fleet, as well as management of electrical assets that support the California Independent System Operator (CAISO).
Janisse also served as vice president of gas systems engineering for National Grid, where she managed engineering and design of natural gas distribution, transmission and infrastructure projects for its U.S. territory, and oversaw various meter compliance, design and construction projects. Her experience also includes full-time and reserve service in the U.S. Coast Guard, including as a Commander. She has held prior key leadership roles at Cobra Energy, including vice president of operations, responsible for restoration and reconstruction projects for transmission and distribution electrical systems in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, and at San Diego Gas & Electric, including director of design, planning, construction and vegetation management. Janisse was born and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and has a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering-magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. She holds an MBA degree and a Master of Advanced Studies in International Relations and is a licensed Professional Engineer in five states.

Eugene D. “Gene” Seroka
Executive Director,
Port of Los Angeles

Gene Seroka is Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest container port in North America that has set multiple monthly and quarterly cargo records, during his tenure: In his role, Gene interacts with a wide range of stakeholders and is advocates for rules-based trade agreements that benefit American exporters and manufacturers. He is responsible for managing a $2.6-billion budget, advancing major capital projects, growing trade volume and promoting innovative, sustainable practices that strengthen the region’s economy. Under his direction, the Port has led in adopting cutting-edge technologies to improve the reliability, predictability and efficiency of cargo across global seaborne trade and has set ambitious goals for zero-emission cargo-handling equipment and heavy-duty trucks over the next decade. Gene also oversees Port green and digital shipping corridor partnerships with China, Japan, Singapore and Vietnam.
Under Gene’s direction, the Port created a Public Access Investment Plan in 2015 and has funded more than $230 million in public-serving waterfront infrastructure. He has served on five federal committees to enhance speed and efficiency of cargo movement and supply chain optimization and has prioritized training and workforce development in the goods movement sector. A leader in shipping, global logistics and executive management, Gene is vice president for North America of the International Association of Ports and Harbors. He was profiled in 2024 by the Los Angeles Times as part of its “L.A. Influential” series and earned the Stanley T. Olafson Award from the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce as well as recognition by Lloyd’s List as the preeminent source on supply chain, earning him a spot on its 2021 list of Top 100 most influential people in shipping. Gene holds an MBA and B.S. degree in Marketing from the University of New Orleans.

Neil Navin
Senior Vice President-Engineering and Major Projects and Chief Clean Fuels Officer,
SoCalGas

Neil Navin is senior vice president, engineering and major projects and chief clean fuels officer for Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), a Sempra regulated California utility. He oversees a comprehensive portfolio of clean energy strategies, innovations and projects to support its role as a long-term leader enabling California's clean energy future. Neil’s focus is on delivering tangible innovations and projects in new and growing markets—including renewable natural gas, hydrogen and fuel cells—all aligned to the SoCalGas mission, strategy and sustainability plan.
Previously, Neil was vice president of construction for SoCalGas and for utility San Diego Gas & Electric. Since joining SoCalGas in 2014, he has served in a number of increasingly responsible management positions in gas transmission and storage, major project management and risk management. Neil also held project management positions at contractors Fluor Corp. and Parsons. His previous experience included work in a range of gas and power engineering, construction, operations and other areas in the U.S., Middle East and Europe. A board member of Friends of Ballona Wetlands and past board chair of Housing Works, Neil holds a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from McGill University in Montréal, Québec,

Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Holly J. Mitchell currently serves on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. As the daughter of parents who were public servants and a third-generation Angeleno, she leads with a deep understanding of the vital safety net that LA County provides to millions of families and is committed to ensuring that all residents can thrive.
Since being elected to the Board on Nov. 3, 2020, Supervisor Mitchell has made poverty alleviation a countywide priority and anchored an equitable recovery plan from health and economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In her first year as Supervisor and with support from the Board, she passed a landmark guaranteed income program, made LA County the first in the nation to phase out urban oil drilling and has strengthened county ability to quickly respond to mental health crises among its unhoused residents.
Supervisor Mitchell is honored to represent the two million residents of Los Angeles County’s Second District—including those in Leimert Park, the Los Angeles neighborhood she grew up in—and others, and the cities of Carson, Compton, Culver City, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Lawndale, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and other unincorporated communities. She is inaugural chair of the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency and a board member of the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), the LA County Sanitation Districts and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, among others.

