Industry Advisory Board

Advisory Board Chair
Principal, Philip Habib and Associates

Philip Habib, Ph.D., P.E. has over 40 years of planning and design experience for both the private sector and government agencies. Since 1989 Dr. Habib has been a principal of Philip Habib & Associates (PHA), a 36-person consulting engineering firm specializing in civil and traffic engineering, transportation studies, environmental studies, and construction support services.

Dr. Habib has led all of PHA’s environmental and transportation planning projects, including transportation planning and analysis for the Atlantic Yards Development in Downtown Brooklyn, the EIS for the new Police Academy in College Point, Queens, and the current EIS for the East New York Rezoning. He has been providing transportation planning and design services for the ongoing Riverside South development on the Upper West Side for over twenty years and also leading these same services for the Hudson Yards development. 

Dr. Habib holds a Ph.D. in Transportation from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (now NYU Tandon).

Advisory Board Liaison
Industry Professor
Chair, IDC Innovation Hub

Michael Horodniceanu, Ph.D., P.E, led over $20 billion of mega-project construction and the largest transit infrastructure program in the US. He served as New York City’s Traffic Commissioner overseeing a $4 billion capital construction program, and is a recognized expert in the fields of transportation infrastructure and engineering. Dr. Horodniceanu’s current portfolio includes building Phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway and the $10.17 billion East Side Access project that will connect Long Island Rail Road commuter trains to a new terminal station beneath Grand Central. Under his leadership, MTACC completed the Fulton Center in Manhattan’s financial district in 2014, now ranked as one of the most beautiful transit hubs in the world. Recently, Dr. Horodniceanu oversaw the extension of the No.7 subway line from Times Square to a new terminal station at 34th Street and 11th Avenue, spurring economic development in Manhattan’s far west side. MTACC is currently working on the planning and design for Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway and Penn Station Access.

Vice President
Capital Projects and Facilities at NYU

Linda Chiarelli is a tested and respected veteran of the construction world and has been involved in various roles in the construction process over the past thirty years, including work as an engineer on both design and construction management together with fifteen years of construction contract and litigation work. She is a graduate of The Cooper Union School of Engineering and Brooklyn Law School.

Prior to joining NYU, Linda was the Deputy Director of Construction at Forest City Ratner Companies. She was involved in all facets of the development process including negotiations with government entities, environmental impact statements, condemnation issues, architectural and construction agreements, project management, dispute avoidance and project closeouts. While at Forest City Ratner, she was instrumental in crafting the legal arrangements for some of the company’s more complex projects, including the Kings County Supreme Court and the New York Times Headquarters. She oversaw the construction of the Barclays Center, a prominent part of the Pacific Park (formerly Atlantic Yards) development. The project — which created a home for the Brooklyn Nets — was noted for its complexity of construction in a dense urban environment, as well as for the community relations challenges it posed.

Executive Vice President
OHL North America

Uday Durg serves as the Executive Vice President of OHL NA’s Northeast Region, which includes Judlau Contracting, Inc.’s operations in the area. In this role, Uday overseas all operations and development for the region, a key market for the company. Uday joined Judlau in 2016 and has more than 35 years of experience in the construction industry including executive management and oversight positions related to schedule, estimating, quality, safety, and budget. Prior to Judlau, Uday was Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer of Capital Construction for New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

President and Chief Operating Officer
Tutor Perini Corporation

Jack Frost is President and Chief Operating Officer of Tutor Perini Corporation, one of the nation’s largest and most successful construction companies, with annual revenue of approximately $5 billion. He has been with the Company for more than 33 years and has overseen numerous projects, including many of Tutor Perini’s largest and most difficult building and civil projects. Mr. Frost was recently named one of the 50 Most Influential People in the New York construction industry by City & State NY.

President and CEO
NYC School Construction Authority

Senior Vice President
Transit/Rail Market Sector Leader
HNTB Corporation

Ronnie Hakim, a career transit and transportation professional who has led some of the largest transportation agencies in the country, joined HNTB as national transit and rail market sector leader and is based in HNTB’s New York City office in the Empire State Building to work with clients across the country.

