About UsStaff
Staff by Location
New York
Walter Hook | Chief Executive Officer
Walter Hook has been at the helm of ITDP since 1993. Under his leadership, Walter has transformed the organization from a small advocacy nonprofit to a leading international organization with over 60 staff members in offices in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He has worked directly in over 15 countries and 25 cities on promoting non-motorized transportation and bus rapid transit systems.
He worked to make the transport lending of large international financial institutions like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, and United Nations development agencies like UNDP and UN-HABITAT, more environmentally sustainable and equitable, redirecting hundreds of millions of dollars to sustainable transport projects. Under his guidance, ITDP has initiated bus rapid transit projects in over 10 cities around the world.
He co-edited the Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide and authored the Non-Motorized Transport Sourcebook for GTZ, as well as helped developed the Non-Motorized Transport Training Course. He has also written numerous articles for publication.
Walter received his doctorate’s degree in urban planning from Columbia University in 1996 and formerly taught as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning. He holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a bachelor’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University.
Melinda Eisenmann | Chief Operating Officer
As the Chief Operating Officer, Melinda Eisenmann manages IT, human resources, administration and finance in the US and overseas. Melinda joined ITDP in 2004. Previously, she worked at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College on human rights and political persecution projects and as an office manager for a real estate company. Melinda also spent a semester working in Mexico with Dr. Jorge G. Castañeda, ex-Foreign Minister of Mexico and then presidential candidate.
Melinda has lived and studied in Europe, Latin America, and Africa. She holds a bachelor’s degree in modern languages from the University of Puerto Rico and a master’s degree in international affairs from Fordham University with a specialization in international finance.
Aimée Gauthier | Chief Program Officer
Aimée has been working at ITDP since 2003, mainly on Sub-Saharan Africa transport projects in Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania. Over the past five years, she has worked on non-motorized transportation, developing private sector small bicycle businesses and examining the intersection between health care service delivery and transport. She also worked on promotion of bus rapid transit projects in Accra and Dakar, as well as BRT planning in Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg. Based in New York City, she also manages the communications and development functions.
Before joining ITDP, Aimée worked for five years at the Moriah Fund as the grants and office manager. Aimée holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and has dual bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and political & social thought from the University of Virginia.
Gisele Ohliger | Accounting Associate
Gisele is a native Brazilian who came the U.S. in 2004 to participate in a student exchange. Since then she has acquired a BS in accounting from the State University of New York at New Paltz, and intends to further study forensic accounting. Gisele has done volunteer work in AME-Amigos dos Meninos de Esteio children’s orphanage, ONG-Parceiros Voluntarios food bank in Porto Alegre-Brazil and continues to volunteer in the U.S. More recently while in school, she worked as a bookkeeper at Grace Smith House, a private domestic violence shelter for women and children. Gisele has a passion for traveling and has been to Europe and the Americas. She also enjoys outdoor activities and nature.
Michael Kodransky | Urban Research Manager
Michael conducts and coordinates research on best practices in parking management, BRT, freight, urban design and other ITDP global program areas. Before joining ITDP, he was involved in research initiatives at Project for Public Spaces and the NYC Department of Transportation.
The focus of Michael’s transportation related inquires always return to issues of equity, community health and ethics. His previous research activities have included an examination of neighborhood design and walking, road closure impact studies on local vehicular traffic and street use mapping. He has contributed writing to the American Planning Association, Reclaim Magazine, Journeys and the Mother Nature Network. Michael holds a master’s degree in urban planning from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.
Krsna Powell | Development Associate
Krsna joined ITDP in December 2012; she works in Development serving as the primary manager of the donor database, assisting in building and maintaining relationships with donors, and assisting with a variety of development task. Before joining ITDP, she volunteered with various organizations that focused on the health and social welfare of children, families, and communities.
Krsna holds an MPA in nonprofit management from Suffolk University and Bachelors from The University of Houston. She is originally from Texas but has decided to make New York City her home. In her free time, she enjoys reading, live music, finding free things to do, and being social.
Kathleen Letchford | Development Director
Kathleen oversees development for ITDP, including grants management, event planning, and corporate and board relations. Prior to joining ITDP in 2009, she was in charge of North American marketing and communications for FXB International. A lifelong environmentalist, Kathleen has also worked in the private sector and academia as a researcher and editor in areas ranging from factory farming to environmental litigation.
In her free time, Kathleen likes to read and hang out with her two dogs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from New York University and an MPA in international development from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service.
