Don't miss our future updates! Get subscribed today!

Speakers

Meet Our Keynote Speaker

Robert Poole

Director of Transportation Policy and Searle Freedom Trust Transportation Fellow, Reason Foundation

Mr. Poole is one of the most influential transportation thought leaders in the U.S. and will provide timely commentary on the state of our national infrastructure.

Panel Topics Include:

Automation within the U.S. Supply Chain

Accelerating Mobility Projects Throughout North Texas

Airport Expansion and the Future of Flight

Our Guests

Russell Laughlin

Executive Vice President, Strategic Development and Innovation, Hillwood, Fort Worth

Russell Laughlin

Executive Vice President, Strategic Development and Innovation, Hillwood, Fort Worth

As the Executive Vice President of Strategic Development and Innovation for Hillwood, Russell Laughlin is largely responsible for maintaining the forward-thinking vision for all things transportation, mobility and supply chain logistics. His core job is focusing on the future and redefining infrastructure needs as technology and innovation drive the next phase at AllianceTexas. He championed the planning initiatives that established AllianceTexas as a global logistics hub – the nation’s first inland port complete with multimodal transportation for ground, rail and air needs.

Laughlin’s success in building public-private partnerships to accomplish significant projects combined with diverse expertise, including long-term infrastructure development, mobility innovation, external/governmental affairs and economic development, has been instrumental in the development’s growth. He’s actively involved with several professional affiliations, including the leadership boards for the 35W Coalition, Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Region C Water Planning Board and Northern Trinity Groundwater Conversation District.

Tyler Duvall

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Cavnue, Washington, D.C.

Tyler Duvall

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Cavnue, Washington, D.C.

Tyler Duvall is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cavnue, a company focused on accelerating the full potential of connected and autonomous vehicles to make roads safer, less congested, shared and sustainable. Before joining Cavnue, Duvall was CEO of SH 130 Concession Company in central Texas. Before SH 130, he was a Principal at McKinsey & Company, advising various private and public sector entities on strategic, operational and organizational topics.

Duvall also served in several roles in the U.S. Department of Transportation, including Acting Under Secretary for Policy, the agency’s third highest-ranking official. He led the Department’s efforts to modernize transportation infrastructure through new procurement, technology and financing approaches. Duvall earned a B.A. in economics from Washington and Lee University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Michael Morris, P.E.

Director, Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Arlington

Michael Morris, P.E.

Director, Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Arlington

Michael Morris has been on staff in the Transportation Department of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, since 1979. The Metropolitan Planning Organization serves the region by developing transportation plans and programs that address the transportation needs of a rapidly growing metropolitan area. He became the Director in 1990. As the Director of Transportation, he is also responsible for coordinating plans, programs and projects to improve mobility and reduce vehicle emissions.

Morris received his master’s in civil engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1979 and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas. He previously served as the Chairman of the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and a National Associate of the National Academies of Science.

Brant Ring

Chief Executive Officer, ITS ConGlobal, Fort Worth

Brant Ring

Chief Executive Officer, ITS ConGlobal, Fort Worth

Brant Ring was named CEO of ITS ConGlobal in 2020 after serving BNSF Railway for nearly 25 years. Exuding a dynamic, effective and influential leadership style that motivates, he successfully improved cost structure, discovered new ways of doing business, and the deployment and adoption of technology for a lift in productivity and efficiency in Operations, Finance, Network Strategy and Marketing. Ring is an advocate for intermodal and automotive terminal operations, freight car management, customer support and emerging technology.

He is known for his ability to innovate, engage employees, serve customers and drive continuous improvement. His expertise and focus now serve the employees, customers and communities of ITS ConGlobal, the leading operator of container yards, intermodal and finished vehicle terminals across the United States, Mexico and Costa Rica. A Colorado native, Brant holds an M.B.A. from Texas Christian University and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Wyoming.