Randall Winston
Deputy Mayor-Infrastructure,
City of Los Angeles

Randall Winston’s career spans law, architecture and public service. As Deputy Mayor of Infrastructure for the City of Los Angeles, he leads infrastructure policy and alignment of public works and transportation investments for Mayor Karen Bass. He had been an attorney at O’Melveny & Myers, representing government and environmental organizations facing complex litigation and state and federal investigations. Randall was previously appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown as executive director of the California Strategic Growth Council, a state agency integrating efforts to achieve its climate and sustainable community goals. Under his leadership, it invested over $1.3 billion in transit-oriented affordable housing, land conservation and capacity building in the most under-resourced communities in California. As an advisor to Gov. Brown, he worked across state agencies to lead implementation of Executive Orders on green buildings and electric vehicles, including development of unprecedented regulations on building and transportation sector emissions. Randall also led planning and execution of trade missions to China and Mexico, working with foreign government officials and state businesses to forge international trade and environmental agreements. He also worked for Pritzker Prize-winning architect Norman Foster, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams on global design, urban planning and infrastructure projects.
Randall also was an inaugural Policy Fellow at Elemental Excelerator, a nonprofit venture fund focused on scaling equitable, market-driven solutions to climate change. He is vice chair of California Environmental Voters and serves on the boards of UCLA’s Institute of the Environment & Sustainability and UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment. Randall received a B.A. in Government from Harvard University, an M.A. from the University of Virginia, and a J.D. from the Univ of California-Berkeley School of Law.

Stephanie Wiggins
Chief Executive Officer,
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)

Stephanie Wiggins is CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), the lead transportation planning, programming, financing, and construction agency for the 10 million residents of LA County and the second busiest U.S. transit agency. The first woman, and first African American woman as CEO, she leads a public agency with 11,000 employees, an annual budget of more than $9 billion and a $22.4 billion capital program. As Metro CEO, Stephanie has led massive investments to improve the transit customer experience, including creation of the nation’s largest transit ambassador program. She has also overseen delivery of the $2.3-billion K Line in south LA and the $1.9-billion Regional Connector in downtown LA.
Before joining Metro as CEO in 2021, Stephanie served as CEO of Metrolink from 2018-2021 and Deputy CEO of Metro from 2015-2018, where she worked to achieve strategic public transportation objectives, including passage of Measure M, a half-cent sales tax approved by 71% of voters in LA County. Earlier in her career, she led creation of LA County’s first high occupancy toll lanes and greatly expanded Metro’s use of local, small, and historically underutilized businesses with new vendor procurement programming. Stephanie is a graduate of Whittier College and holds an MBA from the Univerisity of Southern California Marshall School of Business. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the 2020 National League of Railway Women’s Woman of the Year, and a member of several charitable boards.

Randall Winston
Deputy Mayor-Infrastructure,
City of Los Angeles

Randall Winston’s career spans law, architecture and public service. As Deputy Mayor of Infrastructure for the City of Los Angeles, he leads infrastructure policy and alignment of public works and transportation investments for Mayor Karen Bass. He had been an attorney at O’Melveny & Myers, representing government and environmental organizations facing complex litigation and state and federal investigations. Randall was previously appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown as executive director of the California Strategic Growth Council, a state agency integrating efforts to achieve its climate and sustainable community goals. Under his leadership, it invested over $1.3 billion in transit-oriented affordable housing, land conservation and capacity building in the most under-resourced communities in California. As an advisor to Gov. Brown, he worked across state agencies to lead implementation of Executive Orders on green buildings and electric vehicles, including development of unprecedented regulations on building and transportation sector emissions. Randall also led planning and execution of trade missions to China and Mexico, working with foreign government officials and state businesses to forge international trade and environmental agreements. He also worked for Pritzker Prize-winning architect Norman Foster, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams on global design, urban planning and infrastructure projects.
Randall also was an inaugural Policy Fellow at Elemental Excelerator, a nonprofit venture fund focused on scaling equitable, market-driven solutions to climate change. He is vice chair of California Environmental Voters and serves on the boards of UCLA’s Institute of the Environment & Sustainability and UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment. Randall received a B.A. in Government from Harvard University, an M.A. from the University of Virginia, and a J.D. from the Univ of California-Berkeley School of Law.

