POLLY TROTTENBERG
Dean and Global Distinguished Professor, NYU Wagner
Polly Trottenberg was named Dean and Global Distinguished Professor, NYU Wagner on August 1, 2025. From 2021 to 2025, she served as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, helping lead the Department during a historic period of federal investment in the nation’s transportation infrastructure. She also served as Acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Prior to USDOT, Trottenberg served for seven years as New York City Transportation Commissioner, leading one of the nation’s largest municipal transportation agencies through a period of significant growth, innovation, and the challenges of COVID-19. She also led New York City’s Vision Zero initiative, the first comprehensive effort of its kind in the United States to reduce roadway fatalities.
Earlier in her career, Trottenberg served as Assistant Secretary and Under Secretary for Transportation Policy at USDOT, spent 12 years on Capitol Hill, and worked at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. She has also held leadership roles with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Northeast Corridor Commission, Union Station Development Commission, and TRANSCOM.
GREG KELLY
CEO, STV and Immediate Past Chair of the New York Building Congress
As the chief executive officer of STV, Greg is responsible for overseeing the workforce of more than 3,300 team members and guiding the firm toward achieving its short- and long-term strategic goals with an emphasis on performance, business development, technology and human capital. STV is a leader in providing architectural, engineering, planning, environmental and program and construction management services for transportation systems, buildings, water and other infrastructure.
Greg has served in multiple chief executive roles for both private and publicly traded organizations, including serving as a member of the global executive team and CEO of the U.S. operation of one of the world’s leading professional services firms providing advisory, planning, design, engineering and program and construction management services across transportation, buildings, water, power and the environment sectors.
Greg is an experienced and outspoken industry leader and has been inducted into the National Academy of Construction and the MOLES, two of the most prestigious organizations in the industry. He currently serves on the boards of the New York Building Congress, the Regional Plan Association and Construction Industry Round Table and is the chair of the Temple University College of Engineering Board of Visitors.
A lifelong mentor and steward of the industry, he serves as a Trustee of the Citizens Budget Commission of NY. Greg is former Chair of ACEC NY, the New York Building Congress, the Salvadori Center and the Design Professionals Coalition and he has also served as a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space (CBIPS) at Columbia University.
He has degrees from Temple University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology and is a registered professional engineer in several states.
JOHN T. HANSON
CEO, Delaware River Port Authority and President, Port Authority Transit Corporation
John T. Hanson first came to the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) in 2002 as a commissioner and chair of the board’s finance committee. In November 2004, he became the Authority’s Chief Financial Officer, a position he held until he was appointed acting Chief Executive Officer in January 2014 and Chief Executive Officer in May 2014. As CEO, Mr. Hanson emphasizes stewardship and public service as the core of the Authority’s mission and purpose.
Mr. Hanson brings both public and private sector experience to the job. He was Chief Financial Officer and Vice-President of Finance for a healthcare firm in Cherry Hill, New Jersey until he joined the administration of New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman in 1998. He served as Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives with the New Jersey Department of Commerce and represented the Secretary of Commerce on the boards of numerous development authorities and task forces. In addition, he served on the New Jersey Sales and Use Tax Commission from 2000 to 2002. He returned to private industry in 2002 as Executive Vice President and General Manager of a New Jersey-based recycling/manufacturing firm, where he remained until coming to the DRPA in 2004.
The keystone of Mr. Hanson’s tenure as CEO has been the Authority’s strategic planning framework and its stewardship vision, mission and shared values which reinforce the Authority’s core business of transportation and its commitment to creating public value for those they serve.
Under Mr. Hanson’s leadership, the DRPA has experienced an organizational transformation rooted in the principles of stewardship, service and community. Focusing on strategic planning, continuous improvement and organizational development, John and his leadership team have cultivated a culture of collaboration and trust. As a result, the Authority has experienced strong financial and operational performance. The Authority has remained unwavering in its commitment to stewardship and has moved forward with its ambitious capital program, making unprecedented investments into DRPA bridges and PATCO to sustain the highest levels of service quality and system safety in operating, maintaining, improving and protecting their transportation assets and infrastructure.
Mr. Hanson currently serves as chairman of the board of trustees of Camden County College in Blackwood. He was also the deputy mayor of the Borough of Audubon, New Jersey from 1997 to 2001. Mr. Hanson is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the State of New Jersey and a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).
