Management Support

Registered Professional Engineer in Texas –Currently inactive but can be reactiviated.

Over twenty five years of experience developing concepts of operation and visioning for transportation applications based on emerging technologies, working with public and private sector stakeholders to develop operational concepts, user requirements, use cases, and functional requirements for complex technical systems and for the development of technical consensus documents associated with emerging technologies and/or controversial applications. Examples include definition and development of the initial ITS User Services (which provided the foundation for development of the National ITS Systems Architecture), a framework for guidelines for use of Automated Enforcement Systems in Maryland (2001), User Needs and Software Requirements for the Next Generation Advanced Traffic Management System (CapTOP) for the District of Columbia (2009), Setting and Enforcing Speed Limits, co-author of 2010 update of the Regional ITS Strategic Plan for the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments, and Development of Human Factors Guidelines for in-vehicle safety systems for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,

Customer-centric, needs-focused approach to business development and sales strategies. A unique ability to present and discuss technology and technology-intensive solutions to customers in the context of transportation application requirements, customer needs, and technologies.

High-degree of comfort interacting with customer and partners at all levels within organizations from field technicians to senior technical managers and executives. Broad-based network of contacts within traffic and transportation agencies across the US, with particular emphasis the I-95 Corridor region from Maine to Florida. International perspective, with demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with international counter-parts on ITS and technology related initiatives. Played key role in planning and managing ITS International Congresses, regional conferences, technical exchange missions, and international standards organization committees (IS)) in Europe, Asia (Japan and Korea), and South America (Argentina). Developed and delivered workshops and training sessions in Africa (Tanzania), Russia (Leningrad Oblast), Central America (Nicaragua), and Europe. Lived and worked in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Traffax Inc, Director of Sales

Traffax offers a comprehensive line of Bluetooth-based sensors and software solutions that support real-time traffic monitoring, as well as data collection and analysis to support travel time and origin-destinations studies. During 2009, Dr. Nelson lead development and implementation of Traffax marketing and sales efforts as a consultant, and formally joined the Traffax staff in 2010 as Director of Sales.

When BluFAX products were introduced in 2009, potential customers were largely unfamiliar with Bluetooth-based technology, or the use of Bluetooth-based solutions to support transportation applications. Successful entry into the market required a multi-faced approach that included 1) creating customer awareness of Bluetooth-based sensors to support traffic-related applications, 2) clearly articulating the capabilities of Bluetooth-based systems 3) overcoming customer concerns related to learning curve for effective use of the products, 4) building customer confidence in the reliability of BluFAX products and 5) providing pro-active customer support throughout the sales cycle, and during their projects, to ensure project success.

Dr. Nelson’s responsibilities at Traffax encompass traditional marketing and business development activities, developing technical and marketing materials describing the effective use of BluFAX systems for a growing suite of off-line (analysis) and real-time monitoring applications, provides training and technical support for Traffax growing team of distributors, and serves as the primary point of contact for potential customers and as the lead for tracking and responding to opportunities in regions where Traffax is not represented by a distributor.

OPERATIONS ACADEMY SENIOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. University of Maryland Center for Advanced Transportation Technology (2006 – 2012). This program, modeled after senior leadership programs in other fields, convenes senior technical managers from state and local transportation agencies, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and law enforcement agencies from across the country for an intensive, two-week residential program focused on the topic of transportation operations. Dr. Nelson served as co-developer and played an active role in defining and refining the Academy curriculum, including pre-study materials, workshops, and field studies. She served as on-site moderator for each session. Since 2007, over two hundred representatives from state and local agencies, metropolitan planning organizations and law enforcement have participated in eight sessions. The ninth session is scheduled for fall 2012. The Operations Academy has received awards from the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the I-95 Corridor Coalition; and was runner-up for the Best of ITS Award at the ITS World Congress in New York (2008). Information on the Academy Program and lists of participations are available on the website (http://www.operationsacademy.org/). Operations Academy graduates have been promoted to sensor roles in their organization, including a State Commissioner of Transportation.