Stephanie Lotshaw | Manager, US & Africa
Stephanie joined ITDP in March 2010. She works on the development of The BRT Standard as a policy and an evaluative tool, on transport projects in Uganda, and on research surrounding BRT and land development. Prior to joining ITDP, Stephanie worked at international and domestic policy think tanks in New York and London.
Stephanie is originally from Toronto, Ontario, Canada but has spent a majority of her life in the US. She holds an MSc in international development economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and a bachelor’s degree in Latin American development from Colorado College.
Jemilah Magnusson | Communications Manager
Jemilah joined ITDP in April 2012 to manage ITDP’s communications and outreach, including public relations, events, websites and social media content. She has a background in media and nonprofit communications, having worked as an editor for the UK-based Peace Child International on UN sponsored publications, and a correspondent for the environmental lifestyle magazine The Green Guide (now part of National Geographic). She has spent the last few years in communications and events for international and NYC-based nonprofit organizations, including Citizens Committee for New York City and The Buckminster Fuller Institute.
She is originally from the Seattle area, but is a New Yorker at heart. She holds an MS in Urban Affairs and Policy from Hunter College, and a BA in Communications from Lewis & Clark College.
Stacy Mayers | Accounting and Payroll Manager
Stacy joined ITDP in 2006 as ITDP’s administrative assistant. Since then, she has transitioned into working solely in the accounting and finance department. She currently works in overseeing accounts payable and accounts receivable at headquarters, as well as managing payroll. She graduated from Sacred Heart University with a bachelor’s degree in economics. She loves to play billiards and pc gaming.
Luc Nadal | Technical Director, Urban Development
Luc Nadal is an architect and urbanist. Prior to joining ITDP, he contributed to numerous urban planning and design projects, including the La Villette Park and the Charles de Gaulle Airport, in Paris. Luc wrote extensively about the role and functions of urban public space.
He received his doctorate’s degree in urban planning from Columbia University, and his diploma of architecture (DPLG) from Ecole d’Architecture de Paris-La Villette. Luc was a Mombusho Scholar at Kyoto University, and he has taught at Columbia University, the New School University, and the Parsons School of Design in New York.
Maxim Novichenko | Finance Manager
Maxim is primarily responsible for overseeing the accounting and reporting by ITDP’s Field Offices. Prior to joining ITDP in November of 2011, he has served as Finance and Administrative Manager of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience for almost five years. Before his engagement in the non-profit field Maxim has worked for several years in the financial services industry. He holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester.
Annie Weinstock | Director, US and Africa
Annie joined ITDP in May 2009 to oversee its work in Africa. Annie worked with governments in Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa to implement Bus Rapid Transit and pedestrian and bicycle initiatives. Since returning from Africa, Annie helped to launch ITDP’s US program. She has been working in Chicago, the DC-area, Pittsburgh, and elsewhere to bring true, gold-standard BRT to American cities.
Since 2002, Annie has worked in public, private, and academic transportation settings in Boston, Seattle, New York City, Stockholm, and Africa. Before joining ITDP, she managed the planning and design of the dual bus lanes on Fifth and Madison Avenues in Manhattan, advocating for increased inclusion of BRT elements into the final design. Annie co-created and contributed to a PBS transportation blog and has published various articles in academic journals and magazines. She holds a master’s degree in transportation from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s from the University of Massachusetts.
Joe Westcott | IT Director
Joe joined ITDP in 2010 to lead and mature ITDP’s information technology and knowledge management efforts. Since 1996, Joe has worked to align IT and knowledge management with business needs in nonprofit, government, education, and business sectors, specializing in mission-driven IT. Joe graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Information Science, and has since completed a number of business-related technology certifications.
Joe enjoys city life, bicycling, volunteering, soccer, and the friendly competition of board games.
Washington D.C.
Colin K. Hughes | Director of National Policy and Project Evaluation
Colin K. Hughes is an urban planner who joined ITDP as its Global Policy Analyst in 2011. Previous to joining ITDP full-time, Colin worked as consultant with ITDP and the Global Environmental Facility to develop greenhouse gas analysis methodologies as well as with ITDP’s Guangzhou office to analyze impacts from the BRT system, plan bicycle networks, and develop bike-sharing facilities there. His previous experience in urban planning and international development include working for the Asian Development Bank, Arup, Bay Area Rapid Transit, and the U.S. Department of State.
Colin is originally from Plymouth, Wisconsin and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and a Masters of City Planning from the University of California - Berkeley. Before his work in the field of urban planning he lived and worked as a bicycle tour leader in over a dozen countries.