Tim Lindholm
Chief Program Management Officer,
LA Metro

Tim Lindholm serves as Chief Program Management Officer at LA Metro and has been with the agency for 24 years. He is responsible for a staff of 200 employees executing a $30-billion capital program for its rail, bus highway and active transportation projects. In addition to managing the program, Tim is focused on pivoting Metro toward alternative project delivery methods, with their use on the I-105 Expresslanes, G-Line BRT Improvements, Link Union Station and East San Fernando Valley Light Rail projects. A native of Southern California, he is a graduate of San Diego State University and a State of California Professional Geologist.

Michael Christensen
Chief Development Officer,
Los Angeles World Airports

Michael Christensen was appointed Los Angeles World Airports Chief Development Officer in March 2024. Prior to his appointment, he served as its deputy executive director of operations and maintenance, overseeing both facilities maintenance and utilities along with operations and emergency management. Michael has over 43 years of experience as a transportation professional. Prior to joining LAWA, he held senior executive positions at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and was vice president at Parsons Transportation Group, responsible for a broad range of local, regional, and national airport, port, planning, goods movement and rail projects. Michael also had been vice president and managing principal for Nolte and Associates and president of Summit/Lynch Consulting Engineers, both transportation consulting firms in the San Francisco Bay Area.
His career also included 16 years at Southern Pacific Railroad where he held posts at eight different locations in the railroad’s 13-state system engaged in maintenance, construction, operations, and environmental remediation. Michael earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Arizona State University and a certificate in executive education from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is a professional civil engineer in California and nine other western states, a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives and has been a member of several governmental, industry and technical advisory boards, including current service on the Redondo Beach (Calif.) Unified School District Board of Education.

Laura Rubio-Cornejo
General Manager
Los Angeles Dept. of Transportation

Laura Rubio-Cornejo joined the City of Los Angeles in 2023 as General Manager of the Dept. of Transportation, bringing with her extensive experience in municipal, regional and state government. As GM she leads a multi-disciplinary department responsible for advancing safe and efficient multi-modal movement of people and goods within the city. Prior to joining the agency, Laura served as Director of Transportation for the City of Pasadena and as Deputy Executive Officer of Countywide Planning for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro).
Laura received a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College.

Mark Pestrella
Director
Los Angeles County Public Works.

Mark Pestrella is Director of Los Angeles County Public Works. with Its diverse operations defined within areas of water resources, transportation, environmental services, construction management and municipal services. With an annual budget of more than $2.7 billion and a workforce of 4,000 employees, LA County Public Works is the largest municipal public works agency in the U.S, providing vital public infrastructure and civic services to more than 10 million people across a 4,000-square-mile service area.

A 35-year veteran of Public Works and a licensed professional engineer, he was inducted into the National Academy of Construction and is a board member of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers Industry Leaders Council and the Southern California Water Coalition. A native of Southern California, Mark earned a B.S. degree in civil engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Robert Ferrante
Chief Engineer and General Manager,
LA County Sanitation Districts

Robert Ferrante was named to his current post in 2019 for an agency that covers 78 cities and unincorporated county territory in its service area. He oversees all departments and activities within the districts that provide wastewater management for 5.6 million residents and manage about 20% of county solid waste. Under Robert’s leadership, the agency has created a food waste-to-energy program, is constructing a new seven-mile effluent tunnel and is developing a large regional recycling program with other utility partners.

Robert joined the agency in 1993 as a project engineer. He worked in wastewater operations for five years overseeing the districts’ biogas to energy facility and treatment plant operations at the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant in Carson, Calif., and held management roles in the solid waste department. Robert became Assistant Chief Engineer and Assistant General Manager in 2011 to oversee day-to-day operations. Earning a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.S. in environmental engineering from Stanford University, he serves on various boards and commissions, including the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, California WateReuse and the Southern California Coastal Water Research Program.

Anselmo Collins,
Senior Assistant General Manager
Water System – LA Dept. of Water and

Anselmo Collins is Senior Assistant General Manager of the Water System for the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power—one of the largest and most complex municipal water systems in the world. The L.A. Water System has an annual operating budget of $1.5 billion and serves high-quality drinking water to more than 4 million people in a 472 square-mile area. He leads an organization of more than 2,400 employees.
Anselmo has more than 28 years of agency experience in engineering and in various leadership roles managing water project planning, technology, design, procurement, construction, operations and maintenance. Earning a B.S. degree in civil engineering from California State University-Northridge and an MBA from Pepperdine University, he also is a registered Civil Engineer in California.

