MARTA
At MARTA, Assistant General Manager of External Affairs Steven Parker has been named interim Chief of Staff, and Assistant General Manager of Labor and Employee Relations LaShanda Dawkins has been named interim Chief Administrative Officer, succeeding Chief of Staff Melissa Mullinax, who departs the Authority after six years.
According to MARTA, Parker served most recently as Chief Innovation Officer for the Transportation Security Administration. He is also the former General Counsel at Storybrand; Political Director for the Jon Ossoff for U.S. Senate campaign; Senior City Attorney, handling Commercial Real Estate and Municipal Law for the City of Atlanta; Director of Logistics for the Jon Ossoff for Congress campaign; an attorney at Balch & Bingham LLP; and Vice President, and Senior Counsel with Fidelity National Title Group.
As the Assistant General Manager of Labor and Employee Relations, Dawkins has more than 18 years of experience with MARTA, which includes advising executive management on human resources and labor and employment matters, and litigation. Prior to joining MARTA, she was Assistant General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville, Fla., and its independent agencies. Dawkins has also served on the Superintendent’s leadership team as the General Director of Policy and Compliance for Duval County Public Schools. A member of the State Bars of Texas, Florida, and Georgia, she is also admitted to practice in federal court. Dawkins is Chair of APTA’s Workforce Development Committee and a Leadership APTA Class of 2015 graduate.
In other news, MARTA and Atlanta United recently released a custom retail collection, and MARTA’s Atlanta headquarters earned Energy Star Certification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
HDR
Brad Carter is the new Transportation Manager for Georgia at HDR, an Omaha, Neb.-based design firm specializing in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services. He is responsible for the development and management of the transportation program including business development, workforce development, and the delivery of projects across multiple markets and service areas. Based in Atlanta, he will partner with other area leaders “to drive collaboration and innovation to achieve better efficiencies and outcomes in the infrastructure planning, design and construction industry,” the firm reported.
With nearly 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, Carter more recently provided leadership on the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Streetcar East Extension Project. He is also leading a project team that is developing the 2025 Georgia State Rail Plan.
“Brad’s leadership and vast experience in the Southeast positions him well for this role,” said Eli Khoury, HDR’s U.S. East Region Transportation Director. “He will continue to be an invaluable resource to his colleagues while providing clients and the people they serve with transformative transportation solutions.”
In a related development, HDR recently promoted Rachel Bernhard to Director of Value Engineering and Project Risk Management
Transdev U.S.
Joanna Cornell has been appointed Vice President of Safety and Security at Transdev, a rail and streetcar, bus, paratransit, and microtransit operator. With more than 15 years of experience, she will be responsible for overseeing incident prevention, regulatory compliance, employee training and the integration of advanced safety technologies. She is the former Global Fleet Safety Director at UPS, where she spearheaded the adoption of video telematics systems, significantly reducing vehicle collisions and improving driver performance.
“Joanna’s extensive background in safety technology and risk management, along with her leadership experience, will be a tremendous asset as we continue to enhance our safety and security protocols,” said Lauren Skiver, Chief Operating Officer of Transdev U.S. “Her expertise will help us maintain our commitment to the highest standards of safety for both our employees and the communities we serve.”
Ondas Holdings Inc.
Markus Nottlemann is now Senior Advisor at Ondas Holdings Inc., a provider of private industrial wireless networks and commercial drone and automated data solutions. He will be focusing on commercial development and strategic activity for Ondas’ wholly owned subsidiary Ondas Networks Inc., where he will also serve as a Board Member. Ondas Networks is a developer of proprietary, software-based wireless broadband technology and its customer end markets include railroads, utilities, oil and gas, transportation, aviation (including drone operators), and government entities.
Nottelmann has held various financial and operating roles including leadership positions at Sperry Rail Service and Acuren Inspections, both subsidiaries of Rockwood Holdings, LP, as well as Furmanite Inc. and DMA S.r.l. Since 2020, he has served as a Chief Financial Officer, leading several companies through strategic assessments, transformations, and acquisitions.
“I am thrilled to welcome Markus into the fold at a pivotal time in the development of Ondas Networks,” said Eric Brock, CEO of Ondas. “Markus’ extensive experience introducing new technology and services into global railroad markets will help Ondas drive adoption of our FullMAX wireless connectivity platform and continue to grow the ecosystem around our dot16 intellectual property. Further, his financial and strategic acumen are evidenced by his leadership in creating tangible shareholder value, which includes multiple exits.”
