2026 WSRO Conference Speakers We’re looking forward to this year’s WSRO conference, “The Core of Connections", Sunday, September 20th through September 22nd, in Wenatchee, Washington! The conference’s inspiration is drawn the beautiful region of orchards and rivers that makes Wenatchee known as the Apple Capital of the World. We are extremely excited to be able to present to you a diverse offering of topics and networking opportunities at this year's conference. However, none of this is possible without the generosity and talents of our peers in the industry willing to share their insights and best practices. As we build the agenda, please check back here often to follow the latest updates on WSRO 2026! |
Keynote Speakers |
Rachel Evey is the inaugural executive director of Our Valley Our Future, joining the organization in 2025. She moved to Wenatchee in 2017 from her hometown of Bakersfield, California. Our Valley Our Future’s collaborative approach to community development was a significant factor in her decision to relocate. Rachel previously served as the Wenatchee Valley College Foundation executive director for seven years, where she raised funds to support students and the college. Rachel is involved in a number of community organizations. She is a member of the Wenatchee Rotary Club and served as Club President 2025-26. She was a part of the 16th class of Community Leadership Wenatchee Valley, honored in 2019 as a Wenatchee Valley Business World 30 Under 35, and is a lifetime member of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association. In her spare time, Rachel enjoys games with friends, the symphony with her mom, road trips with her partner Dustin, and playing fetch with Chester and Artemis. |
Kimberly Huntress-Inskeep (she/her)Kimberly Huntress-Inskeep is a Seattle-based freelance writer, editor, and transportation advocate. She is writing The Transit Trekker Manual as a manual to help other nondrivers more easily access the outdoors near and far. As the Business Network Writer for PeopleForBikes (PFB) she wrote about the economic benefits of bicycling and bicycling infrastructure and has more recently written for PFB one-bike policy and housing. As a Fellow at the Disability Mobility Initiative (DMI), Kimberly played key roles in producing the Transportation for Everyone Storymap and the groundbreaking Transportation Access for Everyone white paper and DMI’s launch of the Week Without Driving in Washington state and its national expansion. |
Session Speakers |
| Bradley Brashears leads the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program for the City of Bellevue. Bradley has over 13 years of experience working in the urban planning field. He began his professional career at New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in 2013, advocating for MTA riders through planning and policy reports to address system accessibility, capital program investments, service communications, and fare equity issues, to name a few. Before leaving the MTA in 2022, Bradley became the Associate Director of his department and left a legacy of fighting for MTA riders across the MTA’s twelve county service region. In 2022, Bradley moved back to the west coast to join the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to lead the development of their 2025 Regional Plan. As part of SANDAG’s Sustainable Communities team, Bradley’s interest in sustainable transportation expanded and led to his interest in TDM work. In 2023, he joined the City of Bellevue’s TDM team and is now their program manager. Bradley is driven by connecting people to opportunities, helping to create a more sustainable and equitable landscape in Bellevue. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and swimming with his dog, Ruger, and spending time with family and friends. |
| Abdulhakeem is a Project/Program Manager on the TDM Team in King County Metro’s Market Innovation Section. Abdulhakeem is a first-generation immigrant. He came to the United States at the age of 6 and has lived in the Seattle area ever since. Abdulhakeem has a strong passion for community development work and has spent more than a decade supporting local immigrant community-based organizations. Abdulhakeem previously was the Development Director for the Muslim American Youth Foundation, where he helped purchase a large recreational community center for immigrant youth and families. Abdulhakeem also has experience in user experience and computer science and worked on a high-plex cancer research machine called CosMx for NanoString, a biotechnology company. In his current role, Abdulhakeem co-leads the Community Mobility Program, which uses innovative strategies and in-language materials to reach immigrant and refugee communities through community-based organizations. Abdulhakeem also works on Metro’s Event Support Strategy, piloting ways to support event venues and event organizers of all sizes. When Abdulhakeem isn’t working, he loves walking outdoors with his family and enjoys the Seattle drizzle. |
| Kristine Edens leads the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Team in King County Metro’s Market Innovation Section. Kristine was born and raised in King County, Washington and has over 20 years of experience in the fields of urban planning, infrastructure development, multi-modal transportation, and community engagement. In her current role at King County Metro, Kristine leads a large team working to reach existing and future riders to encourage transit use and increase access to mobility. Kristine's work is driven by her commitment to racial, social, and economic justice as well as the connection between access to safe and sustainable transportation and healthy communities. Kristine never misses a chance to highlight how investment in TDM is an investment in equity and increased access to opportunity. Kristine loves being outdoors, gardening, watching and playing sports, finding and creating art, and travelling the globe. Kristine and her husband also co-own Virtue Cellars, a local winery based in Shoreline, Washington. Kristine embraces the patience, relationship to seasons, and connection to the farming community in her home state of Washington that comes with the practice of winemaking. |
| Alessandra Gonzalez is an Employer Marketing Strategist at Community Transit. She partners with employers of all sizes in Snohomish County to help communities explore their travel options and get started with transit benefits. The Small Business Partnerships program has connected over 1,000 employees to subsidized ORCA cards and transit resources, boosting significant savings and regional access. She enjoys highlighting local businesses and rider stories on social media to help people get to where they want to go. |
