♦Biographies♦
♦ Steve Warren, Deputy Director ♦
Kent County Road Commission
Steve Warren is Deputy Directorof the Kent County Road Commission (KCRC). Maintaining a road network of nearly 2000 miles, KCRC is the second largest road commission in Michigan. Since 1988, Mr. Warren has managed KCRC’s long and short-range planning programs, environmental studies, and major improvement projects. He also developed and directs Kent County’s Asset Management Program which integrates the organization’s Pavement Management, Performance Management, and Geographic Information Systems. Steve also represents the County Road Association on Michigan’s Transportation Asset Management Council.
Prior to joining KCRC, Mr. Warren served as Director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Grand Rapids Area, and also worked as Transportation Planner with the Northwest Regional Planning Commission in Traverse City.
Mr. Warren holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning, with a specialization in Transportation Planning, from Michigan State University where he also received his Bachelor of Science Degree.
♦ Roger L. Safford, P.E., Grand Region Engineer ♦
Michigan Department of Transportation
Roger Safford is the Region Engineer for the Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT) Grand Region. The Grand Region includes eight counties in West Michigan, including, Oceana, Newaygo, Mecosta, Muskegon, Kent, Montcalm, Ottawa and Ionia.
Mr. Safford oversees day to day operations, development and delivery of all road and bridge projects in the region. Prior to being named Grand Region Engineer, he served as the Development Engineer in the Metro Region, which includes Detroit and the surrounding areas.
Mr. Safford started with MDOT as a construction technician in 1973, while he attended the University of Michigan, where he received a B.A. in History in 1980. He accepted a full-time position in MDOT’s Testing Laboratory in 1977. He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University in 1983. Mr. Safford is a licensed professional engineer in Michigan.
Roger and his wife, Mary live in Grand Rapids. They have five children.
♦ Carmine Palombo, P.E., Director, Transportation Programs, SEMCOG ♦
Carmine Palombo is the Director of Transportation Programs at Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), where he oversees the overall transportation planning program for the seven-county Southeast Michigan area. Mr. Palombo has 35 years of experience in various phases of transportation planning at SEMCOG. He currently serves as Chair of the Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council and is a member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). He has also served as chair of the Michigan Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) Board of Directors.
A licensed professional engineer in Michigan, Mr. Palombo earned a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Detroit.
♦ Brett Laughlin, P.E., Managing Director ♦
Ottawa County Road Commission
Brett Laughlin is the Managing Director for the Ottawa County Road Commission. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan Technological University and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan. Mr. Laughlin has over 22 years of experience in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in road and bridge design, construction engineering, and project management. He has worked on several significant projects, including the St. Louis Arch Underground Theatre and the Denver International Airport.
♦ Dave Healy, Supervisor ♦
Texas Township
Dave Healy was elected full-time Township Supervisor for Texas Charter Township in November 2008. The Township has had over 34% population growth over the past ten years and had significant needs in the area of fire protection and road maintenance that were not being met with their 0.85 mil tax rate. Last November, Texas Township overwhelmingly approved a 0.5 mil increase for improved fire protection, with over 70% voting in favor. At the same time they were undertaking a special assessment process for road maintenance that ultimately was approved for $60 per parcel, which raised the equivalent of another 0.5 mil of revenue. Mr. Healy will share that experience with you today.
Prior to becoming a full-time public servant, Mr. Healy worked for 15 years as Chief Financial Officer for Schupan & Sons, Inc., a rapidly growing metal and recycling company, where he developed numerous business analysis and pro-forma statements. He also worked several years as a business consultant for a variety of companies. From 1986 to 1990 he served as the Chairman of the Van Buren County Board of Commissioners.
Dave is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Management Accountant, and a graduate of Michigan State University. He and his wife, Renee, enjoy living in their empty nest in Texas Township and working on their high-maintenance landscaping.
♦ Brian Sanada, Asset Management Coordinator ♦
Michigan Department of Transportation
Brian Sanada is the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Asset Management Coordinator to the Transportation Asset Management Council (TAMC). He joined MDOT in the fall of 2008. His primary duties are to coordinate with MDOT technical and administrative staff to provide support to the TAMC, as well as, act as liaison between the TAMC, Regional & Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Local Road Agencies and MDOT. In 2004, Mr. Sanada graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in Urban & Regional Planning.
Key points:
- MDOT - Asset Management Coordinator
- Joined MDOT in the fall of 2008
- Coordinates and provides support to the TAMC
- Liaison and Primary contact for the TAMC
- Graduated in 2004 from EMU with a B.S. in Urban & Regional Planning
♦ Keith Cooper, P.E., Local Agency Bridge Program Manager ♦
Michigan Department of Transportation
Keith Cooper has worked for MDOT for 21 years. The last 8 years have been in the Local Bridge Program. Prior to working in Local Agency Programs, Keith worked in MDOT’s bridge design unit. Mr. Cooper earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering from Lawrence Technological University and is a licensed engineer in the State of Michigan.
