Topic: Transportation in Maryland Panel
Bio:
Holly Arnold has an extensive background in managing and implementing transportation projects, with both public and private sector experience in the transit industry. In June 2021, she was appointed Administrator of the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA). In this role, Ms. Arnold oversees the 13th largest transit system in America, managing six modes – Local Bus, Metro SubwayLink, Light RailLink, Mobility paratransit services, Commuter Bus, and MARC Train Service – with an annual operating budget of $900 million and a 6-year capital budget of over $3 billion. Ms. Arnold also oversees the construction of the Purple Line, a new, 16-mile light rail line outside of Washington, D.C., currently the largest transit public-private partnership (P3) in the nation.
Ms. Arnold has been with MDOT MTA since 2012, working as the Capital Program Manager, Director of Planning and Programming, and Deputy Administrator/Chief Planning, Programming, and Engineering Officer. She oversaw all aspects of the agency's $3 billion six-year capital program, from project planning to construction. In her time at MDOT MTA, Ms. Arnold has led the development of the Central Maryland Regional Transit Plan and Cornerstone Plans for each mode, successfully applied for over $80 million in federal grants, spearheaded the agency's asset management program, and oversaw the creation of the agency's Transit Oriented Development design guidelines and station area concepts.
Ms. Arnold is a 2017 graduate of the Leadership APTA program, was recognized in 2018 as a Top 40 Under 40 transit professional in Mass Transit Magazine and was a 2019 40 Under 40 honoree in the Baltimore Business Journal. Ms. Arnold holds an undergraduate degree from Duquesne University and a Master's in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.
Topic: Advancing Stormwater Resiliency in Maryland (A-StoRM) Panel Discussion
Bio:
Ray is the Deputy Program Manager for the Stormwater, Dam Safety, and Flood Management Program for Maryland Department of the Environment, where he has worked since 1992. Before that, Ray spent several years as an environmental educator for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis, Maryland. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Gettysburg College and an M.S. in Environmental Science from Johns Hopkins University.
Topic: ZEHES, CHS, BEPS, and more: The Alphabet Soup of Maryland Building Decarbonization Policies for Engineers
Bio: Dr. Zachary Berzolla is the Building Decarbonization Division Chief for the Maryland Department of the Environment. His work focuses on policies and programs to help all Maryland buildings achieve net zero by 2045. He holds a doctorate in Building Technology from MIT where he worked with Professor Christoph Reinhart. At MIT, he studied building retrofit adoption and co-developed UBEM.io, a freely available web tool to help communities identify technology pathways to their emissions reduction goals. Supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Zach collaborated with policymakers from 25 cities on five continents to chart their building decarbonization plans. Prior to MIT, he worked in the commercial buildings group at NREL. Zach holds dual bachelors degrees in Engineering and Physics from Dartmouth and Middlebury College, respectively.
Topic: Updating the Storm Drain Structural Standard for MDOT and SHA
Bio: Aimee Connerton serves as a Technical Resource Specialist at Rinker Materials. She collaborates with consultants, agencies, and engineers to deliver resilient and sustainable infrastructure solutions. Aimee also serves as the Education Chair for the American Concrete Pipe Association, where she coordinates training and ACPA Pipe School, their premier training event. She has worked in the construction and infrastructure industry for more than 25 years. Aimee collaborates with various agencies and organizations to offer expertise and training in precast concrete design and installation. Aimee is a graduate of the University of Maryland and lives in southern Maryland.
Topic: Framework for Repositioning Existing Buildings to Achieve Sustainability Benefits
Bio:
Topic: Transportation in Maryland Panel
Bio: Shannetta R. Griffin, P.E., was appointed as the Executive Director and CEO of the Maryland Aviation Administration on April 4, 2025. She is responsible for overseeing the management, planning, and operations of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Martin State Airport, and the state’s regional aviation assistance program.
Shannetta has more than 40 years of experience as a professional engineer within the transportation industry with an emphasis on aviation and aerospace.
Prior to joining the Maryland Aviation Administration, Shannetta served as Associate Administrator of Airports for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from 2021 to 2025. In that capacity, she led a team of more than 700 employees nationwide and administered national airport safety and standards, planning, engineering, federal compliance and financial assistance programs to provide complex solutions for more than 3,300 public-use airports across the country.
Before joining the FAA, Shannetta served in executive leadership roles for the Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) and the Columbus Regional Airport Authority (CRAA). At IAA she was responsible for the management, engineering, planning, construction, environmental and supplier diversity program for multimillion capital and operating budgets for the Indianapolis International Airport and five reliever airports.
As the Chief Commercial Officer at CRAA, Shannetta maximized revenue in real estate and land development, air service and cargo development, concession management and parking/ground transportation, increasing concession revenue growth and achieving record breaking passenger growth. Subsequently as the Chief Development Officer, she led the planning and execution of
the Authority’s largest capital development program, a $2 billion project consisting of a new passenger terminal, consolidated rental car facility and hotel.
Shannetta has received numerous awards and professional accolades by transportation and civic organizations including the Woman in Aviation Excellence – Legacy Award by the Airport Minority Advisory Council, Women Who Move the Nation Award by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Toledo College of Civil Engineering, Corporate Professional of the Year Award by the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, Achievement in Business and Industry Award by the Indianapolis Center for Leadership Development and Strathmore Who’s Who.