Jacob Mason | Transport Research and Evaluation Manager
Jacob is responsible for managing data collection, reporting, and evaluation across ITDP. Before joining ITDP, Jacob worked three years as a Transportation Engineer with Sam Schwartz Engineering in New York City and for the Hoboken Department of Transportation and Parking. Jacob has been fascinated by cities and transportation from a very young age. He enjoys biking, cooking, and all things related to history. Jacob holds a master’s degree in Urban Planning from McGill University and a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Columbia University.
Michael Replogle | Managing Director for Policy and Founder
Michael Replogle has more than 30 years of experience in transportation and urban planning, policy, environmental assessment, and finance. Since 2009, he has headed ITDP’s Global Policy Program, which documents global best practices and enhances the capacity of international development organizations and governments to advance environmentally sustainable and equitable transport.
Serving from 1983-1992 as transportation coordinator for the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, he co-founded Bikes Not Bombs and ITDP in 1984-85. He served as ITDP’s President for all but a few years between 1985-2009, hiring Walter Hook as Executive Director in 1991. He co-founded and coordinated ITDP’s Bikes Not Bombs Campaign from 1984-89, recycling 10,000 bicycles to support health and education in Nicaragua.
Replogle is an advisor to the Environmental Defense Fund, where he was transportation director from 1992-2009. He is a member of the U.S. Advisory Committee on Transportation Statistics and an emeritus member of the Transportation Research Board Committee on Transportation in Developing Countries, which he helped found. He is author of the 1982 book, Bicycles and Public Transportation, a 1992 World Bank report, Non-Motorized Vehicles in Asian Cities: Issues and Strategies, and several hundred other articles and papers.
He holds an M.S.E. and undergraduate honors degrees in Civil and Urban Engineering and Sociology, all from the University of Pennsylvania.
Argentina
Andrés Fingeret | Country Director
Andrés joined ITDP in 2009 after working with the organization as the Buenos Aires City Director for the Clinton Foundation. He holds an Engineering Degree from the University of Buenos Aires and has extensive experience in Project Management in private and public initiatives. He is a board member of Responde, a non-profit organization, and a soccer fan.
Clara Rasore | Project Manager
Clara holds an Architecture Degree from the University of Buenos Aires. She joined ITDP in July 2011, after the presentation of Our Cities Ourselves when she worked at PALO architecture, the firm in charge of the Buenos Aires project for OCO. At present, she manages the communications as well as the production of Transeúnte Argentina and is involved in ongoing projects related to non-motorized transportation, BRT, and other sustainable mobility and urban developments.
She has studied photography in Argentina and abroad, and is currently studying to become a LEED AP in Neighborhood Development.
Brazil
Connor Cox | Researcher Fellow
Connor is from the USA and holds a bachelors degree in Sustainability from Arizona State University. He is currently completing an MSc in International Cooperation and Urban Development at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany. Previously, he worked for a sustainable architecture consultancy in Phoenix, USA. Connor has just joined ITDP Brazil as a Research Fellow contributing on transit oriented development studies.
Clarisse Cunha Linke | Deputy Director
Clarisse Cunha Linke is a Brazilian with eleven years experience in social policy, planning and implementation in Brazil, Mozambique and Namibia. She holds an MSc in Social Policy, NGO and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MBE in NGO and Civil Society from the Institute of Economics, Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Brazil. From 2006-2011, Clarisse was one of the Bicycling Empowerment Network Namibia (BEN Namibia) directors, where she played a key role in the expansion of BEN Namibia’s activities, helping it develop the biggest community-based enterprise bicycle distribution network in sub-Saharan Africa. Clarisse joined ITDP Brazil in January 2012.
Eleanor Leshner | Program Intern
Eleanor is originally from Annapolis, Maryland, and graduated from Middlebury College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a focus in Economics in May 2010. Following her passion for learning languages, exploring cities and immersing herself in new cultures, she spent the past two years working on environmental and urban development projects in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. Eleanor joined ITDP Brazil in 2012 as a program intern, and is excited to assist the team with the work in the dynamic Cidade Maravilhosa.
Marina Correa | Communications Intern
Marina is studying Journalism at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). Before joining ITDP Brazil as a communications intern, she was a volunteer for Women´s Global Connection (WGC) in Texas for one year and in Peru for one month.
Helena Orenstein de Almeida | Country Director
Helena has extensive experience working for the transport departments of both the City and State of São Paulo governments. She has also been part of the technical team promoting biking in São Paulo. Helena has worked for the State of Rio de Janeiro in economic, social, and infrastructure planning for the metropolitan region. She is an economist with graduate studies in Urban and Regional Planning at COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and further studies in analytical planning at UC Berkeley. Before joining ITDP in 2009, Helena was a consultant for a private company.