MADELEINE MCDONNELL
Chief of Strategy and Operations,
Gateway Development Commission (GDC)
Madeleine McDonnell serves as the Chief of Strategy and Operations and Acting Chief of Public Affairs at the Gateway Development Commission (GDC), where she directs strategic initiatives, organizational operations, and all public communications for the historic bi-state agency. In this role, she plays a vital part in delivering the Hudson Tunnel Project, the nation’s most critical infrastructure development. Ms. McDonnell has previously served as the agency’s Chief of Staff and Policy Advisor, helping build its core organizational framework and secure historic federal funding commitments.
Prior to her work at GDC, Ms. McDonnell spent eight years at the New York City Department of Transportation, culminating in her role as Chief of Staff from 2019 to 2022. During her tenure, she was a chief liaison with City Hall, partner agencies, and other regional stakeholders. Ms. McDonnell shepherded through key agency initiatives and street improvement projects, including Vision Zero, bus and bike lane expansions, and new mobility pilots in addition to employee professional development programs.
Ms. McDonnell holds a Master of Public Administration from the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University.
The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) is a bi-state public authority managing the largest infrastructure initiative in the United States: the Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project. Operating as a partnership between New York, New Jersey, and Amtrak, GDC is tasked with overseeing the funding, planning, and construction of critical rail improvements along the Northeast Corridor.
The Hudson Tunnel Project is making two crucial improvements to the rail corridor that serves 20% of the US economy:
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Building nine miles of new passenger rail track between New York and New Jersey, including nearly five miles of tunnel boring to construct a new, two-tube tunnel under the Hudson River.
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Rehabilitating the North River Tunnel, which has been in service since 1910 and is a source of chronic delays for hundreds of thousands of daily passengers.
SARA APPLETON
Amtrak, Director, Penn Station Transformation
Sara Appleton is an urban development and transportation strategist focused on driving complex megaprojects and public programs that enhance quality of life across the New York metropolitan area. Sara currently leads Amtrak’s multibillion-dollar Penn Station Transformation program, a landmark initiative to modernize the historic transportation hub and revitalize the surrounding neighborhood. Prior to Amtrak, Sara led consultant teams at McKinsey & Company, advising senior government leaders on strategic planning, financial management, and operational efficiency.
Sara has also led development initiatives at the NYC Economic Development Corp and was appointed by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer to serve as a Board Member on Manhattan Community Board 4, using her position to advocate for quality-of-life improvements along Manhattan’s West Side. Sara earned her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and B.A. from Georgetown University. A native New Yorker, she lives in Manhattan with her husband and daughter.
DAVID ULLMAN
Deputy Secretary for Transportation/New York State Executive Chamber
David Ullman is the Deputy Secretary to Governor Kathy Hochul for Transportation in the New York State Executive Chamber, where he’s been since 2023 in his current position and previously as an Assistant Secretary for Transportation. In that role, David works with State agencies and authorities to advance the Governor’s transportation agenda across New York. Prior to joining the Executive Chamber, he served as a Vice President and Associate General Counsel at MTA Construction and Development and practiced as an infrastructure project development and finance attorney at Shearman & Sterling LLP. David earned his B.A. from Amherst College; a M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School; and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.
Can we build our way to greater affordability and a better quality of life? Building the Abundant Community examines how housing, schools, infrastructure, and digital capacity work together to shape opportunity. Through the lens of New York City and the rapidly expanding data-center industry, Yogesh Saoji and Jesse Duker will explore how communities can welcome growth while ensuring that its costs and benefits are shared fairly.
YOGESH SAOJI, FAICP, AIA, PP
Global Planning Leader, Principal
JESSE DUKER
National Business Development Leader, Principal
Yogesh Saoji is a planner, urban designer, and architect whose transdisciplinary practice spans three decades. As Global Planning Leader at DLR Group, an integrated design firm, he shapes and advances a nationally recognized planning practice focused on equity, sustainability, and community-centered design. His experience encompasses work with federal, state, and local governments, higher education institutions, developers, communities, and stakeholders on award-winning projects in campus planning, civic design, cultural initiatives, transportation, and large-scale mixed-use redevelopment. His projects have earned recognition from AIA, APA, SCUP, and CNU, among other organizations.
Jesse Duker is a Principal and National Business Development Leader at DLR Group, where he drives strategic growth across Workplace and Mission Critical project types. With more than 20 years of experience in architecture, design, and entertainment, he brings a market-informed perspective to aligning client ambition with tailored design solutions. Jesse helps clients clarify what matters most, forming partnerships and hand-crafting high-performing teams to design and deliver projects to his clients’ highest expectations. A firm believer in collaboration, he approaches growth as a shared endeavor, grounded in alignment, trust, and long-term value creation.