David W. Pedersen,
General Manager,
Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

David W. Pedersen is the General Manager of Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and Administering Agent for the Las Virgenes-Triunfo Joint Powers Authority. In these roles, he serves as the chief executive responsible for providing water and sanitation services to residents of the Conejo/Las Virgenes Valleys. Dave has a B.S degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Irvine and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Long Beach. He is currently president of WateReuse California and serves on the boards of the Association of California Water Agencies, Southern California Water Coalition, California Association of Sanitation Agencies and the Urban Water Institute.
David holds a B.S. degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Irvine and an MBA from California State University, Long Beach.

Eric Tsai
Supervising Engineer
Divison of Planning, California Dept. of Water Resources

Eric Tsai is supervising engineer supporting development of the California Water Plan for the California Dept. of Water Resources. He joined the department in 2013 and supported development of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan and basin-wide feasibility studies in the San Joaquin River Basin and Sacramento River Basin. Before coming to the agency, he worked on a wide variety of water resources planning projects as an engineer at MWH Global, which now is part of Stantec. Eric holds a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota and an M.S. degree in environmental engineering from Stanford University.

Kelly LoBianco
Director
Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity

Kelly LoBianco is the first director of the LA County Dept. of Economic Opportunity, created as the county’s central economic development agency that seeks to unlock the potential of its local workers and small businesses; and drive new competitive investment that creates quality jobs, career pathways and diverse talent pipelines. Kelly joined the county in 2021 to support the department’s establishment and was appointed director in 2022.
Previously, she served as Chief Program Officer for a leading New York City-based nonprofit, The HOPE Program, focused on workforce development and social enterprise programming in the green economy. Kelly also was Assistant Commissioner of Training for the NYC Dept. of Small Business Services and held various roles in local and state government in New York and in the U.S. Senate in Washington DC. She earned a Master’s of Public Administration from Columbia University and a BA in Political Science from Northwestern University.

Erikk Aldridge
Vice President of Impact,
LA28

Erikk Aldridge has dedicated his life to advocating for and developing social impact programs that have enriched the lives of thousands of Angelenos. At LA28, he serves as the steward for social impact, community outreach and civic engagement for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, charged with expanding the organizer’s commitment to economic empowerment, including development of opportunities for equitable procurement and workforce inclusion ahead of the games.
Erikk joined LA28 after an extensive career in social impact, community relations and corporate philanthropy at AEG, Disney, Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers where he was responsible for driving several nationally and locally recognized programs and initiatives around equity and opportunity for youth, community members and businesses. He also spent six years in nonprofit leadership as CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Venice, Calif. A native of Inglewood, Calif., he is a graduate of the University of California-San Diego.

Stephen Cheung,
President and CEO,
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

Stephen Cheung leads the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., a non-profit organization that champions equitable economic growth across the Los Angeles region, as President and CEO. He brings together the capabilities of its mission-delivery department areas in business assistance, industry cluster development, workforce development, strategic relations, communications, marketing and public policy—as well as its research unit The Institute for Applied Economics and international unit World Trade Center Los Angeles—into a single team that delivers the corporation’s important public-benefit mission to reinvent the county economy to collaboratively advance growth and prosperity.
Stephen assumed his current roles in 2023 and continues concurrently since 2014 as President of World Trade Center Los Angeles. Formerly he was Secretary General and Managing Director of International Trade and Foreign Affairs for Los Angeles Mayors Eric Garcetti and Antonio Villaraigosa, responsible for managing policies and programs related to international affairs, global trade and clean technology and those involving the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports. Concurrently, Stephen was Director of International Trade for the Port of L.A. He is a board of advisors member for UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, UCLA Extension, Coro Southern California and Sister Cities of Los Angeles, and director of the Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board

Dr. Salvatrice Cummo,
Vice President-Economic and Workforce Development,
Pasadena City College