Pedro Henrique Torres | Sustainable Urban Development Manager
Pedro Torres is a Brazilian with experience in NGOs, environment and urban planning. He holds an MSc in Urban Planning at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (IPPUR/UFRJ) and post-graduation in Urban Polices at the same University. Before joining ITDP Brazil in 2012, he was working at Greenpeace Brazil as a Climate-Energy Campaigner.
Celia Regina Alves de Souza | Financial and Administrative Director
Celia started at ITDP Brazil in July 2010 as the Financial and Administrative Director. She graduated from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro with a bachelor degree in Administration. She worked for many years at the Docas Company (former Docas de Santos Company), a holding company in Brazil, as secretary to the Board and as Chief of Administrative Services. She has been a managing partner of a coffee shop and an administrative/financial manager in a store of parts for jewelry assembling. Previous to joining ITDP in 2010, she worked as the Chief Secretary of the Brazilian Equestrian Society. She loves animals and has five dogs.
China
Karl Fjellstrom | Regional Director, East & Southeast Asia
After graduating with honors in Urban Geography, Law and Asian Studies from Macquarie University and the University of Sydney in the mid 1990s, Karl Fjellstrom has worked on urban transport projects around Asia, focusing mainly on public transport and bus rapid transit (BRT) but also working on pedestrian and bicycle facility planning, and other areas of urban transport and urban development policy. Karl has worked full time with ITDP since 2003, and has been managing the ITDP-China office in Guangzhou since 2005. He is currently the Director of the Guangzhou Modern BRT and Sustainable Transport Institute, ITDP’s locally registered China office. Karl has worked in-depth in a number of Asian cities, including Guangzhou, Harbin, Changzhou, Lanzhou, Surabaya, Jakarta, Ulaanbaatar, Wuhan, Bangkok, Dhaka, and Ahmedabad. Most recently Karl was team leader for the BRT detailed conceptual plan preparations in Guangzhou, Lanzhou and Ulaanbaatar, and in addition to managing ITDP’s China program he was team leader for the Asian Development Bank-funded sustainable transport study in Harbin and Changzhou. During 2005-2010 Karl was the lead international expert on the Guangzhou BRT planning, design and implementation and during 2009-2012 he has played a similar role in Lanzhou. In 2011 Karl was awarded the Guangzhou Friendship Award, which is the highest honor granted to foreign experts by the Guangzhou City Government. In 2012 Karl was appointed as one of three special consulting experts on urban transport by the City Government of Lanzhou.
Bi Lei | Office Manager
Bi Lei joined ITDP-China after graduating from Tianjin University of Technology and Education, initially as an office assistant and currently as the office manager. She has worked previously as an office assistant and translator in the Guangzhou Construction Engineering Supervision Co., Ltd. and as an English teacher in the Guangdong Foreign Language University.
Yun Luo | Publications and Multimedia Expert
After graduating from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts with a first-class scholarship, Luo Yun got a Bachelor’s degree of Printing & Art. Then she worked in several magazines and websites as an Art Director. She joined ITDP-China in October 2011 and is in charge of graphic design and publications.
jiangnan Ma | Communications and Development Officer
Jiangnan Ma joined ITDP in February 2012 as a communications and development officer. She completed her Bachelor study in the U.K. in International Business from The University of Central Lancashire in 2008. She then received her Master Degree from the University of New South Wales in Sydney in 2010, majoring in Marketing. After graduating, she worked as a marketing promoter and event planner in Australia in a travel agency. She returned to China in April 2011 and worked as a buyer consultant for an e-commerce company.
Hu Manying | Urban Design & Planning Program Manager (Part Time)
After graduating with a BA in Architecture from Guangdong University of Technology in 2000s, Hu Manying worked on real estate projects in Shenzhen-GDADRI (Architectural and Design Research Institute of GuangDong Province) for three years. In 2006, she was hired by l’Atelier Parisien d’Urbanisme and was involved in the Paris Velib public bicycle project. In the same year Manying received a Masters, DPEA in Urban Design from Ecole Nationale Superieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. After the study in France, she joined Guangzhou-GDADRI and works as Chief Architect on a regeneration project for urban villages. Since early 2009, she has worked part time with ITDP-China, managing the Urban Design Program in Guangzhou and Harbin.
Li Shanshan | Bike Sharing Program Manager
Since graduating with a Masters in Transportation Engineering from Kunming University of Science and Technology, Li Shanshan worked in Zhejiang Enjoyor Electronics Co., where she mainly focused intelligent transportation system design. She participated in many projects, including parking guidance projects in Jiangyin, Intelligent Transportation Systems of Zhengzhou BRT, traffic guidance in Beijing road in Kunming, and monitoring system design in Dongguan Changping. She also worked as an intern in Kunming Traffic Police Detachment for about half a year, researching traffic impact assessment, public transportation network evaluation and parking charging, and traffic organization of Kunming’s west second ring road. Her work for ITDP focuses on bicycle sharing and bike parking, and aspects of the Guangzhou BRT.