URAL YAL
Chief Executive Officer,
Shimmick
Ural Yal is Chief Executive Officer for Shimmick. Mr. Yal brings over 26 years of experience in water and critical infrastructure construction in operations, sales and leadership roles.
Throughout his career, Mr. Yal has focused on infrastructure development across the full project lifecycle, from concept to operations. His expertise spans design, construction, permitting, contracts, right-of-way, and commissioning. He has managed project and business unit P&Ls, developed business strategies, and led multi-billion-dollar business development efforts.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Yal progressed from Field Engineer and Scheduler to Project and Area Manager, developing deep expertise in the California market. From 2017 to 2024, he held various senior roles at Flatiron Construction, most recently as Executive Vice President, where he led market expansion across North America and adoption of collaborative project delivery methods. He specializes in infrastructure solutions incorporating climate resiliency, clean water supply, autonomous transportation, energy transition, and AI technologies, while engaging in regulatory framework development.
ERIC DALEO
Co-Founder and Principal Managing Director, Telos Advisers
Eric Daleo is the co-founder and Principal Managing Director of Telos Advisers, where he advises public transportation agencies and private sector clients on advancing complex infrastructure initiatives, securing funding, and delivering transformational capital projects. Eric brings deep expertise in infrastructure funding, project delivery, and stakeholder coordination.
Prior to founding Telos Advisers, Eric served as the first Chief Program Officer of the Gateway Development Commission, the New York-New Jersey bi-state authority, where he secured the nation’s largest Full Funding Grant Agreement for the Hudson Tunnel Project in just 24 months, negotiated major delivery agreements, and oversaw the start of construction in both states. Previously, as Senior Vice President of Capital Programs at NJ TRANSIT, he led the agency’s $2 billion recovery program following Superstorm Sandy and oversaw the implementation of Positive Train Control across 350 miles of railroad, achieving compliance ahead of federal deadlines. He also played a pivotal role in advancing the Portal North Bridge from early engineering through the award of a fully funded construction contract, the largest infrastructure procurement in NJ TRANSIT’s history.
Earlier in his career, Eric served as a Special Advisor in the New Jersey Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding, the office coordinating statewide recovery following Superstorm Sandy, and practiced law as a litigation associate at Patton Boggs LLP.
SCOTT SELTZ
Publisher, Engineering News Record
Scott J. Seltz is the Publisher of Engineering News-Record (ENR). Scott has overseen the brand’s business operations, content direction, advertising sales, audience development and brand licensing since 2015. A business-to-business media veteran, Scott’s 30-year career includes a history of accomplishments in sales, publishing, and portfolio management. He joined BNP Media LLC in 2012 after successful tenures with Ziff-Davis Media, Gruner+Jahr, VNU, and The Nielsen Company.
Scott holds a Board of Directors position with the ACE Mentor Program and also serves on the Board of Directors of the New York Building Congress.
JOHN D. PORCARI
Managing Director for Public Policy & Partnerships at Investcorp Corsair Infrastructure Partners
John is Managing Director for Public Policy & Partnerships at Investcorp Corsair Infrastructure Partners, responsible for creating new investment opportunities across the transportation, logistics and associated sectors, with a particular focus on large-scale public-private partnership transactions. Porcari serves on the Board of Directors of Investcorp Corsair’s wholly owned platform Vantage Group, which recently completed the award-winning transformation of LaGuardia Airport (LGA) through a public-private partnership, operates 12 airports around the world and is a partner in the revitalization of Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.
Porcari served in a temporary role as the White House Port & Supply Chain Envoy, leading a series of operational and structural changes to relieve the pandemic-induced global stresses on the US supply chain.
Porcari is co-founder of the Equity in Infrastructure Project (EIP), a national non-profit dedicated to creating generational wealth for Historically Underutilized Businesses through voluntary public agency pledges to grow these businesses from subcontractors to prime contractors and joint venture partners. BuildIT is signatory to the EIP Pledge and recently collaborated with the EIP on their milestone event held on June 4, 2026, in San Francisco.
Porcari previously served as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (2009-2014) after being nominated by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the US Senate. Prior public sector leadership positions include twice serving as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation (1999-2002 and 2006-2009) and he was the founding Executive Director of the Gateway Development Commission, a bi-state NY/NJ agency dedicated to replacing the 112-year-old rail tunnel under the Hudson River that is a single point of failure for the entire Northeast Corridor.
