People on the Move: Optibus; Cambridge Systematics; Mott MacDonald and NRC

May 6, 2022
Personnel updates from around the transit industry.

Roan Bennett has returned to Cambridge Systematics as vice president of planning. He brings more than 20 years of experience leading public-sector transportation agencies and providing value-added consulting services to clients. Bennett has designed, implemented and/or executed statewide and agency-level performance-based planning programs to ensure that customers are receiving the services that they need, agency priorities are being met and aligned with state-wide and federal goals, objectives and priorities and public funds are being maximized. The firm says Bennett’s areas of expertise include capital program management for large state agencies; performance measures and management; outreach and engagement; capital planning; strategic planning, multimodal transportation planning; operations management analysis; and standards oversight.

Mott MacDonald has hired Dean Radeloff as development manager for North American operations. He will be based in the company’s West Houston, Texas, office and will be responsible for growing the company’s business and increasing the number of its major projects in the US and Canada. Mott MacDonald notes Radeloff has successfully developed and/or delivered over $3 billion worth of complex, large-scale residential, commercial and infrastructure projects under a variety of delivery models, including design-build and public-private partnerships.

The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) appointed two railway industry professionals its board of directors. Chad Anderson, senior vice president operations with Terris Rail Maintenance LLC., and Gary Kohnert, director of North American sales with Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc., will begin their service effective immediately. Both will serve the remaining portion of three-year terms for two prior board members who resigned their positions.

Optibus named Angela Miller as general manager, North America and Waiching Wong as director of customer success, North America.

Miller brings more than three decades of experience working in technology, mobility and sustainability teams and will lead all of Optibus’ North America operations including sales, partnerships, customer success and more. She will drive the expansion of Optibus in the region, increasing adoption of its end-to-end software platform across the public transportation industry and helping clients to make their operations more efficient, equitable and sustainable.

Wong’s background includes experience working with government, transportation, consulting and technology. She is the former head of partner success at Uber Transit and previously served as both a public-private partnerships (P3) transaction advisor for state and local governments and as a management consultant to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Wong will oversee all North America client relationships, working to understand client challenges, suggest solutions using Optibus’ software, and engage with Optibus users over the long-term to ensure successful implementation and satisfaction. She will also develop and lead Optibus’ customer success team and use customer feedback to shape and improve Optibus’ offerings.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content. 

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.