Salvatrice drives the Pasadena City College strategy to supply a trained and flexible workforce that serves the region’s labor market needs. Each year, it educates more than 29,000 students across disciplines that include 80 career education fields such as automotive technology, building construction and TV and radio production. The college also is a source of interns and apprentices for businesses to provide on-the-job training to future workers. Its career education and workforce programs got a boost with statewide investment through the Doing What Matters Strong Workforce Program—which has provided more than $2.8 million to local programs in construction, advanced manufacturing and technology, advanced transportation; energy efficiency, utilities, information and communication technologies; life sciences; small business and entrepreneurship, and other fields.
Salvatrice was executive director of the Small Business Development Center at Pasadena City College, which operates in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration to assist small business owners and served as director of business development for the Montebello, Calif., Chamber of Commerce. She has an M.S degree in entrepreneurship and innovation from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and a B.S degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Jeremy Smith,
Chief of Staff and Director of Workforce Development,
State Building and Construction Trades Council of California

Jeremy Smith is Chief of Staff and Director of Workforce Development for the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, based In Sacramento. which represents nearly one-half million tradespeople in 14 different crafts, including about 70,000 apprentices, and is the largest construction trades council in the U.S. Formerly its deputy legislative director, he also was legislative Advocate for the California Labor Federation.
Jeremy also has been a member of the California State Workforce Investment Board since 2010 and previously served as Legislative Director for the Illinois AFL-CIO and as a staffer to the Illinois State Senate Labor and Employment Committee.

Chamberlain Duru
Diverse Business Manager
Burns & McDonnell

Chamberlain Duru is the diverse business manager in California for Burns & McDonnell. In this role, he helps advance a diverse supplier base to support firm projects and client relationships and leads other business diversity initiatives. Chamberlain has nearly two decades of experience across a variety of industries and is a board member for the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce and Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council.

Dhruv Bhatnagar
Director, Emerging Energy Technology
Strategen Consulting

Dhruv Bhatnagar is a Director at Strategen Consulting where he leads its Emerging Technology Practice to support utility, non-profit and government clients with strategy and analysis on grid planning, integration of emerging technologies such as energy storage and green hydrogen, and system resilience and reliability. Dhruv has worked at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Hawaiian Electric Co., the Massachusetts Dept. of Public Utilities and Sandia National Laboratories.

TJ Moon
Sustainability Officer
LA County Public Works

TJ Moon acts as the sustainability officer for LA County Public Works. As part of his efforts, he facilitates InfrastructureLA—a partnership of local agencies, collaborating across multiple disciplines, to seek funding opportunities, build support and effectively create resilient, equitable infrastructure for LA communities and residents. He is a highly experienced principal engineer and has dedicated over 22 years to advancing infrastructure and environmental projects. He holds a B.S. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an M.S. from California State University, Los Angeles.

Soo Kim
Division Head, Business Relations and Contracts
LA County Public Works

Soo Kim, Division Head for the Los Angeles County Public Works’ Business Relations and Contracts Division Ms. Kim has served the county for over 27 years. She provides operational and strategic leadership for the division. She oversees complex and comprehensive full-service contracting sections that procure and administer about 800 contracts in the areas of consultant services, construction, and construction-related services. She has oversight of the county’s economic and workforce development programs, including the Local and Targeted Worker Hiring Program, and the Countywide Community Workforce Agreement.

Marika Medrano
Assistant Division Head, Business Relations and Contracts
LA County Public Works

Ms. Medrano has served the county for over 13 years, in various departments and has experience in construction, health, and IT contracts. In her current role, she oversees the solicitations for construction and professional services that support infrastructure projects throughout the County. She manages the Business Relations and Compliance unit, which monitors adherence to the Local and Targeted Hiring Program and administers the Countywide Community Workforce Agreement.

Monica Sanchez, PE, BCEE
Supervising Engineer
Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts

Monica leads the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts’ Reuse Group, overseeing the agency’s recycled water program, which includes the production of 150 MDG of recycled water at 10 water reclamation plants with beneficial use at over 900 reuse sites. She has 22 years of agency experience focused on recycled water treatment and operations; regulatory development, review, and compliance; demand management; and project development. Monica holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, an M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a licensed professional engineer in California.

Ben Tanimoto, PE, MS
Waterworks Engineer
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power

Ben is a Waterworks Engineer on the Pure Water Los Angeles Program, which aims to source purified recycled water from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Facility. He oversees development of the program’s master plan, backbone conceptual planning, demand analyses for purified recycled water, cost estimating, and other technical concepts. He has ten years of utility experience focused on project and program management, groundwater planning, and water reuse. Ben holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCLA and is a licensed professional engineer in California.