TRB IDEA Reliability Program Grant: Proximity Information System to Support Special Events, Transportation Research Board. 2011-2012. Dr. Nelson served as principal Investigator for this project to develop and demonstrate a mobile proximity information system to provide timely, event-specific information to event participants to enable them to respond appropriately to changeable or unexpected conditions affecting their mobility. Stage 1 focused on development of a detailed concept of operations for the proposed mobile phone application. Initial emphasis will be on identifying features, functions, and a look and feel that will appeal to end users (event participants) as well as event organizers and sponsors. The expected outcome of Stage 1 will be a concept of operation with sufficient details to provide a basis for prioritizing the functions and features needed to support the proposed application for key stakeholder groups, a series of use cases that would illustrate how elements of the template might be used, and technical requirements associated with providing specific features. Work in stage 2 focused on delivering a proof-of-concept of the mobile proximity information system. An evolutionary product development strategy is envisioned that will identify key features and capabilities that can be implemented as a fully-functional, useable “first-generation” product for use by event organizers, and a strategy for adding functions and features that will lead to a full-featured end product. This proto-type was tested at the 2012 Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC in partnership with Sakura Matsuri.

Transportation Perspectives Inc

Dr. Nelson formed Transportation Perspectives in 2005 to provide technical and business consulting services to government, private sector, and non-profit organizations. Business consulting services have included support for the development of marketing plans for potential USDOT customers, proposal development and preparation, preparation and/or delivery of marketing presentations to potential customers, and market research/due-diligence research and analysis for venture-capital firms exploring investment opportunities related to emerging traffic technologies.

Business Development and Proposal Support. Dr. Nelson provided support for small and/or disadvantaged business seeking to understand and successfully compete for work under Federal IDIQ contracts for USDOT customers. Activities included providing input to development of business strategies, teaming strategies, opportunity capture and tracking, and proposal preparation. Customers include a DBE/Veteran-owned firm focused on Survey Research Services, non-profit organizations focused on road and traffic safety, and preparation of reports/analysis for investment groups considering efforts in the transportation/highway sector. From 2005 to 2009, provided marketing, business development, and proposal support to a regional traffic/general civil engineering firm for business development and response to procurements for state and location agencies in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware, for engineering, planning, and consulting services.

Marketing Support for Traffax Inc (www.traffaxinc.com). Dr. Nelson provided support to Traffax marketing staff on a task-by-task basis. Specific services provided to date include preparing and delivering presentations focused on the use of Bluetooth-based technologies for a range of transportation-related applications, developing and delivering informational and sales presentations tailored to the needs and concerns of specific customers, and providing technical/application support for Traffax marketing staff during the sales cycle. .

Management Operations and ITS Strategic Plan for the Metropolitan Washington Area Council of Governments (MWCOG). On behalf of DCI, working as part of a three-person team to prepare a new strategic plan for the MWCOG Management Operations and ITS (MOITS) Committee. This plan is expected to guide the development of MOITS program plans for the coming years and must address key challenges and opportunities for MOITS, including those related to seeking and securing funding. (7/2009 – 1/2010).

Support for Baltimore Regional Operations Coordination Committee (B-ROC) (6/2006 –10/2009). For DCI, Dr. Nelson provides contractor support to the B-ROC that includes support for program development and planning, and for conducting specific technical and committee activities. Specific activities included Local Agency Outreach Meetings to discuss and explore stakeholder interests and needs related to regional incident management coordination, development of a draft white paper to describe and document the need for effective traffic management during funeral processions to improve safety, and development of training modules on traffic incident management principles and practices for non-engineers. .

Capital Traffic Operation Platform (CapTOP) ATMS Software Enhancement and Integration Project District Department of Transportation, Washington DC (2008-2009). Dr. Nelson was a member of a three-person technical team charged with developing a concept of operations (ConOps) and software requirements for next-generation Advanced Traffic Management (ATMS) software for the District of Columbia. Dr. Nelson led work to develop and draft user needs for CapTOP; including identification of stakeholders, planning and conducting stakeholder interviews, drafting system vision and needs statements; and a conducting stakeholder workshop. She contributed to development of system requirements to ensure traceability to DDOT objectives and stakeholder needs.

Mount Pleasant Transportation Study (District of Columbia Department of Transportation (6-2007 to 3-2009). Dr. Nelson was responsible for planning and conducting public outreach and for supporting effective involvement of a Project Advisory Committee. This neighborhood transportation study included documenting existing traffic and safety conditions, and developing recommendations for 1) remedying specific deficiencies in the transportation system, 2) short-term recommendations for addressing emerging traffic and safety problems, 3) area-wide, long-term options for traffic circulation, and 4) streetscape options and re-design of a small neighborhood park.