Liu Shaokun | Greenways & Parking Program Manager, Vice Country Director
Since graduating in Traffic Engineering from Shanghai’s Tongji University, Liu Shaokun has worked in the Huizhou Urban Planning & Design Institute (HUPDI). During his time with HUPDI, he worked as transportation planner and an engineer of road construction design, and completed numerous urban planning & transportation planning & road construction designs in Huizhou, and served as project manager in four transportation planning projects. His work won numerous awards for excellence in urban and rural planning and design of Guangdong Province in 2007. He has worked for ITDP-China since mid 2009, focusing on the NMT & Urban Planning Program. Recently, he has worked on the pedestrian facility survey and report for the city center in Harbin, and on pedestrian and bicycle facility planning and design in Guangzhou.
Li Shuling | Urban Development Program Associate
After attaining her Master Degree of Planning from the University of Manchester (UK), Shuling started her career with ITDP in November 2011 as a junior expert of urban design and parking. Since then, she has been working on urban development and design projects, best practices studies and parking research. During her undergraduate studies of architecture and urban planning in South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, Shuling worked for Academy of Oriental Archiculture as an intern. She was involved in programs of strategic planning and urban regeneration.
Stephanie Liu Zhen | Communications and Technical Officer
Stephanie Liu Zhen joined ITDP in December 2012 after graduating from University of Nottingham (UK) in the same year. She completed her Bachelor Degree in Sustainable Built Environment in 2011 and then received her Master Degree in Public Administration from the University of Nottingham. She joined ITDP as a communication and technical officer, responsible for both technical work input and communications components.
Bram van Ooijen | Engineer: NMT, Road Design and Parking
Bram van Ooijen received a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Twente University in the Netherlands. He has been working on NMT projects in Guangzhou and Lanzhou since mid-2010. Bike network planning, intersection designs and bike parking facilities are his main focus. In 2006 Bram lived in Guangzhou for three months and wrote a bicycle access plan for the BRT system in Guangzhou. Before being hired by ITDP, he was managing director of a small civil engineering consultancy firm in the Netherlands.
Zhu Xianyuan | BRT Modeling, Vice Country Director
After graduating with a Masters in Transportation Engineering from Shandong University, Zhu Xianyuan worked in the Transportation Research Center of Shandong University, where she mainly focused on BRT systems and non-motorized transportation. She participated in many projects, including Jinan’s BRT System Evaluation, Sustainable Urban Planning, Jinan Pedestrian and Bicycle System Analysis and Optimization, and a Blueprint for Sustainability. She was also a traffic engineering teacher at Shandong University. Her work for ITDP focuses on BRT modeling, aspects of road design improvements in Lanzhou, BRT impact analysis, and research into transportation demand management policies.
Duan Xiaomei | Chief Technical Officer
Since graduating with a Masters from Shanghai’s Tongji University Xiaomei Duan has worked on numerous urban transportation projects in Guangzhou, and in other Chinese cities including Kunming, Harbin, Changzhou, and Taiyuan. She is currently Chief Engineer of the Guangzhou Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute and Head of the transportation section of the Guangzhou Municipal Technical Development Corp. During the last two years, as well as working on the ADB urban transport study in Harbin and Changzhou, Xiaomei has focused on the Guangzhou BRT planning and design, as the Chief Engineer and Project-In-Charge. She also reviewed many of the BRT project studies and designs in other Chinese cities, and has worked on the Lanzhou and Harbin BRT designs (both currently in development). Xiaomei is now a nationally accredited Senior Engineer, and has worked closely with ITDP since late 2004.
India
Advait Jani | Program Coordinator, Chennai
Advait joined ITDP in November 2012 as a Program Coordinator for Chennai. Prior to joining ITDP, he had worked as an Urban Designer with HCP Design and Project Management Pvt Ltd on the Sabarmati Riverfront Project (SRFD)in Ahmedabad. He was part of the team from Environmental Planning Collaborative (EPC) which worked on the Street Design Manual and the Our Cities Ourselves exhibition for Ahmedabad in 2010. Advait has attended the European Postgraduate Masters in Urbanism (EMU) program at IUAV Venezia, Italy and TU Delft, The Netherlands from 2010 -
2012. His thesis focused on creating a Transit Oriented Development around the Rotterdam The Hague Airport. After living in the Oranje land during his masters, Advait has come to enjoy Biking, Ultimate Frisbee and Football the most.