| Sasha James serves as a Project Manager for WSDOT's public transportation Commute Trip Reduction and Transportation Demand Management grants. She supports programs that promote sustainable transportation choices and reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles. Her expertise includes over 15 years of grant management, compliance, fiscal oversight, reimbursement, and implementation of state and federal requirements, including 2 CFR 200 and Washington State Office of Financial Management standards. Sasha takes a collaborative, strategic approach to public-sector work, with a focus on effective stewardship of public resources, regulatory compliance, and equitable economic opportunity. |
| Olivia spent seven years working at nonprofits such as Oregon Walks, Westside Transportation Alliance (WTA), and Commute Seattle. In October 2022, Olivia joined the City of Vancouver, WA as their one-and-only Transportation Demand Management Planner. Olivia is responsible for crafting new policies to meet climate, safety, and equity goals, expanding Clark County’s regional Commute Trip Reduction Program, launching a brand new residential TDM program, managing the city’s Bicycle Parking Program, and she also supports mega projects like the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program. |
| Kelly Lauderdale is a Transportation Planner with the Washington State Department of Transportation, where she leads statewide transportation benefits programs for more than 45 state agencies. She also leads the State Agency Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Advisory Board, bringing agencies together to share ideas, solve problems, and improve support for employees’ transportation choices. Outside of work, Kelly can be found riding her bike, baking sourdough, or spending time with family and friends. |
| Lynn Mabie serves as a Data Analyst supporting the Transportation Demand Management team within WSDOT’s Public Transportation Division. She brings a background in statistical analysis, analytical tool design, and policy-focused research, including prior work evaluating community-centered programs and state-funded rideshare initiatives. She earned her Master of Social Work in Policy and Evaluation from the University of Michigan. |
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Kim Stolz serves as the TDM Outreach and Employer Specialist for Commute Smart Northwest, the Commuter Trip Reduction (CTR) implementer for Spokane County. With over 25 years of experience, Kim possesses a comprehensive understanding of CTR law, making her an indispensable resource for over 110 worksites and their Employee Transportation Coordinators (ETCs) across the region. She is dedicated to equipping ETCs with creative tools, training, consultation, and steadfast support to drive CTR success. Kim is also the driving force behind the Commute Smart Champions Awards program. Ten years ago, she set out to recognize ETCs for their vital, behind-the-scenes work rather than just their CTR survey metrics. By implementing a strategic new point system and creating the Employer Champions Awards, she has empowered coordinators to elevate their Commute Smart programs. Her dedication to their success shines through in the remarkable results on display today. A recognized leader in her field, Kim earned her TDM-CP certification in 2021. Her extensive leadership includes serving on the Board of Directors for the Washington State Ridesharing Organization (2010–2015) and contributing to the TDM Technical Committee (2020–2024). |
| Kendra Trachta has dedicated her career to public service as a librarian and as a data analyst because people need good information to make good decisions. She’s currently the Lead Data Analyst with the Washington Department of Transportation’s Public Transportation Division, where her priority is making transportation data accessible and useful to internal and external colleagues. |
| Alison Turner leads the City of Tukwila's TDM Team as the Sustainable Transportation Program Manager. She manages the city's CTR Program and a regional program called South King County Trips (SKC Trips). Alison is passionate about how collective transportation like public transit and riding bikes can enrich our lives, deepen our relationship with place, and build community. |
| Anna is a Project/Program Manager on the TDM Team in King County Metro’s Market Innovation Section. Anna was born in Anchorage, Alaska and her family moved to Seattle when she was in elementary school. After some time in the Midwest, Anna moved back to Seattle in 2014. Anna previously was an Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) for Seattle Children’s Hospital, supporting their robust employee transportation programming, which included transit passes, bike programs, a shuttle system and carpool and vanpool incentives. In her current role, Anna supports several TDM programs, including behavior change campaigns focused on ORCA adoption and transit use in areas near Metro’s service changes, working with community-based organizations on ORCA education, promoting the Free Youth Transit Pass and working with event organizers and venues encouraging attendees and visitors to shift to transit. Anna loves the Notes app and tracks every time she takes a new bus route, collects transit cards from across the world, and is interested in getting to know transit systems near and far. Anna enjoys swimming no matter the temperature or body of water, though in the winter you may be more likely to find her enjoying a cozy craft night at home. |
| Samira Youssef is a communications and mobility professional based in Seattle, working at the intersection of transportation, sustainability, and community engagement. As Communications Manager at Zero Emission Vehicle Cooperative (ZEV), Samira leads communications, partnerships, and events focused on expanding access to shared electric mobility and building more equitable transportation systems. With a background spanning operations, communications, and psychology, Samira brings a unique perspective to mobility by connecting the behind-the-scenes work of running transportation programs with the storytelling and community engagement needed to make them successful. She has helped launch and support electric carshare sites across the region, develop community partnerships, and create campaigns that make sustainable transportation more accessible, approachable, and community-driven. Outside of her professional work, Samira is an artist and lifelong creative passionate about sustainability, cities, culture, and creating more connected communities. |