Ms. Griffin received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Toledo. She is the proud mother of two children and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Topic: Your Ethics Toolbox: Building a Framework for Ethical Decision -Making With Case Studies
Bio: Ms. Leach is a registered engineer, specializing in the design of HVAC systems for healthcare facilities. Her current engineering focus includes the design of hybrid heating & cooling plants that incorporate simultaneous heating and cooling equipment like heat recovery chillers and air source heat pumps. It’s challenging work that maximizes our resources and strengthens our commitment to fossil fuel reduction.
In her spare time, Jennifer is an active volunteer for ASHRAE. At the Chapter level Jennifer has served in many committee chair positions and spent seven years on the board, including Baltimore Chapter President in 07-08. At the Society level Ms. Leach is currently serving on the Nominating Committee, TC1.7 Business Management and Legal Education and TC6.1 Hydronics and Steam.
Jen’s passion is the recruitment and retention of women in the building industry. She worked locally to establish the Women in ASHRAE affinity group and followed up by spearheading the initiative for the global Society. Jennifer takes every opportunity to empower women through mentoring and inspire girls to “be what they see” as a confident role model.
Topic: Shaping Up a Building Modernization – Finding the Right Upgrades for a Unique Building
Bio:
Sam is a mechanical engineer and project manager with JMT, where he has 13 years of experience working on the design, construction, and commissioning of HVAC systems for commercial buildings. His projects include renovations and new construction for offices, airports, schools, and maintenance facilities. Few days have been the same, from field inspections & surveys, building thermal load and energy calculations, 2D, 3D, & CFD modeling, mechanical systems design, specification writing, control systems design, to systems commissioning. More recently, energy audits and decarbonization studies have become an important part of supporting clients as they plan for future building projects.
Sam is an active member of ASHRAE (an HVAC-focused engineering society with over 50,000 members worldwide) and a former president of the ASHRAE Baltimore Chapter. Sam is a 2012 graduate of Lafayette College.
Topic: Coast Guard Yard - Transforming a WWII era shipyard into a 21st century major ship repair yard
Bio:
Captain Emily Tharp assumed command of the U.S. Coast Guard Yard on June 13, 2025. She is the 45th Commanding Officer in the shipyard’s 126-year history. Captain Tharp previously served as the Industrial Manager at the Coast Guard Yard, the only full-service shipyard for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Operating under a Working Capital Fund, the Yard employs over 623 civilian and military employees and executes an annual $120M portfolio of ship repair and major renovation projects.
Previous assignments, CAPT Tharp served as the Executive Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Project Resident Office in Panama City, Florida. Additionally, Captain Tharp served as Chief of the Requirements and Future Ship Concepts Branch at the Coast Guard’s Ship Design & Systems Engineering Division where she led trade studies and design concepts in support of the Polar Security Cutter Acquisition Program and the Waterway Commerce Cutter Acquisition Program.
Previous tours of duty include Program Depot Maintenance Branch Chief for the Surfaces Forces Logistics Center Icebreaker, Buoy and Construction Tender Product Line. She led a geographically dispersed workforce in support to 86 cutter and 29 barge assets from Maine to Guam. From 2003 to 2006, Captain Tharp served at Marine Safety Office New Orleans and Sector New Orleans.
She was a marine investigator and inspector and spent her final year as a Sector Duty Officer during the standup of the Sector New Orleans Command Center and during Hurricane Katrina response.
Captain Tharp’s sea duty assignments include Engineer Officer aboard USCGC THETIS and Damage Control Assistant aboard USCGC POLAR STAR.
Captain Tharp is from Fredericktown, Ohio. In 2001 she earned a bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, graduating with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Industrial Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan. In 2022 she earned a Master of Science Degree in National Security and Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School in Washington D.C.
Captain Tharp’s professional recognition includes the American Society of Naval Engineers Perry Award for outstanding contributions to the Coast Guard Naval Engineering program. Her military decorations include four Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medals, three Coast Guard Commendation Medals with operational distinguishing device and designation as a Permanent Cutterman.
Topic: Advancing Stormwater Resiliency in Maryland (A-StoRM) Panel Discussion
Bio:
John is currently the Chief Engineer and Program Manager for the Urban Development and Conservation Program at the Prince George's Soil Conservation District; a position he’s served in for the last decade plus.
In this role, he leads and provides both technical guidance and management oversight of land development projects in Prince George’s County relating to grading, erosion, and sediment control, and dam safety. In addition to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional undertakings, his program also has purview over municipal fill sites, mining and reclamation operations, and timber harvesting projects.
Before transitioning to public service, John was a land development consultant for private projects throughout Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
John is engaged in several volunteering roles and activities, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Prince George’s County Stormwater Stewardship Grant Program, Patuxent River Commission, and numerous other state and local technical and policy development bodies.
Topic: Advancing Stormwater Resiliency in Maryland (A-StoRM) Panel Discussion
Bio:
KC is the Senior Director of Project Services and a Senior Principal at Rodgers Consulting. He has over twenty years of experience providing land development consulting for a variety of private clients with land development projects located primarily
in Frederick and Montgomery Counties in Maryland.
As Senior Director, he is responsible for all technical practice areas at Rodgers which include land planning, environmental sciences, engineering, landscape architecture and surveying services.
His passion is leading design innovation and integration across Rodgers’ various service lines focusing on creating optimal solutions through collaboration. Most recently such innovations have included enhanced stormwater management systems by creating unique design techniques through the collaboration of civil engineering and landscape architecture practices.
Since 2023, he has represented the Maryland Building Industry Association (MBIA) as part of Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) Stakeholder Consultation Group related to the Advancing Stormwater Resiliency in Maryland (A-StoRM) program. This program is integral to MDE’s efforts to advance current stormwater management regulations to account for current and future climate change within the State.