Victor Vandergriff

Executive Director, Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition, Arlington

Victor Vandergriff

Executive Director, Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition, Arlington

Victor Vandergriff has been engaged in the transportation industry and innovative public policy at various levels of government in Texas since 1982. He has worked in the automotive industry as an attorney, executive, investor, car dealer and owner for more than 35 years. He served consecutively and for a time concurrently, from 2007 into 2018, on the board of directors of the North Texas Tollway Authority and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. In both agencies, Vandergriff served as Chair.

Vandergriff is currently the Executive Director of the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition, where he has been engaged since April 2020. TRTC is a public-private partnership that collaboratively leads in identifying, supporting, developing, funding and constructing innovative mobility and infrastructure solutions for the area. He was Chair of the 2021 Bond Selection Committee for Tarrant County.

G.K. Maenius

County Administrator, Tarrant County, Fort Worth

G.K. Maenius

County Administrator, Tarrant County, Fort Worth

Tarrant County’s Chief Administrative Officer since 1988, G.K. Maenius provides staff support to the Tarrant County Commissioners Court, which oversees an organization with about 4,400 employees and an annual budget of approximately $1 billion. He also directly supervises the operations of Budget and Risk Management, Community Development, Facilities Management, Human Resources, Human Services, Information Technology, Public Health and Transportation Departments. He is responsible for supervising the Fire Marshal’s Office, Medical Examiner’s Office and Historical Commission, as well as the operations of Domestic Relations, the Law Library, Veterans Services, Resource Connection and the Agricultural Extension Service of Tarrant County.

He has served on the Citizens Crime Commission of Tarrant County Board of Directors and the Dallas/Fort Worth Law School Board of Directors. Maenius currently serves as president of the Trinity River Vision Authority board of directors and is a Texas Region C Water Planning Group member. He earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Texas State University.

Lauren Prieur

Interim Director, Transportation and Public Works, City of Fort Worth

Lauren Prieur

Interim Director, Transportation and Public Works, City of Fort Worth

Lauren Prieur graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in civil engineering and obtained her Master of Public Administration through the University of Texas at Arlington. After seven years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers working in dam and levee safety, she began her transportation career as the program manager responsible for the oversight and delivery of the $2.4 billion Capital Improvement Program for the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works.

She has served the City of Fort Worth as the Assistant Director for Transportation and Public Works Capital Delivery, overseeing the implementation of the $265 million 2018 Bond Program and planning for the $500 million 2022 Bond Program. The City of Fort Worth is pursuing design build on its most complex 2022 Bond projects to speed up the delivery timeline. The city is experienced in CMAR construction and actively building its portfolio of horizontal design build projects.

Johan C. Petterson, PE, CFM

Principal, Corporate Development, DEC, Dallas

Johan C. Petterson, PE, CFM

Principal, Corporate Development, DEC, Dallas

Johan Petterson is Principal of Corporate Development DEC, one of the state’s premier civil engineering firms for the planning and designing of all types of infrastructure. He holds a B.S. in civil engineering from Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico and is a registered Professional Engineer and Certified Floodplain Manager in the State of Texas.

Petterson became involved in multiple organizations, such as the Houston/Galveston Chapter of the Society of American Military Engineers in 2010, serving on the Board as Vice President of Programs, Young Member Director and Secretary. He received SAME’s Young Engineer of the Year in 2013. He is an active member of multiple engineering societies, chambers and planning groups, and is an infrastructure advocate for the North Texas region. He has served communities in various capacities, including volunteering for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, where he was recognized as Rookie of the Year, joining the Klein Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter, serving with Habitat for Humanity, and working with youth in Math Counts.

John Ackerman

Executive Vice President, Global Strategy and Development, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

John Ackerman

Executive Vice President, Global Strategy and Development, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

John Ackerman leads DFW’s Airline Relations, Cargo, Aviation Strategy and Enterprise Analytics, Government Relations and Quantitative Pricing functions. He joined the DFW staff in January 2015. Ackerman directs DFW’s efforts to raise the Airport’s global profile through international air service and business development. He helped develop the Airport’s strategic plan, which is focused on being the premier gateway between Asian and Latin America for both passengers and cargo.

