Keynote Speakers

Don Billen

Don Billen is the CEO of Link Transit responsible for overall agency performance, staff success, strategic direction, and alignment with Board policies.   He has 30 years of experience in transit planning, capital project development, and regional coordination. His background includes leadership roles at Sound Transit, where he led system, service, and project planning as the Executive Director of Planning, Environment and Project Development. His work has focused on bringing out the best in employees along with an emphasis on data-driven decision-making and collaboration with local, state, and federal partners.

Rachel Evey

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 16^th 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.

Kerri Woehler (she/her)

Kerri Woehler is the Assistant Secretary for Multimodal Development and Delivery at the Washington State Department of Transportation. Responsible for leading implementation of policy and direction that ensures all modes of transportation are considered and integrated within the planning, programming, development and delivery of transportation systems and projects. Kerri oversees multiple divisions including Active Transportation, Aviation, Development, Local Programs, Multimodal Planning and Data, Public Transportation, Rail, Freight and Ports, and Transportation Safety. Kerri’s prior roles include work in multimodal planning, rail, aviation, and a Metropolitan Planning Organization. She graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and earned a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University.

Session Speakers

Bradley Brashears

Lexi Brewer

Lexi Brewer is the Director of Sustainability at the University of Puget Sound, where she leads campus sustainability efforts and campaigns, including serving as the site ETC. Her prior roles have included generating policy and sustainability solutions in higher ed, nonprofit, government, and international sectors. Lexi was born and raised in Tacoma, WA, and received her Bachelor's degrees in Oceanography and Finnish language from the University of Washington, and her M.S. in Natural Resources and Environment from the University of Michigan.

Karen Bridges

Karen Bridges is a seasoned marketing and communications manager with a strong track record in driving strategic communications, campaign execution, and brand development for mission-driven initiatives. With experience managing paid media, brand identity, cross-channel campaigns, and stakeholder collaboration, Karen brings a collaborative, audience-centered approach to complex projects that intersect public engagement, behavioral insight, and measurable outcomes. She is adept at uniting research, creative strategy, and tactical execution to elevate visibility and impact.  

She combines strategic planning with hands-on execution—guiding brand refreshes, optimizing paid campaigns, and ensuring brand consistency across platforms—while fostering strong partnerships with internal teams and external stakeholders. Karen’s work is informed by a commitment to inclusive communications and thoughtful project delivery that advances both brand integrity and organizational goals.

Bonnie Chiffelle

Bonnie is a Programs Specialist at Alta Planning + Design, where she helps lead and support projects by designing, implementing, and evaluating active transportation, Transportation Demand Management (TDM), and safety programs. Bonnie’s experience living car-free in places with limited transportation options gave her a firsthand look at the challenges many face in accessing mobility, sparking her interest in the field of TDM as a way to improve our transportation systems while contributing to a more sustainable future. Today, Bonnie continues to grow and apply her knowledge of TDM across several projects, including for the Seattle Department of Transportation, King County Metro, and Oregon Department of Transportation.

Abdulhakeem Dahir

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.

Aaron Davis

Aaron Davis (they/she) is a Program Operations Manager at the University of Washington working with the CoLab for Community Behavioral Health Policy, and the Harm Reduction Research and Treatment (HaRRT) Center, where they oversee community-based programs and research initiatives serving young people experiencing homelessness and other marginalized populations. Their work focuses on harm reduction, community engagement, public health research, and translating lived experience into actionable program and policy improvements. Aaron holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Washington and is a Certified Health Education Specialist. Their research interests include health equity, community informed programs and policy pathways, and the impacts of structural systems on health outcomes. Through partnerships with community organizations across Seattle, Aaron has supported the development and implementation of trauma-informed, community-centered research projects that elevate the voices and experiences of people who are furthest from justice and often excluded from traditional research processes. As a researcher and practitioner, Aaron is particularly passionate about building trust with communities, creating accessible opportunities for participation, and ensuring that research findings lead to meaningful change. They bring both professional expertise and lived experience to this work, grounding their approach in collaboration, dignity, and equity. Outside of work, Aaron is a parent to two amazing teens, a full spectrum doula, artist, and community advocate spending much of their time in the garden and helping vulnerable community members meet basic needs.