Future Research Needs to Improve Vehicle Safety, American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety (7/2005 – 11/2005). The purpose of this project was to identify future research needs related to vehicle safety and contributing to the development of workshop documentation to be used as the basis for a research plan for AAA Foundation. Dr. Nelson served as Vehicle Track Leader for a Workshop on Future Traffic Safety Research Needs. Her specific assignments included developing a white paper outlining current and planned research in vehicle safety research and technology, drafting a preliminary list of future research needs, facilitating workshop breakout groups. The final workshop report has been posted by AAA FTS at: http://www.aaafoundation.org/projects/index.cfm?button=FutureWorkshop.

Achievements: Participated in the development and delivery of the Operations Academy, which has received awards from the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the I-95 Corridor Coalition and was runner up for the Best of ITS by ITS America at the ITS World Congress in New York. Invited to participate as an Industry representative in the Babson College Symposium for Entrepreneurship Educators (http://www3.babson.edu/ESHIP/outreach-events/symposia/Testimonials.cfm).

BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON, INFRASTRUCTURE NATURAL GROUP, MCLEAN VIRGININA, 6/2004 – 6/2005.

Dr. Nelson joined Booz Allen Hamilton in June 2004 to support Booz Allen’s Federal transportation business and to work with an international internal team on the Global Transportation Initiative to identify and pursue international opportunities in ITS and telematics, and to contribute to business development efforts on projects requiring surface transportation domain knowledge. Specific technical assignments included:

Federal Business Development. Provided support to internal teams charged with development of Federal account plans for three USDOT administrations, provided substantial support for development of proposals to the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Office of the Secretary of Transportation.

Transportation Subject Matter Expert. Served as an expert resource for teams developing proposals for projects with transportation-related elements or for transportation customers, but with a primary focus in technical areas outside of transportation including information technologies (IT), ecology (invasive species), vehicle technologies, safety systems, and distance learning.

Global Transportation Initiative, Internal Booz Allen Hamilton Initiative. Worked with an international team of Booz Allen market leaders on this one-year internal initiative to identify and develop strategic partnerships between Booz Allen’s international business consulting business and technical consulting business in the areas of telematics and intelligent transportation systems.

Service Concepts for Vehicle Infrastructure Cooperation to Support Emergency Transportation Operations, Office of Technology Research and Development, Turner-Fairbanks Highway Research Center, Federal Highway Administration. Technical lead for Tasks 1 and 2 to develop a list of preliminary service concepts describing potential applications of vehicle infrastructure communications to support emergency transportation operations.

Assessment of State-of-the Art and State of the Practice in Transportation Evacuation Management, Office of Operations, Federal Highway Administration. Member of the technical team charged with assessing the state of the art and practices in managing transportation operations during no-notice evacuations.

SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, Transportation Research Division, McLean, VA. Program Manager/Senior Engineer (6/ 2002- 6/ 2004).

As a Program Manager at SAIC, Dr. Nelson was responsible for the technical, fiscal, and contractual aspects of all work conducted under three federal task-order contracts for the Federal Highway Administration and the National Park Service. As PM, she served as the primary point of contact with Federal Highway Administration Contract Officers and technical program managers and coordinated the efforts of large, and worked as a team with SAIC Contracts and Subcontracts staff to develop cost proposals and contracts documents, and to meet SAIC internal requirements for technical, management, and fiscal review. In addition to leading development of two successful IDIQ proposals, she led and coordinated responses to as many as ten concurrent task order requests, and managed over twenty five concurrent tasks involving multidisciplinary teams of subcontractors. Business development responsibilities included tracking long-, medium and short-term opportunities to aggressively position the company for major procurements. Specific contracts and projects include:

National Highway Institute Operations and ITS Training. Dr. Nelson served as the program manager for this 5 year task order contract (IDIQ) initiated in September 2002. Tasks awarded to SAIC and managed by Dr. Nelson include classroom delivery of the following courses: Introduction to Systems Engineering, Project Management for Advanced Transportation Systems, Access Management and Design, Highway Capacity and Quality of Flow, CORSIM, Management of Traffic for Incident and Freeway Emergencies, and ITS Procurement. SAIC was also awarded a contract to develop a new NHI Course titled “ITS/CVO Security Awareness. .

Technical Support for the Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety Served as SAIC Principal Investigator (PI) for this five year IDIQ to support the FHWA Office of Safety. The scope of work included tasks to develop and refine the tools and information needed to formulate FHWA policy, regulations, and guidelines for Office of Safety programs; including projects to investigate, evaluate, summarize, and disseminate information to support FHWA technology transfer and policy development. Tasks awarded to SAIC under Dr. Nelson’s management include: Communications Audit for the Office of Safety, Evaluation of Pedestrian Safety Campaigns, Support for State Implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan, Development of Road Safety Audits Guidelines and Checklist, Redesign of the Office of Safety website, Support for Implementation of State-Level Strategic Safety Plans, and the Development of a Program Plan for Improving Safety with Advanced Technologies.