Suraj Bartakke | Surveyor and Data Entry Operator
Suraj joined ITDP in April 2011. Currently he is working as a Surveyor and Data Entry Operator with ITDP on various transportation progams in Pune Metropolitan Region. Suraj completed his Industrial Training Institute Course of ‘Computer Operator’ from Pune University. Prior to joining ITDP, he worked with Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation as Computer Operator. Currently he is pursuing Bachelors Degree in Arts (General) from Pune University. Suraj enjoys playing cricket and reading.
C. Ranga Rohini | Urban Development Associate
Ranga Rohini joined ITDP as a full time staff from 2012, following an internship and consultancy work with ITDP since May 2011. A graduate of architecture from the School of Architecture & Planning, she is interested in urbanism /town planning and visual arts and the use of one to inform the other. Current work with ITDP includes communication/graphic design as well as providing technical support for the urban programs undertaken by ITDP.
Pratik Dave | Program Lead, Rajkot
Pratik joined ITDP in March 2010 as Technical Officer. Prior to joining ITDP, he worked as Operations Manager with Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited, which operates and manages the Ahmedabad BRT system. Previously, he worked as a transportation engineer for the Ahmedabad BRT project at CEPT University where he was involved in planning, surveys, detailed design, and implementation.
Pratik obtained his Master’s degree in Transportation from L.D. College of Engineering, Ahmedabad, in 2008. His thesis focused on the geometric design of urban roads. Pratik enjoys learning new software and upgrading his technical skills. Love for animals, nature, and music are his passions.
Pranjali Deshpande | Program Lead, Pune
Pranjali joined ITDP in June 2009. Currently she is assisting with operational planning for the Pune/Pimpri-Chinchwad BRT system. Prior to joining ITDP, she was associated with an architecture firm and worked on large-scale industrial projects.
Pranjali completed her undergraduate studies in architecture at Bharatiya Kala Prasarini Sabha’s College of Architecture in Pune, and earned a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from CEPT University, with a thesis on transportation sector finance in Pune.
Pranjali enjoys painting, calligraphy, reading, and photography.
Shreya Gadepalli | Regional Director, India
Shreya started her career with ITDP in the late 1990s as a non-motorized vehicle designer on the Indian cycle rickshaw modernization project, which led to the introduction of over 300,000 modern cycle rickshaws to the streets of a dozen cities in India. She continued non-motorized vehicle design work as the lead design consultant on the Indonesian Becak Modernization Project in Yogyakarta.
She has since expanded her areas of professional interest to BRT and non-motorized transport planning. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a master’s degree in Industrial Design from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Shreya is passionate about photography and is an ardent collector of handicrafts from across the world. She enjoys listening to various genres of classical music, including works of fusion between Eastern and Western forms.
James Clark Osborne | Senior Associate, Transport Policy
Jamie is a city planner and engineer who is interested in promoting and creating more just and equitable cities. He has a deep affection for human powered transport, public transportation networks in the developing world, and the complex relationship between formal urban design and the unplanned patterns of everyday urban practices. He is a graduate of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT (2012) where he analyzed international policy frameworks for transportation performance and sustainable development. Prior to studying at MIT, he worked for the City of San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) as a transit planner and disability access coordinator. He looks forward to learning Tamil, Hindi and Marathi (although not necessarily in that order).
Kokilavani Ravi | Accounts Associate
Vani joined ITDP in February 2013 as an Accounts Associate. She assists the finance team with keeping accounts up to date, reviewing bills and making payments to staff. Before joining ITDP, Vani completed a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Madras in 2012 and worked as a computer operator in the sales and marketing field. Vani enjoys listening to western and folk music and creating craft works and painting during her free time.
Chris Kost | Technical Director
Chris joined ITDP as a full-time staff member in 2008 after being involved as a consultant since 2004, focusing on transportation projects in Africa and India. In Cape Town and Accra, he performed greenhouse gas assessments of proposed BRT systems. In Johannesburg, he helped the city apply for certification of the Rea Vaya BRT system under the Clean Development Mechanism. Before joining ITDP, Chris worked for the Transportation and Land Use Coalition (now Transform) in Oakland; the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, also in Oakland; the City of Berkeley’s Planning Department; Meyer, Mohadddes Associates, Los Angeles; and Delin Consult in Accra.
Chris received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental policy from the Earth Systems Program at Stanford University. He currently resides in Ahmedabad where he helped develop a public transport demand model and operational plan for the city’s BRT system. His present work includes cycle and pedestrian projects in Chennai and Surat.
