2014 SPEAKERS
CHRIS WARD | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, DRAGADOS USA
Chris Ward is the Executive Vice President at Dragados USA, a Spanish construction firm in New York City. Prior to joining Dragados USA, Mr. Ward served as the Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and is credited with leading the accelerated completion of the World Trade Center Memorial Plaza for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Prior to his involvement, the $20 billion-plus project had slid over budget and behind schedule, and his speech at Transport Chicago will bring a unique perspective on large scale resiliency efforts post disasters or attacks.
Mr. Ward has wide experience throughout the public and private sectors, including serving as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the Chief of Planning and External Affairs and Director of Port Development at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Managing Director of the General Contractors Association of New York, Inc. He has also served at the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.
Mr. Ward received his bachelor’s degree from McAlister College in Saint Paul and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard.
Mr. Ward has wide experience throughout the public and private sectors, including serving as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the Chief of Planning and External Affairs and Director of Port Development at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Managing Director of the General Contractors Association of New York, Inc. He has also served at the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.
Mr. Ward received his bachelor’s degree from McAlister College in Saint Paul and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard.
CHRISTINA DROUET | MANAGER, CHICAGO AREA MODERNIZATION PROGRAM, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
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Christina Drouet is the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Manager of the Chicago Area Modernization Program Office. In this role she oversees all the FAA activities that contribute to the O'Hare Modernization Program and is the City of Chicago's "portal" into the FAA.
Ms. Drouet has over 20 years of FAA experience in a variety of technical and managerial roles. She holds a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Public Administration from the Illinois Institute of Technology. She is also a registered professional engineer in three states, including Illinois. |
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ANDRES GARCIA | O'HARE MODERNIZATION PROGRAM MANAGER & VICE PRESIDENT, AECOM
Andres Garcia is the Program Manager for the O'Hare Modernization Program. As a graduate Civil Engineer with a Master’s in Engineering Administration, he has been involved in airport development, including planning, design, construction and management, for the last 29 years. He joined the O'Hare Modernization Program in 2006 and before taking the Program Management position, he managed the implementation of projects in the south and north airfield. Mr. Garcia is a Vice President with AECOM, a global provider of consulting services.
FINLAY GRAHAM | DIRECTOR OF AVIATION, RICONDO & ASSOCIATES
Finlay Graham has over 18 years of experience in Airport
Planning with Ricondo & Associates in their Chicago office. As a Director with Ricondo, Mr. Graham
specializes in airfield and aviation facilities planning, with a focus on
implementation and construction phasing planning of airport improvement
projects. His primary role over the last
13 years has been to serve as the lead Airport Planning Consultant for the
Chicago Department of Aviation to plan and implement the O’Hare Modernization
Program. This is a multi-billion dollar
project that not only changes the layout of the Airport’s runways, but also
restructures the airspace around Chicago to reduce delays, increase capacity
and enhance airfield safety. In this role, Mr. Graham collaborates extensively
with the Federal Aviation Administration, Airlines, Airport Users and other
governmental agencies to ensure that the overall plan is designed and built
safely while minimizing disruptions to one of the world’s busiest airports. This is done while responding to the constant
evolution in the aviation industry that includes new aircraft models,
modifications to airfield and airspace operations, changes to design criteria
and the consolidation of airlines.
In addition to the above, Mr. Graham has also provided technical airport planning consulting services at other large airports such as London-Heathrow, San Francisco, Oakland, San Antonio, Miami and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airports, to name a few. He has developed master plans and impact assessment studies for development at smaller airports, such as Rostraver in Pennsylvania, Stinson Municipal in San Antonio, and most recently, Beef Island in the British Virgin Islands.
Mr. Graham graduated from the University of Paisley in Scotland with a Bachelor of Engineering (Honors) degree in Civil Engineering.
In addition to the above, Mr. Graham has also provided technical airport planning consulting services at other large airports such as London-Heathrow, San Francisco, Oakland, San Antonio, Miami and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airports, to name a few. He has developed master plans and impact assessment studies for development at smaller airports, such as Rostraver in Pennsylvania, Stinson Municipal in San Antonio, and most recently, Beef Island in the British Virgin Islands.
Mr. Graham graduated from the University of Paisley in Scotland with a Bachelor of Engineering (Honors) degree in Civil Engineering.
JONATHAN LEACH | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION
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Jonathan Leach is the Chief Operating Officer for the Chicago Department of Aviation. The Chicago Department of Aviation owns and manages both O'Hare and Midway International Airports. Annually O'Hare and Midway account for over 1.13 million operations as well as over 87 million passengers combined. Mr. Leach's responsibilities include overseeing all design and construction activities at O'Hare and Midway. In addition, Mr. Leach manages the Department's Environment Division which administers all sustainable initiatives for the Department's airports. Mr. Leach's responsibilities also include the management of all facilities, airside and landside operations at O'Hare. Mr. Leach has been with the Chicago Department of Aviation since February 2010.
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Photo (adapted): Buddahbless | Flickr
