Mapping a Vision for CAV Governance in the Northeast

This session will highlight the various CAV policy perspectives established in multiple states, with a focus on identifying key aspects that might help shape a common approach for generating good CAV policy in the Northeast.

Moderator

Virginia Reeder has worked in the field of transportation for over 15 years. She is currently the Program Associate for Innovations in Transportation for the I-95 Corridor Coalition, where she leads the connected and autonomous vehicle effort for the organization. In this role, she supports the Coalition’s member agencies from Maine to Florida in their efforts to prepare for and embrace new vehicle technology as individual states and a coordinated region.

Prior to joining the Coalition staff, she was the Director of Performance Management Coordination in MassDOT’s Office of Performance Management and Innovation. In this role, she worked collaboratively with departments and divisions throughout the agency to support and advance data collection, performance management reporting and monitoring, congestion initiatives, customer experience, and other projects related to new. She has also worked as a consultant in support of state, regional and federal transportation agencies. She holds a Masters of City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University in New Brunswick New Jersey.

Panelists

Christine Nizer was appointed Administrator of the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) and Governor’s Highway Safety Representative by Secretary Pete Rahn in August 2015. Prior to that appointment, Ms. Nizer served as the MVA’s Chief Deputy Administrator and Deputy Administration for Central Operations and Safety Programs for over eight years. She also held management positions at the Maryland Public Service Commission, the Maryland General Assembly and the Office of Homeland Security.

Ms. Nizer is a Member of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) International Board of Directors, AAMVA Region 1 President and a Member of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials Standing Committee on Safety. She is the Chair of the S2S Governance Committee, the AAMVA Region 1 Representative for the Driver’s License Compact and Non-Resident Violators Compact and the Co-Chair of Maryland Connected and Automated Vehicle Working Group. She is a 2011 graduate of the Leadership Maryland Program, was named the Woman of the Year in 2014 by the Women in Transportation Seminar Baltimore Chapter and awarded the AAMVA Chair’s Award of Excellence and Achievement in 2018.

Ms. Nizer earned a Master of Science degree in Public Policy from the Eagleton Institute of Rutgers University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Goucher College.

Daniel holds a BS in Civil Engineering and an MS in Urban and Regional Policy from Northeastern University. He previously managed K-12 science and engineering events and research at Northeastern’s Center for STEM Education. In 2014 he led a global youth survey submitted to the UN, USAID, and the Department of State, connecting with over 150 youth-led sustainable development organizations and reporting information on critical barriers through the Millennium Campus Network.

With a passion for civic engagement and sustainable transportation, Daniel currently serves as the Assistant Director of Policy in the Office of the Secretary at MassDOT on a range of emerging technology and policy challenges, including management of the Commonwealth’s autonomous vehicles testing program, partnerships with transportation network companies, and more.

Mark has nearly 10 years of experience with PennDOT. His duties include serving as the Business Lead for all activities related to connected and automated vehicles (CAV) including the deployment of connected infrastructure, development of policies and standards, coordination with stakeholders, the representation of the department on multiple national working groups/committees, and the authorization of AV testers, platooning operations, and automated work zone vehicle. He also leads the deployment of the Pennsylvania Safety Transportation and Research Track (PennSTART), oversees smart city initiatives and manages multiple university-led initiatives.