Staff

Ryan Russo

Title: Executive Director

Ryan has 25 years of experience in transportation and city planning, executing some of the most transformative transportation changes in the nation. He served in the administrations of New York City Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio, leading the agency’s 500-person planning, engineering and operating divisions staff. Russo worked on the innovative safety, pedestrian, […]

Alana Brasier

Title: Director of Engagement

Alana Brasier is an urban planner who is passionate about creating sustainable, equitable, and vibrant cities through sound planning, policies, design, and the people-power to get things done. As NACTO’s Director of Engagement, Alana plays a crucial role in connecting NACTO’s community of transportation professionals; leading the team that executes key NACTO programming, including the […]

Lauren Nixon

NACTO Title: Director, People and Culture

Lauren Nixon is a people and culture leader who is energized by mobilizing and coaching high-impact teams toward building vibrant cultures while remaining grounded in their organizational mission. As Director of People and Culture with NACTO, Lauren works toward setting the strategic direction for shaping a healthy, inclusive, and sustainable organizational culture by operationalizing equity […]

Stefanie Seskin

Title: Director of Policy and Practice

As Director of Policy and Practice, Stefanie shapes NACTO’s strategy to change the paradigm for city transportation policy and street design across North America. She provides strategic direction for NACTO’s technical design portfolio and guides major policy initiatives. She manages a multidisciplinary team of policy, design, and communications staff working to serve, empower, and partner […]

Alex Engel

Title: Senior Manager, Communications

Alex leads NACTO’s communications and manages the annual Designing Cities Conference. You’ll also see him riding transit and trying out bike share in all the NACTO member cities.

Aminah Ricks

NACTO Title: Senior Manager, Capacity Building

Aminah is the Senior Manager, Capacity Building at NACTO, leading the strategy for curricular opportunities that train city transportation professionals to advance sustainable and just design, policy, and organizational culture. Aminah is an architect, urbanist, writer, and teacher who created Future Planners to include and empower children in the process of improving our cities. […]

Briah Spencer

Title: Program Associate, Policy and Practice

Briah Spencer (she/they) is the Program Associate of Policy and Practice at NACTO. In her role she actively contributes to NACTO’s street design and transportation policy priorities, develops content around these priorities, and facilitates space for discussion and alignment with NACTO’s membership network. Briah began her career in higher education research at a social policy […]

Camille Boggan

Title: Program Manager, Policy & Practice

Camille is a Program Manager on the Policy & Practice team, where she leads research and analysis projects. She is a passionate champion of racial justice and gender equity in urban and transportation planning. Prior to joining NACTO, Camille was a policy analyst at a mission-driven financial institution where she used data to inform policy […]

Cary Bearn

NACTO Title: Senior Manager, Multimodal Design and Programs

Cary is a Senior Manager leading NACTO’s bicycle and shared micromobility programs. Cary is leading the update to the Urban Bikeway Design Guide, a multi-year effort that includes releasing seven working papers used to expand the scope of the updated guide. Cary also convenes roundtables, facilitates Cities for Cycling and Shared Micromobility peer network calls, […]

Celine Schmidt

Title: Visual Communications Manager

Celine Schmidt is NACTO’s Visual Communications Manager, where she produces and coordinates NACTO’s visual communications, ensuring that they are effective, accessible, and engaging for all audiences. She is committed to improving visual education and storytelling strategy for nonprofits, and has previously worked in both creative and program roles with the Participatory Budgeting Project, WaterAid America, […]

Dana Jacks

NACTO Title: Events & Operations Associate

Dana is the Events & Operations Associate at NACTO, where she is responsible for event and training logistics throughout the year. Previously, as a New York based writer and actor, she created and produced her solo show, FALL RISK, and has performed in theater, television, film, and webseries. Dana holds a Masters in Fine Arts, […]

Elise Harmon-Freeman

Title: Program Manager, Communications

Elise Harmon-Freeman helps shape and implement NACTO’s communication strategy, manages the communications calendar, and produces materials that advocate for transformative changes on city streets. Before joining NACTO, Elise served as the Communications Manager for the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There, she managed the department’s print materials, website, press relations, internal communications, […]

Ethany Uttech

NACTO Title: Senior Manager, Member Experience

As Senior Manager of Member Experience, Ethany engages and supports NACTO’s member agencies, helping them to get the most out of their membership. She is passionate about building more sustainable, accessible, and equitable communities. Over her 20 years in the nonprofit sector, Ethany has worked at the intersections of art and design, social justice, community […]

Fielding Hong

Title: Senior Manager, Field Building

Fielding Hong is the Senior Manager of Field Building at NACTO. He works to foster a network of strategic partnerships and collaborations that yield learning opportunities and resources for transportation practitioners within and beyond NACTO’s membership network. Throughout his career he has worked at the intersections of education, art and design, civic engagement, and social […]

Hannah McCasland

Title: Senior Events Manager

Hannah manages dynamic events that advance NACTO’s goal to connect, challenge, and champion the city transportation professionals working towards equitable, sustainable mobility policy and people-centered street design. As Senior Events Manager, Hannah leads the production of the Designing Cities conference. Hannah brings over 5 years of experience managing events of many formats and sizes. Most […]

Jenny O’Connell

Jenny O’Connell

NACTO Title: Associate Director of Programs

Jenny O’Connell is a Senior Program Associate at NACTO. Many of her projects focused on the impact of transportation on greenhouse gas emissions and on the relationship between active transportation and public health.

Josh Naramore

Title: Senior Program Manager, Policy

Josh Naramore is the Senior Program Manager for Policy at NACTO helping to guide NACTO’s policy efforts, harnessing the voices of city transportation professionals to improve state, local, and federal transportation policy. Throughout his career, Josh has worked in the public sector. Prior to joining NACTO, Josh served as the Mobile GR Director for the […]

Katya Tabakina

Title: Senior Manager, Finance & Administration

Katya Tabakina is the Senior Manager of Finance & Administration at NACTO. Prior to joining NACTO, Katya worked as an Associate Director of Finance at the National Network for Safe Communities, a project of John Jay College of Criminal Justice. In this role, Katya oversaw complicated grants and served as a key resource for problem solving […]