Mishti Dhawan

Mishti Dhawan is the Safe Access to Transportation Research Coordinator at the Seattle Department of Transportation, where she leads research efforts to understand and reduce inequities in mobility and transportation safety. Her work focuses on identifying the structural, social, and experiential barriers faced by vulnerable transit riders and translating those insights into actionable improvements. With a background in human-centered design, Mishti is passionate about applying community-driven research and participatory design methods to create solutions that reflect the experiences and needs of the people they are meant to serve. She partners closely with community organizations, mobility advocates, and city stakeholders to ensure that research practices uphold equity, accessibility, and trust. Her work spans developing rigorous research and analysis processes, conducting quantitative and qualitative studies, synthesizing findings, and collaborating across teams to shape design and policy recommendations aimed at safer, more inclusive mobility. Mishti earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering and a minor in Data Science from the University of Washington in 2025, where she was also part of the Honors Program. Her academic work introduced her to interdisciplinary approaches that blend design, research, ethics, and technology. She is especially interested in how data-informed insights, when paired with community expertise, can help reshape transportation systems to better support people with limited mobility, low income, or other access challenges. Outside of work, Mishti finds joy in exploring the natural world and nurturing her curiosity through creative hobbies. She loves bird watching, discovering new trails, reading contemporary fiction, and experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes. She also enjoys trying her hand at new crafts and is currently learning to make whimsical miniatures out of air-dry clay.

Kristine Edens

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.

Stephanie Frans 

Stephanie has been leading innovative transportation programs for over 20 years, from her start as ETC at Seattle Children’s Hospital to building a multi-faceted bike-friendly business program for Cascade Bicycle Club, to leading SDOT’s award-winning Flip Your Trip consultant team, to supporting Safe Routes to School programming in both professional and personal capacities. Stephanie designs programs that are not only equity-centered, community-informed and data-driven, she also creates experiences that spark curiosity, build agency, and inspire joy.

Alessandra Gonzalez

Sasha James

Kelly Lauderdale

Lynn Mabie

Jennifer McCoy

Jennifer McCoy (she/her) has been with Community Transit for 19 years.  She has been in her current Marketing Programs Strategist role for almost 3 years.

LB Prigoff

LB Prigoff (they/them) is a Project/Program Manager with King County Metro's Market & Business Development Group. Their role is focused on strategic outreach and managing community partnerships to reach potential ORCA Business Passport customers. In their tenure at King County, LB has doubled the number of TMAs the team partners with to bring transit benefits to more people across King County, with a focus on underserved regions. They are passionate about making transit accessible to all and enjoy refining approaches to most effectively support our King County community. LB’s background on engineering and finance teams in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors provides a foundation of data-driven and budget-focused approaches to their project initiatives.

Kelli Refer

Kelli’s love of transportation policy began when she first started biking for everyday transportation. She worked at Cascade Bicycle Club on their advocacy team for over 5 years. She had the privilege of working with Seattle City Council Member Mike O’Brien as a legislative aid. Since joining Move Redmond in 2020, she has built a successful advocacy program that focuses on better policy and more funding for walking, biking, and transit. Kelli loves getting outside, moving her body, and exploring the PNW. One of her favorite ways to do that is to go bike camping! If you want tips on bike camping with small children, just ask!

Allyson Ruppenthal

Allyson Ruppenthal (she/her) wakes up every day to empower growth and transformation in teams and leaders to make the world a better place. She believes successful change happens when people feel informed, involved, and inspired. As the Organizational Development Manager for WSDOT's Public Transportation Division, she helps navigate change, strengthen organizational performance, and transform ambitious goals into achievable results. 

Allyson brings more than 20 years of experience in organizational development, strategic planning, change management, leadership coaching, and public service. She is passionate about helping organizations build the capacity to adapt, grow, and deliver meaningful results for the communities they serve. Her work focuses on creating practical solutions that empower people, improve performance, and foster lasting organizational change.

When she is not helping teams solve complex challenges, coaching leaders, or tackling projects, Allyson enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, baking, and finding new ways to connect people, purpose, and possibility.

Liliya Shtikel

Liliya Shtikel is the Transportation Access Programs Program Manager at the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). She has worked at the City of Seattle for over 5 years, working on a variety of initiatives supporting access to transportation for low-income and historically excluded communities and leading transportation access programs for youth, young adults, and older adults. Prior to her work at the City, she spent over a decade working in social services with low-income communities and unhoused young adults. Liliya is passionate about accessible and inclusive youth sports and spent over 16 years coaching year-round club swimming in the Seattle area. She received her Master's of Social Work from the University of Washington in 2017. Outside of work, she is a competitive powerlifter who also loves hiking, cycling, and swimming, and running. When she is not exercising, she loves to read romance novels. She currently lives in Central Seattle with her husband and four pets.

Kim Stolz

Kendra Trachta

Ruthie Colon Vastine

Samira Youssef

Anna Wittow

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.