Ronnie has been a recognized trailblazer for many years, leading transportation agencies to new levels of success with innovative programs and delivery of industry-leading projects that have transformed the New York metropolitan area,” said Rob Slimp, PE, HNTB chairman and CEO. “It’s a time of great change and great opportunity for our clients. Ronnie is an exceptional leader and will use her tremendous industry network, wealth of experience, talent and innovative thinking to partner with our clients and stakeholders to drive the most complex projects and programs to improve mobility throughout the United States.”

Hakim is responsible for collaborating with HNTB leadership nationwide on strategic planning and implementation, industry representation, business development, service delivery, and client collaboration and satisfaction.  Her Professional Affiliations include APTA, WTS, COMTO and she is a member of National Academy of Construction.

Before joining HNTB, Hakim had 33 years of industry leadership experience at New York City Transit and New York MTA.  Upon leaving the MTA in 2010, she was the Executive Director of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and New Jersey Transit before returning to the MTA in 2015.  She most recently served as managing director of the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where she was responsible for leading more than 70,000 employees in five operating agencies, overseeing transit systems that carry 9 million riders each day. She also was responsible for promoting the 2015-2019 $32.5 billion MTA Capital Program as well as working on the framework for the 2020-2024 $51.5 billion Capital Program.

Managing Partner
Lebow & Sokolow LLP

NYCDDC Deputy Commissioner
NYC Department of Design and Construction

Eric C. Macfarlane leads the New York City Department of Design and Construction, Infrastructure Division with a technical staff of 500 employees, consisting mostly of engineers, project managers, and analysts. The division is responsible for the design and construction management of the capital infrastructure programs for the City of New York consisting of consolidated roadways, sanitary sewers, storm drainage system, water distribution network and various urban landscape improvements. Currently the division has a 5-year capital plan portfolio of 532 projects in various phases, from planning, design and construction, valued at more than $11 billion. A few significant active projects under his management include: a coastal resiliency program estimated at more than $2 billion and the South East Queens storm water drainage program budgeted at more than $1.9 billion. The Infrastructure Division also procures the services of engineering consultants for both design and construction management who provide supplementary assistance in the delivery of DDC’s annual infrastructure projects commitment plan. He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the City College of New York (Grove School of Engineering), and a Master of Science, Civil Engineering degree from Polytechnic Institute of New York (NYU-Tandon School of Engineering). He is a New York State licensed Professional Engineer, member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, member of the National Academy of Construction, and Envision Sustainability Professional.

Senior Vice President/Territory Manager
STV Construction Management Division

Gus Maimis, a senior vice president of STV’s Construction Management Division, has more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry successfully executing and completing projects for higher education campuses, health care, transportation centers, multi-tenant housing, and commercial office buildings. His current experience includes providing executive oversight at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum as part of the redevelopment at the World Trade Center. Prior to joining STV, as principal of his own construction management and general contracting firm for 10 plus years, he provided direction for the  business development, coordinated client relations, and provided executive direction for numerous projects throughout New York Metropolitan Area.

Mr. Maimis has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York and a Master’s in Business Administration from Cornell University. Mr. Maimis is treasurer for the Greater New York Construction Users Council, a member of the National Board of Directors for the Construction Management Association of America and visiting professor at the Pratt Institute’s School of Architecture.

Director of Operations
Westchester County

Principal Engineer
Roux Associates, Inc.

Brian Morrissey is Principal Engineer and Office Manager for Roux Associates, an environmental consulting and management firm based in Islandia NY. He is a licensed Professional Engineer with over 30 years of environmental engineering experience including the management of complex design and construction projects related to environmental restoration. Projects include hazardous waste sites (Superfund), Brownfields, underground storage tanks, manufactured gas plants, petroleum refineries, and landfills. Mr. Morrissey has significant experience with construction cost estimates, feasibility studies, wastewater treatability and pilot testing, decontamination and demolition, vapor intrusion, and remedial system design and operation. Mr. Morrissey often works on project to develop alternative remedial approaches such as in situ chemical oxidation and bioremediation to cost-effectively address residual soil and groundwater contamination.

Principal
Pierson Advisory Group

Recognized as a skilled problem solver, turnaround specialist and value creation expert, Mr. Pierson has more than 35 years of international consulting, management, legal, and leadership experience in the engineering and construction fields.  After successful turnaround stints as the CEO of two iconic infrastructure firms, he currently sits on multiple Boards of Directors as well as advises companies and investors on infrastructure investments and issues.

