Featured Speakers

Pete Buttigieg | U.S. Secretary of Transportation

APTA is pleased to announce our 2022 Legislative Conference keynote speaker, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

In one of Sec. Buttigieg's first public appearances as Secretary, he met with transit and railway workers in DC’s Union Station where he outlined some of the Biden administration’s policy agenda. He spent his first year in office traveling throughout the United States, promoting infrastructure investment and visiting public transportation agencies as they provide equitable mobility to local communities.

Following passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Sec. Buttigieg has been working to implement the legislation to create millions of good family-wage jobs, fixing our nation’s current infrastructure, and building the modern infrastructure of the future.

Polly Trottenberg | U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation

As the number two official and Chief Operating Officer, Polly Trottenberg supports Secretary Buttigieg on providing leadership and strategic vision for USDOT. She has an extensive 25+ year public sector career in all levels of government.Trottenberg served from 2014 to 2020 as New York City’s Transportation Commissioner, where she ran a complex 5,800-person agency responsible for the safe, efficient, and equitable operations of New York City’s transportation network, including 6,000 miles of roadways, 789 bridges, the nation’s largest traffic operation and parking system, the Staten Island Ferry, and extensive bicycle, pedestrian, and public plaza infrastructure, as well as key initiatives in urban mobility, smart transportation technologies, and safety.

Nuria Fernandez | Administrator, Federal Transit Administration

Hear the latest on federal plans for the public transportation industry from Nuria Fernandez, Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration.

With more than 35 years of experience, Fernandez made a name for herself as an inspiring leader in the transportation industry. She came to FTA after serving as General Manager and CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), where she was responsible for 2,100 employees and oversaw projects, programs, and transit services that provide mobility solutions for more than two million people who live and work in the Silicon Valley.

Amit Bose | Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration

Amit Bose serves as the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. Previously, Bose worked at HNTB, an architectural and engineering firm, where he also served as board chair of the Coalition for the Northeast Corridor and on the New Jersey Restart and Recovery Advisory Council. He has previously served in the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) as Deputy Administrator, Chief Counsel, Senior Advisor and Director of Governmental Affairs; U.S. Department of Transportation as Associate General Counsel and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs; New Jersey Transit; and New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Oh) | Chairman, Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate

A lifelong Ohioan, Senator Sherrod Brown has spent his career fighting for the Dignity of Work – the idea that hard work should pay off for everyone, no matter who you are, where you live, or what kind of work you do. Sherrod serves as Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, where he played an instrumental role in passing the historic Wall Street reform law that established new consumer protections, created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and reined in big banks.

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) | Chair, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives

Congressman Peter DeFazio has spent his time in Congress working for Oregonians. As the dean of the Oregon House delegation, he has developed a reputation as an independent, passionate, and effective lawmaker.

In 2019, DeFazio was elected to the powerful position of Chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Coast Guard, highways and transit, ports and water resources, railroads, aviation, and economic development. As Chair, and previously as Ranking Member, DeFazio has taken the lead role on several multi-billion-laws that have created jobs, improved transportation options, kept our ports open, ensured clean drinking water, and kept the airline industry accountable.

Rep. David E. Price (D-NC) | Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, U.S. House of Representatives

Congressman David Price represents North Carolina's Fourth District -- a rapidly growing, research-and-education-focused district that includes Durham, Franklin, Granville and Orange counties as well as parts of Chatham, Wake, and Vance counties.

Price currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee and is the Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee. He also serves on the House Budget Committee and is a member of the Appropriations subcommittees on homeland security, State Department, and foreign operations.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) | Chair, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, U.S. House of Representatives

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, now in her fifteenth term as the Congresswoman for the District of Columbia, is the Chair of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. She serves on two committees: the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The Congresswoman's work for full congressional voting representation and for full democracy for the people of the District of Columbia continues her lifelong struggle for universal human and civil rights.

Mike Murphy | Political Consultant

Mike Murphy, the man behind John McCain’s famous “Straight Talk Express,” will give APTA Legislative Conference attendees an unvarnished, honest look at America's political scene.

Called a “media master” by Fortune magazine, Murphy has a humorous and engaging style that both informs and entertains. When Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney decided to run for governor, they called Mike Murphy. Murphy’s phone rang because he has a proven track record—26 gubernatorial and senatorial wins.