MEDIA ADVISORY FOR PURPLE LINE NOW WEBINAR VIA ZOOM
Tuesday, May 4, 2021, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

WHAT: A Purple Line Status Update – Hosted by Purple Line NOW, Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Gregory Slater will provide remarks and bring us up-to-date on what's happening along the line, the timeline going forward, and other bits of interest to all of us who are eager to get to that first ride.

Secretary Slater's remarks will be followed by a panel discussion with key project leaders including:

Doran Bosso, CEO, Purple Line Transit Partners

Maricela Cordova, Purple Line Implementation Manager, Montgomery County Department of Transportation

Matthew Pollack, MDOT MTA Executive Director of Transit Development and Delivery

Victor Weissberg, Major Projects Manager, Office of the Director, Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation

HOW: All attendees, including the press, must register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_O29IFxjJS2qW7VJ9xbklng>

WHEN: Tonight – Tuesday, May 4, 2021, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm via Zoom

CONTACT: Christine Scott, Executive Director, [email protected], 865-300-7959

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Purple Line NOW, a non-profit organization formed in 2002, advocates for the Purple Line on behalf of citizen, business, environmental, civic, minority and labor organizations.  Purple Line NOW's mission is to expand the mobility choices for the residents of the Washington Metropolitan area.  The organization has been instrumental moving the project forward by engaging elected officials and defending the project against detractors.  More than 100 organizations have gone on record in support of the Purple Line through Purple Line NOW! More information can be found at the Purple Line NOW! website: www.purplelinenow.com.

Speakers for Purple Line NOW Webinar
May 4, 2021, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

The Honorable Gregory Slater, Maryland Secretary of Transportation

Gregory Slater was nominated to serve as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) in December 2019 after more than two decades of public service. On February 24, 2020, he was confirmed as Secretary by the Senate of Maryland.

Mr. Slater’s career has been defined by dedication, performance-driven transportation, and collaborative and creative problem-solving. With 22 years of experience at the MDOT State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA), Mr. Slater worked his way up from where his career began in Plats and Survey operations to leadership positions on both the engineering and planning/programming offices to become Administrator in 2017.

His career growth includes nearly a decade as the MDOT SHA Director of Planning where he developed a keen understanding of the transportation system’s and MDOT’s critical role in the safety, accessibility, mobility, economic vitality, and quality of life for all Marylanders. Mr. Slater describes Maryland’s transportation network as a “system of systems” and knows how each mode of transportation must function safely and efficiently for residents and businesses to thrive. He promotes the integration of smart technology and performance data to help MDOT unlock solutions to some of Maryland’s greatest transportation challenges with a focus on building the foundation of a transportation system for the next generation to thrive.

As Secretary, Mr. Slater leads a transportation department with more than 10,000 employees and an operating budget of nearly $5.4 billion. He oversees every aspect of state transportation, from its highways, roadways, transit systems/services and toll facilities to motor vehicles, the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore.

Mr. Slater is a lifelong Marylander, a 1997 graduate of Towson University and leads many committees and efforts to strengthen the industry within the Transportation Research Board and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Panelists

Doran Bosso, CEO, Purple Line Transit Partners LLC

Doran joined the Purple Line team in 2019 and has worked closely with MDOT/MTA in reaching a solution to continue moving the Project forward. This year he transitioned to CEO of Purple Line Transit Partners, with his focus on the procurement of a new Design-Build Contractor and ultimately delivering the Purple Line to the local community. 

Prior to Purple Line, Doran spent more than 10 years working in pre-development, construction, and operation phases of transportation P3 projects in North America. Doran holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, where he has also been recognized as an Outstanding Young Alumni by the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Maricela Cordova Garcia, Assoc. AIA, DBIA, LEED GA, ENV SP, Purple Line Implementation Manager, Montgomery County Department of Transportation

Maricela is an accomplished Architect with over 20 years of professional experience on all aspects of the life cycle of design, architectural, engineering and construction projects for federal and local governments and private clients in the U.S. and Latin America ranging from $5 million to over $5 billion dollars.

She currently serves as the Purple Line Manager for Montgomery County, Maryland, overseeing the implementation of the P3 Purple Line light rail project with a contract value of over $5.8 billion and the associated County funded projects including the interface and coordination with the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), other State agencies such as State Highway Administration (SHA), the Concessionaire, Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) divisions and other County agencies, transit agencies like WMATA, CSXT and MARC, property owners and developers, and the Public.

Her expertise covers work in several industries including Infrastructure, Transportation, Mass Transit, Heavy Civil,

Water/Wastewater, Telecommunications, Industrial, Commercial, Institutional, Sports, Healthcare, Hospitality, and Residential. An avid reader, traveler, art junkie, yogi, stroller, foodie and cook, her favorite time is spent with her husband, family, and friends.

Matthew W. Pollack, PE, PMP, Executive Director, Transit Development & Delivery, Maryland Transit Administration

Matt Pollack joined MDOT MTA in June 2020 to lead the Purple Line project as Executive Director. A native of Montgomery County and current resident of Prince George’s County, Matt has more than 25 years of transit industry experience, primarily focused on project delivery and team building. He has worked on rail projects in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Durham, Atlanta, St. Louis, San Juan, and London. Matt is a Maryland Registered Professional Engineer, received his Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins University and his Bachelor’s Degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

Victor Weissberg, Major Projects Manager, Office of the Director, Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation

Victor Weissberg is a senior professional with a diverse managerial portfolio in regulatory and transportation policy, local and regional planning, government relations, political affairs, labor issues, legislative and policy analysis, organizational development/training, and communications strategies. Currently he serves as the Major Projects Manager and Acting Chief of Taxi and Transit Administration for the Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation.  Weissberg was also appointed by the Prince George’s County Executive as the Purple Line Project Manager and is a long-standing Member of the Purple Line Now Board. He has also served as an Alternate Member of the Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board, where he has been a strong advocate for comprehensive transportation solutions that look at how to better address equity, advancing transit and multi-modalism, transportation/land-use policies that connect people to places to enhance more sustainable, resilient, and equitable communities.

Mr. Weissberg has previously served as a transportation analyst for the Coalition of Northeastern Governors, government relations specialist for the Maryland Transit Administration and in a variety of appointed positions at the U.S. Department of Transportation and at the White House. He is a life-long resident of Silver Spring, Maryland.