Joining as President and CEO of The Kleinfelder Group (an international engineering, consulting and construction services firm) in 2016, Mr. Pierson dramatically increased profitability, culminating in a nearly five-fold increase in value in just 27 months. Subsequent to a private equity investment, he elevated to Executive Chairman of Kleinfelder. Prior to joining Kleinfelder, Mr. Pierson was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Parsons Brinckerhoff, a 130-year-old global engineering and program management firm with 14,000 employees in 150 worldwide offices and annual revenues of approximately $2.7 billion.  During his five years at the helm, Parsons Brinckerhoff’s market value nearly tripled while delivering $1.4 billion in value to shareholders.

Currently, in addition to serving as Executive Chairman of the Kleinfelder Group, Mr. Pierson serves on the Board of Directors of Petrofac PLC, a leading international service provider to the oil and gas industry, where he Chairs the Compliance and Ethics Committee; and CTSI, a leading provider of commercial A/V, fire and life safety systems. He previously served on the boards of WSP Global, a publicly traded 35,000-person global professional services firm; Terracon, a 3,500-person employee- owned consulting engineering firm; and RailWorks Corporation, a leader in track and transit and systems construction and maintenance services.

Mr. Pierson has received numerous industry awards and recognitions including being honored by the American Society of Civil Engineers with the distinguished Outstanding Project and Leadership (“OPAL”) award for Lifetime Achievement in Management. Mr. Pierson was elected as a member of the National Academy of Construction as well as The Moles, a professional organization of the heavy underground construction industry. He is a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers and was elected as a Fellow in the International Academy of Construction Lawyers.  Mr. Pierson received a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School, an M.B.A. from St. Mary’s College of California, an M.S. in civil engineering from the University of California at Berkeley (where he was named to the Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 2020), and a B.S. summa cum laude in civil engineering from Bucknell University (which honored him as the Distinguished Engineering Alumni is 2010).

Head of Transit in Design and Consulting Services Americas (DCSA)
AECOM

Senior executive experienced in directing large, complex transportation systems and major projects within highly visible and politically sensitive arenas.  Solid educational background in transportation systems engineering and detailed knowledge and experience in operations, maintenance, engineering, stakeholder and labor issues.  Established track record in engagement of all stakeholders in the development of overarching public transportation policy and the use of strategic plans to finance, promote and implement sound transportation policies. Direct experience in managing the systems integration interfaces between and among all stakeholders and both within and across organizational boundaries.  Over ten years of experience in rail system safety management and the incorporation of system safety principles and concepts in the identification and management of hazards within a system.

Chairman and CEO
Strategic Program Management LLC

Bob Prieto is currently Chairman & CEO of Strategic Program Management LLC and serves on the Mott MacDonald Shareholders Committee as an independent member. Bob’s industry involvement includes ASCE Industry Leaders Council, National Academy of Construction and Fellow of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA). He serves on a wide range of industry award juries and advisory panels including the ASCE Industry Leaders Council (ILC) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation Advisory Board.

He serves on New York University Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Advisory Board and New York University Abu Dhabi Engineering Academic Advisory Council and previously served as a trustee of Polytechnic University.

Previously Bob served as senior vice president of Fluor, Chairman of Parsons Brinckerhoff and as one of three U.S. presidential appointees to the APEC Business Advisory Council.

Partner
Duane Morris, LLP

Allen J. Ross has more than 45 years of experience practicing law in the areas of construction, litigation and real estate. In addition to traditional legal work, he has also developed a career in alternative dispute resolution in the construction industry, serving as an arbitrator, mediator and dispute review board chair.

Mr. Ross is a member of the American, New York State and New York City Bar Associations, as well as the Construction Industry Panel of Arbitrators and the Panel of Mediators of the American Arbitration Association. He has received numerous recognitions including:  "Lawyer of the Year" in New York City Litigation — Construction Law by Best Lawyers, 2015-2016, Best Lawyers in America, 2006-2016, and International Who's Who of Construction Lawyers, 2005-2014. He is a 1964 graduate of New York University School of Law and a graduate of Cornell University.