Sam Hassoun
Founder and President ,
Global Leadership Alliance (GLA)

Sam Hassoun, is the founder and president of Global Leadership Alliance (GLA). A highly recognized leader in Partnering within the Construction industry. Known for his expertise in fostering collaboration and dispute prevention, he has contributed to the success of projects valued at over $70 billion across the globe. He is a Senior Fellow at the American Leadership Forum and holds a certification in Mediation and Conflict Resolution from UC Berkeley. Sam has received numerous awards and distinctions, including being named one of ENR's Top 25 Newsmakers.

Lynda McGlinchey
Manager
City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Contract Administration's Office of Contract Compliance

Lynda McGlinchey is the Manager of the City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Contract Administration's Office of Contract Compliance. She has spent her 30-year City career in the Bureau of Contract Administration. She is responsible for ensuring that subcontractors and subconsultants receive the work they were bid-listed to perform, that standards for a myriad of certifications are maintained to ensure that diverse communities are represented, that various contracting related ordinance requirements are followed, that the State approved Labor Compliance Program enforces the payment of Prevailing Wages and Apprenticeship Standards, and the monitoring and enforcement of most Project Labor Agreements.

Abbigail Brown
Owner & President
CPM Logistics

Ms. Brown has over two decades of experience in Program, Construction and Project Management with emphasis on public projects, particularly in the heavy civil and transportation sectors, and she specializes in providing support to contractors and private companies. CPM Logistics partners with public and private entities to help small and minority businesses form lasting working partnerships with prime contractors. She values authenticity while effectively managing systematic processes that drive meaningful change. Her vibrant, open dialogue fosters connections among people, making her a vital asset. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Post University.

Tashai R. Smith
Executive Officer
Diversity & Economic Opportunity Department, Metro

Tashai has over 26 years of experience in providing public agency Diversity & Inclusion in Metro contracting. As the Executive Officer of Metro’s Diversity & Economic Opportunity Department, Tashai oversees regulatory compliance services in the areas of Small and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Programs, Capacity Building workforce development particularly in Labor Compliance, Project Labor Agreements, Local Hire/Economic Development Initiatives, the Business Interruption Fund/Business Solution Center, and related public agency procurement processes. Tashai led her team in spearheading Metro’s SBE Prime (set-aside) program, awarding over $250 million in contracts to small business primes over a 10-year period.

Elke Campbell
Deputy Executive Officer
Diversity & Economic Opportunity Department, Metro

Elke is a seasoned diversity, equity, and inclusion professional with more than 20 years of experience building and leading successful initiatives that promote inclusion. At LA Metro, she served as Director, Small Business Programs, for four years before being promoted to Deputy Executive Officer in the Diversity & Economic Opportunity Department where she is responsible for driving the success of small and disadvantaged business inclusion and ensuring fair and equitable contracting practices.

Leila Lee
Assistant Director,
LA County Dept. of Economic Opportunity

Leila Lee is assistant director of the county’s central economic and business and workforce development hub. She was director of economic policy in the Los Angeles mayor's office of economic development, responsible for efforts that included expanded small business inclusion in procurement, integration of businesses to the digital marketplace and $100 million in grants. Leilah led implementation of programs including LA Optimized and Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. She also is a former entrepreneur and business owner.

Giovanna Brasfield, Phd.
CEO
Brasfield & Associates

Dr. Giovanna Brasfield (Dr. G) is an award-winning CEO and principal consultant for Brasfield & Associates LLC, a consulting firm that helps leaders and organizations build more culturally diverse, equitable and inclusive trainings, programs, and strategies on large infrastructure projects and with Employee Resource Groups. She is an international speaker and construction industry thought leader who helps hundreds of industry leaders and organizations leave the status quo behind and step into meaningful, measurable, and sustainable Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) strategies. Dr. G holds dual doctorate degrees from the University of La Verne, a D.P.A. in Public Administration and an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership.

Dina Aryan-Zahlan
Deputy Executive Director of Development,
Port of Los Angeles(GLA)

Dina Aryan-Zahlan serves as Deputy Executive Director of Development for the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s busiest container port. She oversees more than 450 employees in the Construction, Construction & Maintenance, Engineering and Internal Audit divisions. For the past two decades, Dina oversaw the planning, development and design of various port infrastructure and facilities, including wharves, terminals, rail, roadways, and waterfront development. Other programs under Dina’s leadership include the Port Electrification for Zero-Emission Equipment at Port facilities and terminals, to Public Access Investment for neighboring harbor communities.