Accomplishments: Led development of successful proposals for the award of two major 5 year FHWA Task Order Contracts, each of which with a potential annual ceiling of $2,000,000. During the first 18 month following award; won over 70% of tasks bid under contracts. Demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple teams, each of which included 10 to 15 subcontractors, working on up to 15 concurrent projects in diverse topic areas. Led and managed response to multiple task order requests, including preparation of proposals, cost proposals, project risk assessment and mitigation plans, cash flow analysis, and review of contract documents.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND(COLLEGE PARK), DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING. Director, Maryland Transportation Technology Transfer Center; Associate Director, Center for Advanced Transportation Technology. (April 1998 – June 2001)

Dr. Nelson joined the University of Maryland in 1998 as Associate Director of the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology to support the University’s growing research program. In 1999, she was named Director of the Maryland Transportation Technology Transfer Center, and was charged with reorganizing center business operations and revitalizing a program which was essentially defunct. Projects and programs initiated and managed include:

Local Technical Assistance Program, Federal Highway Administration (1999 – 2002). UMD Principal Investigator for Maryland LTAP program. The scope of work included marketing and outreach, technical assistance, training course development and delivery, and program evaluation. The target audience for program activities included state and local agencies with transportation responsibilities. Under Dr. Nelson’s leadership, creative partnerships developed with local agency stakeholders supported expansion of the training offerings from 10 courses to over 25 courses per year. (1999-2002). ( http://www.mdt2center.umd.edu/)

Research and Technology Transfer Support, Maryland State Highway Administration, Office of Policy and Research. In addition, Dr. Nelson managed a task order contract to provide research and technology transfer support to the Maryland State Highway Administration’s Office of Policy and Research. A wide range of tasks were conducted under this contract, including Dr. Nelson’s participation in Office of Policy programs such as the Maryland SHA – Leningrad Roads Committee Sister State Program, SHA support for regional workshops and conferences, and efforts to review and improve Maryland SHA’s research program.

Transportation Engineering Skills Training (TEST) Program. Worked with the Maryland State Highway Administration to design and implement a comprehensive training program for Maryland SHA staff. This three-year effort included development of a comprehensive traffic engineering and safety curriculum for state transportation staff, and the development and delivery of training courses. 2000-2002

Local Transportation Information Exchange- 2000. (Principal investigator) with funding from the Maryland State Highway Administration, developed a program through the Center to provide on-site technical assistance to local agency staff in topics related to roadway maintenance, safety, and traffic engineering.

Highway Safety Training for Local Agencies, (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002). Received Highway Safety 402 grant funds through the Maryland State Highway Administration to provide safety-related training to local agency staff in Maryland with safety responsibilities, and to offer an annual safety-related workshop or conference on high priority safety issues. Audiences for these courses included local public works agencies, as well as law enforcement and emergency services providers.

Highway Safety Workforce Development: Strategies for Transportation Organizations. Commissioned to prepare and deliver a white paper to the Federal Highway Administration Task Force Meeting, San Antonio, Texas April 3-4, 2002. Dr. Nelson’s presentation proposed innovative approaches to identifying and addressing the demand for safety-related training, the affect that large-scale retirements may have on safety, and developing training modules that more effectively meet the needs of transportation agencies.

Maryland State Highway Administration, Office of Traffic - Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices Training. The objective of this project was to develop and deliver MUTCD training specifically tailored to practice in Maryland. In addition to program management, Dr. Nelson played an active role in developing course curricula and reviewing technical and instructional design elements of the presentations. Over 500 state and local agency staff attended either an Introduction to the MUTCD or Millennium Edition Update. Local agency participation was supported, in part, through funding from the Maryland Highway Safety Office.

The First Annual National Capital Incident Management Conference, Maryland State Highway Administration, November 2001. Dr. Nelson worked with representatives from law enforcement, transportation agencies, fire departments in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia; and the Washington Regional Council of Governments to organize the first Annual National Capital Incident Management Conference. Development of the workshop required a solid understanding of incident management practices and the challenges faced in developing integrated, coordinated response programs. Active outreach was needed to identify and attract over 160 participants from the full spectrum of stakeholders involved in incident management including law enforcement, fire and rescue, the broadcast media, elected officials, transportation professionals from state and local agencies, and public advocacy groups. Dr. Nelson developed the workshop agenda, supervised logistics and planning support, served as facilitator for breakout groups, and served as lead author for workshop for a report summarizing workshop findings.