Rajendra Verma | Program Coordinator, Ranchi
While studying for his masters in Economics from Banaras Hindu University, Rajendra was inspired to contribute his part to preserving the environment, choosing to work with social groups that promote environmental issues.
Before joining ITDP in May 2010, Rajendra worked for nearly ten years on community development programs for cycle rickshaw drivers in several Indian cities in association with ITDP’s local partners in India. In addition, Rajendra was part of a non-motorized transport advocacy team that has pushed for policy changes in Delhi, India. He is an active member of the Delhi Cycling Club, helping to make Delhi a cyclist-friendly city and creating a buzz around cycling in India’s capital.
Rajendra gets satisfaction by helping underprivileged communities to make them more aware, educated, and empowered.
Indonesia
Yoga Adiwinarto | Country Director
Yoga has been with ITDP since 2009, initially as transport specialist managing the BRT improvement in Jakarta and Pekanbaru. Over the last three years he has worked on public transport planning and operational, Demand Management, Pedestrian improvement as well as some management and financial aspects of BRT operation. He was involved in planning and preparing the operation, tender and contracts for the opening of the last three BRT corridors in Jakarta, which is now the longest BRT system in the world.
Yoga holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Institute Technology Bandung, and a master’s degree in Transport Planning from Leeds University, England, where he spent three years working in transport consultancy firm after finishing his degree.
Gandrie Ramadhan Apriandito | Transport Assistant
Due to his great passion for transportation, Gandrie joined ITDP to promote a better public transportation system in Jakarta. Gandrie holds his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB). He received an unconditional offer to continue his master’s degree in Transport Planning from the University of Leeds and has deferred for the next few years to gain more knowledge about the transport sector. He enjoys bicycling, photography, and traveling around Indonesia.
Udayalaksmanakartiyasa Halim | Transport Assistant
Holding a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from University Indonesia, Uday is pursuing his passion in public transportation and urban development at ITDP as a Transportation Assistant. He joined ITDP in October 2011. During his spare time, he enjoys reading non-fiction, listening japanese music, and watching movies.
Rosyadah Hariyadi | Finance & Administrative Asscociate
Rosy joined ITDP in April 2008 as the Secretary / Office Manager. Rosy received her bachelor’s degree in the Faculty of Economics from National University, Jakarta in 1992. Before joining ITDP, Rosy worked as a Secretary and a Finance Officer for private companies and consultant services. She loves sports, especially badminton and volleyball.
Priscilla Fabiola | Communications Associate
As a part of the ITDP team, Yolla is involved in communication strategy through her passion of art and design. In 2011 she completed her bachelor’s degree in Visual and Communication Design at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB). After graduation, she worked on Hollywood movie projects as a visual effects artist. The opportunity to work for ITDP allows Yolla to use her passions to help design a smart, creative public transport system in Indonesia, particularly in Jakarta. She loves doing adventure and extreme sports and enjoys the beauty of nature.
Putri Dina Sari | Communications and Urban Design Associate
Putri joined ITDP in 2012 and is an urban planner who received bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning from Trisakti University and a Masters degree in International Development from Tsinghua University, PRC. While in Beijing, she worked as intern at The Embassy of Indonesia. Before pursuing her masters, she worked for Engineering Consultant of University of Indonesia and was involved in urban planning projects in Indonesia. She loves extreme sports and travelling.
Assafa Sufiani | Transport Assistant
Assafa Sufiani joined ITDP in January 2012 as Transport Assistant. Prior to joining ITDP, she worked for GIZ Sustainable Urban Transport Improvement Project (SUTIP) in their Jakarta office.
Safa holds Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Indonesia majoring Civil Engineering. She loves reading, drawing, and watching anime.
Mexico
Bernardo Baranda | Regional Director, Latin America
In his more than 10 years of professional experience, Bernardo has been involved in urban sustainable mobility projects working in the private and non-governmental sectors. He is one of the founding members of Bicitekas an urban cycling advocacy group in Mexico City.
Bernardo holds master’s degrees in Transport Engineering from IHE-TU in Delft, The Netherlands, and in Management and Implementation of Development Projects from UMIST in Manchester, United Kingdom. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In his spare time, he enjoys sports, reading novels and traveling.
Jorge Gordillo | Communications Assistant
Jorge is currently managing the social media and website presence of ITDP Mexico, including Transuente. He has more than three years of experience in non-profit communications, specializing in groups dedicated to the environment and sustainability. George has been an avid cyclist for 5 years.
Prior to ITDP, Jorge worked with the newspaper at Universidad Iberoamericana, where he also received a degree in communications.