President, Americas Region
Bombardier Transportation

Lee Sander was appointed as President of Bombardier Transportation’s Americas Region in November 2018.  Prior to joining Bombardier, Mr. Sander was Managing Director, Global Transportation and US Infrastructure at Hatch Ltd.  In addition, he held leadership roles at AECOM, notably as Group Chief Executive, Global Transportation and at HAKS Group.  Credited with turning around several high-profile public-sector organizations in New York, he is a former Executive Director and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation and served as a Commissioner on the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.  In addition, he is the founder of the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management at New York University and co-founded the Empire State Transportation Alliance.  He holds a degree in Applied Science and International/Global Studies from Georgetown University.

Senior Vice President of Electric Operations
Con Edison

Robert Schimmenti is a seasoned executive with over 33 years of experience in the utility business. As the Senior Vice President of Electric Operations at Con Edison he brings a wealth of knowledge in crisis leadership, emergency preparedness, urban infrastructure planning and resiliency, clean energy, and smart grid operations.

As the executive lead on a $1B storm hardening program he led the team on electric, gas, and steam infrastructure enhancements with a new design basis that was flexible to future climate change adaptation strategies. He worked extensively with external stakeholders and assisted large customers in adopting new approaches to resiliency.

He has aligned his team to support Clean Energy policy objectives by focusing on foundational infrastructure investments, grid modernization, energy efficiency, battery storage, EV charging infrastructure, integration of renewables and distribution energy resources.

In the past four years his passion around diversity, inclusion, and employee engagement has resulted in a foundational investment in the employee experience to support culture change, in order to enhance new approaches to business performance while treating all with value and respect.  He has authored various articles in this space and his team was featured in the book by Greg Besner, The Culture Quotient: Ten Dimensions of a high-performance culture.

Bob attended Executive Education, Leadership for Senior Executives at Harvard University. He received a Master’s degree from New York University – Polytechnic School of Engineering and in 2017 received the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants

Mr. Schwartz is CEO of Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants, a firm that specializes in transportation planning and engineering. He also writes a column on traffic for The New York Daily News. Previously Mr. Schwartz was New York City’s Traffic Commissioner and was the Chief Engineer of the NYC Department of Transportation. He started his transportation career in the late 1960’s as a NYC cabbie and joined the Traffic Department, as a junior engineer, in 1971.

Mr. Schwartz’s most recent books, No One at the Wheel: Driverless Cars and the Road of the Future (2018) and Street Smart: The Rise of Cities and The Fall of Cars (2015) lay out a recipe for cities faced with rapid changes in modes, automation, demographic shifts and travelers’ preferences.

Mr. Schwartz specializes in creative problem-solving for seemingly intractable situations. He is expert at getting people out of their cars and into other forms of transportation. He is also proficient at moving those people who remain in their cars more swiftly and safely. Mr. Schwartz has created many win-win-win situations whereby traffic moves better, pedestrians are safer, and the community gains more sidewalk and green space. He’s been called an Urban Alchemist for making grass grow from asphalt. Mr. Schwartz, often referred to by his nom de plume “Gridlock Sam,” released the word “Gridlock” into the lexicon during the 1980 NYC Transit strike.

Mr. Schwartz has been an adjunct professor for 40 years at some of New York City’s most respected colleges and universities including Cooper Union, Long Island University, Hunter College and Brooklyn College. He is a Charter Board Member of the Institute of Design & Construction (IDC) Innovation Hub at NYU's Tandon School of Engineering, Dept. of Civil & Urban Engineering.

Mr. Schwartz is active in community affairs and helped found two New York City public schools: The School for the Physical City and the Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School. He is a board member of the Regional Plan Association and is a Fellow of the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics at Brooklyn College and received a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Florida.

Chairman
STV, Inc.

Dominick Servedio serves as the chairman of STV, a multi-discipline architectural, engineering, planning, and program/construction management company that is among the nation’s most respected firms. Through his stewardship, the firm has undertaken major assignments throughout the country, including AirTrain JFK; the restoration of Grand Central Terminal; and the Long Island Rail Road East Side Access project. Mr. Servedio also played a pivotal role in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site with such crucial projects as the PATH Transportation Hub, and the Vehicle Security Center.

Throughout his career, Mr. Servedio has been an outspoken leader in his industry on the need for improvements to our nation’s infrastructure. For his leadership and commitment to the engineering and construction industry, Mr. Servedio has been honored with numerous awards. He has also been inducted into the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Construction.

Mr. Servedio is an alumnus of New York University, where he received his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering.