Panel 2: Best Practices to Get Big Infrastructure Projects off the Ground
News and Video
The recap and recording for this event will be available soon.
Panel Details
Opening Remarks
Christopher Coes, Acting Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy, U.S. Department of Transportation
Panelists
Stephen Sigmund, Chief of Public Outreach, Gateway Development Commission
Jessica Mefford-Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Valley Metro
About the Speakers
Christopher Coes serves as the Acting Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy in the Office of the Secretary. Prior to this, he served as the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy. Coes previously served as Vice President for Land Use and Development at Smart Growth America (SGA), Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, Professor at George Washington University, and Deputy Director and Senior Advisor for the Transportation for America campaign.
Stephen Sigmund is a public affairs professional with a focus on transportation infrastructure, a writer, a political commentator, and an adjunct professor.
Stephen has spent 30 years in communications and external relations and has advised some of the nation’s most vital transportation organizations. He is currently Chief of Public Outreach for the Gateway Development Commission. In this role, he is responsible for all public communications on the nation’s most urgent infrastructure project, modernizing and repairing the 114-year-old rail tunnel that links New York and New Jersey and the rest of the Northeast Corridor.
Previously, Stephen was Chief of Public and Government Affairs for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where he was responsible for all external affairs around the rebuilding of the World Trade Center.
In addition, Stephen has published op-eds and commentary on a wide variety of subjects over the last 20 years and has been a commentator on national television for Fox News, CNN, NY1, and Fox Business. He also taught communications courses at Columbia University for 15 years.
As Chief Executive Officer of Valley Metro, Jessica Mefford-Miller is committed to connecting communities and enhancing lives through the delivery of comprehensive, regional transit service. She is responsible for the operations, maintenance, and expansion of the regional public transportation system for metro Phoenix. As a CEO who leads from the front, her tenacious leadership style is resulting in a system-wide evolution of service delivery and system design to serve the evolving needs of customers and communities in the fastest growing county in the United States. Expansion of the system during Jessica’s tenure includes nearly $2 billion in capital projects. May 2022 marked the opening of the Valley’s first streetcar in Tempe with a hybrid battery and off-wire propulsion system along a portion of the 3-mile route. As a gateway to the west, in January 2024, the light rail system was expanded 1.6 miles to northwest Phoenix including the first rail-only bridge over the I-17 freeway and elevated station at Metro Parkway. In 2025, South Phoenix residents will gain greater access to schools, jobs, and entertainment with the extension of the 5-mile South Central Extension/Downtown Hub. Once opened, it will create an efficient two-line system for travelers who can transfer in downtown Phoenix to access their favorite destinations across the Valley.
Jessica coaches her team to employ data-driven decision-making, adopt a bias toward action, and embrace emerging technologies. She is on a mission to create excellent customer experiences through safe, reliable, and accessible public transportation that serves current and future generations in the Valley of the Sun.