♦ Dave Juntunen, P.E., Bridge Operations Engineer ♦
Michigan Department of Transportation
Dave Juntunen is the Bridge Operations Engineer for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), where he oversees MDOT’s Bridge Operations Unit. The Unit is responsible for the operational aspects of the Department's annual bridge program, and provides support and liaison to the Department's seven Regions and Lansing Support Areas for all bridge operational issues.
Since joining MDOT in 1985, Mr. Juntunen has worked as a bridge designer and structural research engineer. He has been serving in his current position since 2002.
A graduate of Michigan Technological University, Mr. Juntunen serves on the Michigan Asset Management Council Bridge Committee, on the TRB Structures Maintenance Committee, and on several AASHTO committees and subcommittees that deal with bridge management, evaluation, rehabilitation, preservation and research.
♦ Al Kaltenthaler, P.E., Vice President and Senior Associate ♦
TranSystems Corporation
Al Kaltenthaler is the Vice President and Senior Associate for TranSystems Corporation in East Lansing. He is also a member of TAMC Bridge Committee and has 28 years of structural engineering and design experience. Mr. Kaltenthaler has served as project manager for dozens of MDOT bridge design, rehabilitation, inspection and load rating projects. Notable projects include:
· New M-231 over Grand River bridge in Grand Haven (3900 foot long bridge)
· M-6 / US-131 interchange in Grand Rapids
· I-75 Corridor projects in Detroit (I-96 to I-375; and Goddard to Rouge River)
· I-94/US-24 Interchange Reconstruction in Taylor –bridge design and soundwall design
Mr. Kaltenthaler has co-authored the Bridge Asset Management Guide for Local Agencies and Sample Bridge Preservation Plan with Charlie Minervino of TranSystems.
♦ Kirk T. Steudle, Director ♦
Michigan Department of Transportation
Kirk Steudle was appointed as Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation by Governor Rick Snyder on January 1, 2011. He also served as State Transportation Director from 2006 to 2010.
As State Transportation Director, Mr. Steudle oversees MDOT’s more than three billion dollar budget, and is responsible for the construction, maintenance and operation of nearly 10,000 miles of state highways and more than 4,000 state highway bridges at a department with 2,500 employees. He also oversees administration of a variety of multi-modal transportation programs and projects that range from Aviation to the Zilwaukee Bridge.
Mr. Steudle is the 2010-11 Vice-President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and serves on the AASHTO Executive Committee. He also chairs the AASHTO Standing Committee on Performance Management and the Subcommittee on Asset Management. In addition, Mr. Steudle chairs the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) II oversight committee and the implementation report to the U.S. Congress. He is a national expert in Connected Vehicle Technologies, a high-tech highway operations technology that enables vehicles to communicate with roads and each other to improve safety and mobility. Director Steudle is on the Board of Directors for the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA) and the Engineering Society of Detroit, the largest engineering society in the country.
Born and raised in Adrian, Michigan, Director Steudle graduated from Lawrence Technological University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering. He is a registered professional engineer and has been with MDOT since 1987, when he was hired as an engineer trainee, serving in various positions across the state throughout his career.
In 2010, he was recognized nationally for his continuous outstanding service and exceptional contribution to highway engineering when he received the prestigious Thomas H. MacDonald award from AASHTO. In 2011, he was awarded the P.D. McLean Award from the Road Gang for excellence in highway transportation.
♦ Katie Zimmerman, P.E., President ♦
Applied Pavement Technology
Katie Zimmerman is the co-founder and President of Applied Pavement Technology, Inc. (APTech). Since graduating from college, she has worked to help agencies implement and enhance their use of pavement management and asset management tools. During her career, Ms. Zimmerman has worked with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), state highway agencies, and local agencies throughout the United States. She recently worked with the City of Portland to help them determine their needs for new pavement management software, and she developed a Pavement Management Roadmap for the FHWA that outlines short-term and long-term research and technology transfer needs. She is the Chair of the Transportation Research Board Committee on Asset Management and recently developed a training class on Asset Management that will be taught by LTAP centers.
During her employment at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1980s, she was the Associate Investigator for the original Micro PAVER pavement management system. Since that time, she has worked as a consultant. 15 years ago, she co-founded Applied Pavement Technology, Inc. (APTech).
Katie received both her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois. She is a licensed professional engineer in 30 states.
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