Before DFW Airport, Ackerman worked as Denver International Airport’s Chief Commercial Officer, as a pilot and executive at United Airlines, and as a Senior Product Management Director at Standard & Poor’s. Ackerman served as an active-duty officer and pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps and holds a B.A. in economics from Duke University. He is active in the community and is a Board member of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Texas, Uptown Dallas Inc., Visit Dallas, North Texas Commission, Dallas Sports Commission, and serves on the Guest Experience Committee of the Dallas Zoo.

Christian Childs

President, Alliance Aviation Companies, Fort Worth

Christian Childs

President, Alliance Aviation Companies, Fort Worth

For over 23 years, Christian Childs has been a leader in and around different business units within Hillwood, most notably the Alliance Aviation Companies. He began serving as President of Alliance Aviation Services in 2021. In his current role, Childs oversees the operations of Alliance Air Services, Alliance Aviation Services and Alliance Air Productions.

Beginning his career as a Service Line Technician at Alliance Aviation Services, he also served as senior security detail for the Perot family. Childs transitioned back to Alliance Airport and was shortly promoted to Airport Operations Officer, then Airport Manager, where he supervised the $65 million runway extension project. Following the success of the runway extension, Childs continued to advance with the Alliance Aviation Companies serving as Vice President of Aviation Operations. He is a Certified Member of the American Association of Airport Executives and Vice Chair of the Air Transportation Technical Advisory Committee for the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

Lindsay Mullins

Executive Director, State Government Affairs, BNSF Railway, Austin

Lindsay Mullins

Executive Director, State Government Affairs, BNSF Railway, Austin

Lindsay Mullins has managed state government and public affairs for BNSF Railway since 2013. As executive director, she is responsible for policy and political engagement in Texas and New Mexico. Before joining BNSF, Mullins worked in the Texas Legislature from 1999-2013. During that time, she worked for three Members of the Texas House and two Members of the Texas Senate, holding various positions within their offices and allowing her to sharpen her legislative, communications and management skills.

Mullins is currently President of the Texas Railroad Association. She earned a B.A. in government from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from the Tulane University Law School.

Caroline A. Mays, AICP

Director, Planning and Modal Programs, TxDOT, Austin

Caroline A. Mays, AICP

Director, Planning and Modal Programs, TxDOT, Austin

Caroline Mays joined the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in late 2012 and has held several positions, including, Statewide Freight Coordinator, Freight Planning Branch Manager, Director of Freight, and International Trade/Border Section, Director of Freight, Trade and Connectivity, and currently serves as the Director of Planning and Modal Programs. She directs and oversees all planning activities of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) through a comprehensive systems approach. She is responsible for directing and overseeing Planning and Modal Programs; Aviation, Maritime, Public Transportation, Rail, and Transportation Planning and Programming.

Mays is a member of the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners. She serves as the Vice Chair of the Association of American State Highway Transportation Official’s Special Committee on Freight and is a member of the Transportation Research Board’s Planning and Logistics Committee. She serves on the World Road Association Technical Committee on Freight. She holds a B.S. in urban and regional planning from the University of Waterloo, Canada and an M.S. in planning from the University of Toronto, Canada.

Robert Hinkle

Director, Corporate Affairs, NTE Mobility Partners LLC and LBJ Infrastructure Group LLC, North Richland Hills

Robert Hinkle

Director, Corporate Affairs, NTE Mobility Partners LLC and LBJ Infrastructure Group LLC, North Richland Hills

Robert Hinkle is the Director of Corporate Affairs for NTE Mobility Partners LLC and LBJ Infrastructure Group LLC. He oversees the day-to-day management and operations of government, media and public relations, public affairs and the implementation of stakeholder communications and community outreach for the NTE, 35W and LBJ Express infrastructure projects in North Texas.