First Workshop on the Automated Enforcement of Red-Light Running in Maryland, Maryland State Highway Administration. Dr. Nelson worked with the MD SHA Office of Traffic and Safety to design and conduct a symposium on the automated enforcement of red light running in Maryland. She provided technical support to Maryland SHA by identifying technical, operational, policy, and legislative issues associated with red-light enforcement; developed workshop materials including draft “principles” for the use of red-light running in Maryland, and served as workshop facilitator. The agenda included state transportation officials, state and local law enforcement, local elected officials, the media, a Maryland Chief Judge, equipment vendors and operators. February 2002.

Development of an ITS Textbook. Under contract to the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Federal Highway Administration, served as senior technical editor for development of the ITS Primer, a 500+ page textbook and professional reference. Dr. Nelson also authored Chapter 15: Intelligent Transportation Technologies and Chapter 1: An Introduction to ITS. (1998-2000)

Regional Incident Management Workshops, Maryland State Highway Administration. Maryland State Highway Administration provided funding to offer a series of four local incident management conferences at locations throughout the state of Maryland. Dr. Nelson coordinated the development and delivery of each session, and served as workshop moderator for two workshops. Each workshop was tailored to the local area and was hosted by a local agency (usually a volunteer fire department). 1999-2000

Maryland State Highway Administration Transportation Research Management Peer Exchange. Participated as a member of the peer exchange team at the request of the manager of the Maryland SHA Research Program. The team focused on how to improve the research unit’s effectiveness, how to improve research staff effectiveness, and how to promote implementation of promising research results. 2001

NTCIP Case Studies for the National Electronic Manufacturers Association. Worked with a technical team from PB Faradyne to develop case studies describing the experiences of three agencies as they applied the new National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) to ITS projects. 1999-2001

Transportation Technician Recruitment Program. Office of Materials, Maryland State Highway Administration/Maryland Department of Transportation. (Principal investigator) 2001-2003. This project was a collaborative effort of FHWA, SHA, Maryland Highway Contractors Association, Maryland Asphalt Association, Maryland Aggregates Association, Maryland Ready Mix Concrete Association, Maryland Consulting Engineers, the Maryland DOT and the University of Maryland. The project was launched to help the Maryland transportation industry recruit and retain individuals for a career in transportation and highway construction. The program targeted non-college bound high school graduates, individuals seeking a career change, and displaced workers who are unaware of entry-level technical career possibilities. Activities included a website, marketing/outreach materials and planning for a Construction Career Day.

Accomplishments: Expanded Center training programs from 10 courses per year to fifty courses per year. Over a four year period, increased Annual Operating Budget from $250,000 to over $1,000,000, and staff from 2 FTEs to 10 FTEs, excluding course lecturers engaged on an as-needed basis for specific courses. Recognized by the University of Maryland’ as “Rainmaker” for being among the 100 academic and research faculty in attracting grants and contract funding to the University of Maryland System during 2001. Successfully leveraged LTAP funding through innovative partnerships to increase course offerings from 10 courses a year to 50 courses a year. Helped to conceive and initiate the award-winning Consortium for ITS Training and Education to develop and deliver on-line ITS-related training (www.citeconsortium.org). Participated in Federal Highway Administration International Exchange Programs to St. Petersburg Russia and to Arusha, Tanzania to support technology transfer.

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SOCIETY OF AMERICA, WASHINGTON, DC.

Increasing responsible positions including Director of Operations, Director of Vehicle and Safety Systems, and Senior Engineer (1993 – 1998).

From 1993 to 1998, with Dr. Nelson held a series of increasingly responsible technical and management positions at ITS America, a non-profit technical and educational society charged with supporting the development of intelligent transportation systems. Actively involved in the development of the ITS program in the United States in response to the Congressional Mandate in Tea-21. As Director of Operations, Dr. Nelson worked with the president and CEO to implement Board policies and directives. She played a key role in the management of the organizations business operations and technical programs and was frequently called upon to represent the organization on behalf of the president in national and international venues. The Operations Department was also responsible for a number of programs.

Director, Vehicle and Safety Systems. In 1995, Dr. Nelson organized and managed a new department focused on Safety and Vehicle Systems. The objectives for this new department were to efficiently provide support for technical committees, programs, and activities in the areas of Vehicle Control Systems, Rural Transportation, Safety & Human

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