Karina Licea | Mass Transport Projects Coordinator
Karina studied Urban Planning at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, in Mexico City, and assisted workshops of urban planning and design at the University of Cergy Pointoise, France, where she won first prize at the integration and urban contextualization of Charles de Gaulle Airport. She has been a counselor for the Mexican government to implement urban development plans in several Mexican cities, mostly in equipment and transport. With six years of experience at urban planning and design, today she gives advice to local governments in the implementation of BRTs on behalf of ITDP. Follow her on twitter @Karicleta.
Laura Ruiz | Administration and Finance Coordinator
Laura studied Tourism and Hospitality in Zacatecas, Mexico, and has twelve years of experience working in both fields. Laura also has eight years of administrative experience, and has worked for the board of trustees at a private assistance institution in the medical industry. She is convinced about the importance of nature for the wellbeing of humanity. This is why she promotes the environmental conservation and enjoys outdoor activities likes hiking, cycling and swimming. She joined ITDP to be the administration and finance coordinator in 2012.
Angelica Mora | Administrative Assistant
Results oriented, Angelica has 25 years of experience in developing and implementing strategies that help companies grow and prosper. Angelica enjoys learning about people, culture, and the natural environment.
Nicole Medgenberg | Communications Coordinator
Nicole studied Communication Studies and Journalism at the Universidad Iberoamericana, in Mexico City, and has five years of experience working in the publishing industry. She has been section editor and editorial coordinator for the Spanish editions of National Geographic, NatGeo Traveler and Cosmopolitan. At ITDP she is in charge of the editing and writing of contents, strategic communication, public relations and event organizing. She was born in Leverkusen, Germany, where sustainable transport and green solutions are fundamental and efficient. It motivates Nicole to be part of an organization that brings these solutions to Mexico, her other citizenship, specifically to Mexico City, where it is a priority necessity to seek mobility alternatives.
Mariana Orozco | Project Coordinator
Mariana joined ITDP in 2010. She has been involved in projects that promote a better quality of life and social welfare. Her interests are mostly environmental education, citizen participation, and impact on public policy.
She has been involved in the field of sustainable mobility in the private and non-governmental sectors since 2007. She participated in the Social Management process “Becoming a Healthy, Accessible and Inclusive City” in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and is co-author of the “Proposal for Cycling Mobility Network to the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara,” and also participated in the Master Plan for non-motorized mobility for the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara.
Mariana holds Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Guadalajara (UdeG). She also is Qualified in Accountability from the Technological Institute of Superior Studies of the West (ITESO).
In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, sports, music, traveling and reading.
Xtabai Padilla | Finance and Administrative Coordinator
Xtabai holds a bachelor degree in International Relations and a minor in economics and environmental policies from UNAM. She joined ITDP in February 2010 as Financial and Administrative Assistant due to her interest in environmental problems. She has participated in some environmental programs in Mexico City such as reforestation programs and environmental education.
Currently she is studying environmental economics in the UNAM.
She enjoys writing, reading and traveling.
Xavier Treviño | Country Director
Xavier joined ITDP in 2007. He holds a master’s degree in Urban Planning from El Colegio de México, and a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the National Autonomous University (UNAM). Always an ecologist and cyclist advocate, he worked previously in environmental and urban law enforcement at the Mexico City Environmental Protection Agency. He is an active member of Bicitekas, and his interests are mostly in non-motorized mobility, civil participation, law and regulation, and seeking to include strict environmental and social criteria in urban public policy.
Ulises Navarro | Public Transport Director for Latin America
With almost thirty years of experience working in transport, Ulises started his career studying Transit and Road Engineering at IUPFAN University, in Venezuela. For the last twenty years he has been convinced about the necessity of transforming transport, promoting public, massive and non motorized options and restricting the use of automobiles. He joined ITDP in 2012. Previously, he participated as a counselor for ITDP and at numerous projects of public transportation, urban planning and regional planning. Ulises has a masters degree in urban and transport planning and a doctorate in civil engineering specialized in transport, from Nebraska-Lincoln University.
Verónica Ortiz Cisneros | Public Relations Director
Verónica is responsible for generating communication strategies and alliances that promote the organization’s initiatives. She has a degree in Communication Studies and ten years experience in both broadcasting and public relations. Verónica’s focus is on cultural projects and communication initiatives that represent a positive transformation in the inhabitant’s quality of life. Verónica has been a founding member of the Festival Internacional de Cine Contemporáneo (International Contemporary Cinematography Festival) of Mexico City, Communications Director at the Festival de Mexico, and Director of the broadcasting and programming area of the Cineteca National (National Film Archive).