Hinkle has worked with corporations and governments throughout the United States and worldwide on strategic, crisis and litigation communications in the transportation, oil and gas, mining, healthcare, security, power generation, financial and defense industries. He began his career as a radio and television news reporter/anchor and has worked with political candidates running for local, regional, state and federal positions, including the Texas Legislature, Congress and the White House. He earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal and fine arts from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Brooke Akins

Corporate Affairs Director, Cintra, Austin

Brooke Akins

Corporate Affairs Director, Cintra, Austin

Brooke Akins joined Cintra, a subsidiary of Ferrovial, in August 2022 as Global Director of Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance. In this role, she is responsible for developing, implementing, managing, and reporting Cintra’s ESG strategy to its stakeholders. Building upon Ferrovial’s well-established sustainability strategy, she aligns Cintra’s efforts to optimize results across both firms. Before joining Cintra, Atkins served as the Director of Investor Relations and ESG for Virtus Real Estate Capital, a private equity real estate investment company. While at Virtus, she supported the firm’s fundraising and investor servicing efforts and led its ESG strategy.

Atkins holds a B.A. in sociology from the University of Illinois Chicago and an M.B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin. She has a Level I certification in SASB’s Fundamentals of Sustainable Accounting and is working on her Level II. She is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute and Texas Wall Street Women.

Craig Hulse

Director, Economic Development, City of North Richland Hills

Craig Hulse

Director, Economic Development, City of North Richland Hills

Craig Hulse and his team are responsible for facilitating recruitment, expansion and retention efforts in the business, real estate and development sectors. Recognized by the International Economic Development Council, he is one of eleven hundred Certified Economic Developers worldwide. He is an active member of the Northeast Tarrant Chamber of Commerce, Texas Economic Development Council and sits on the board of the Northeast Leadership Forum and the North Central Texas Economic Development District.

A Texan since 2000, Hulse has been with the City since 2008. In addition to over 15 years of Economic Development experience, he spent 10 years with GTE-Verizon across various management roles. A graduate of Long Beach State with a Master’s in Public Administration, he also has an advanced degree in economic development from the University of Oklahoma.

John Huffman

Mayor, City of Southlake

John Huffman

Mayor, City of Southlake

Elected in 2021, John Huffman is Southlake’s current mayor. His City of Southlake service stretches back to 2015, when he first took Place 5 on the Southlake City Council.

Mayor Huffman has served as Mayor Pro Tem since 2019. During his time on Council, he has made the Southlake community his priority. Working alongside present and past Council members and community leaders, he has served on the Southlake 2035 Corridor Committee since 2018, Southlake Parks Development Corporation since 2015 and the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No.1 since 2015. He has been an active member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment since 2013, serving as Vice Chairman from 2013-2014; and Chairman from 2014-2015.

Tim O’Hare

County Judge, Tarrant County

Tim O’Hare

County Judge, Tarrant County

A fifth-generation Texan and lifelong resident of the DFW area, Tim O’Hare has devoted his career to improving our community: advocating for the safety and economic growth of cities, mentoring local youth, helping elect leaders who stand for conservative principles, and building a strong future for Tarrant County and all of North Texas. A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a BBA in Finance, Tim went on to earn his law degree from the SMU School of Law. In addition to his extensive community service, he has spent the last 25 years building a successful legal practice and real estate investment company.

He was a City Councilman in Farmers Branch for three years before serving as Mayor from 2008 to 2011. During his two terms in office, he spearheaded reductions in government spending that resulted in millions of dollars of annual taxpayer savings and reduced the city’s unfunded pension liability by almost $20 million, all while keeping the city’s $90 million budget balanced. Now a Southlake resident, he was elected Tarrant County Judge in November 2022 and took office on January 1, 2023.