Ag Transportation Summit Speakers

Ann Begeman was designated Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board by President Donald J. Trump, on March 19, 2018. Ann had been Acting Chairman since January 23, 2017. She is serving her second, five-year term as a Member of the Board following her nomination by President Barack Obama on December 7, 2016, and her unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate on December 9, 2016. Ms. Begeman first joined the Board on May 2, 2011, bringing over 20 years of transportation policy experience to the agency. Her current term expires December 31, 2020.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Begeman held Senate staff positions on Capitol Hill, playing a key role in the crafting of major transportation legislation, including the ICC Termination Act, which sunset the Interstate Commerce Commission and created the STB.

Ann is a native of Humboldt, South Dakota. She earned a B.S. in business administration from the University of South Dakota.

Wednesday July 25 • General Session 

Thomas D. Capozzi is the chief sales officer of Virginia International Terminals (VIT), LLC, where he is responsible for managing and
coordinating The Port of Virginia’s global commercial business activity through the sales and customer service departments.

Tom started his career with the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) in sales and marketing in 1999. In 2009 following a reorganization, Tom was transferred to VIT, which is the VPA’s private, terminal operating
subsidiary.

Prior to joining the port, Tom’s career in the liner shipping business included serving as regional manager of sales and operations for “K” Line America Inc. In that position, he was responsible for all sales activity in Virginia and Maryland. He also supervised port, rail and truck operations in the ports of Virginia and Baltimore. Tom began his career in shipping as a sales representative for Evergreen America Corporation, handling sales in Virginia and North Carolina.

Wednesday July 25 • General Session • Port Panel

Sean M. Duffy, Sr. assumed the duties of Executive Vice President – Maritime Advocate with the Louisiana Maritime Association in 2011 and was hired to promote improvements beneficial to maritime stakeholders along the Lower Mississippi River. He also currently serves as the Executive Director of the Big River Coalition. Mr. Duffy served as the President and Chief Executive Office for the Gulf States Maritime Association from 2005 to 2011. During his previous tenure, Sean became a proponent for local industry and specialized in lobbying Capitol Hill for supplemental funds for maintenance dredging and waterway maintenance.

As the third generation of his family to work in the maritime industry, Sean began working the on the docks in the Port of New Orleans in his early teen years during breaks from school. Previous employment experiences include various management duties, Boarding Agent, Deckhand, Stevedore General Superintendent and Marine Surveyor. Mr. Duffy is intimately familiar with obstacles faced by the maritime industry, both nationally and those specific to Louisiana, and he has become an expert on coastal restoration and maintenance dredging.

Wednesday July 25 • General Session • Port Panel 

Dr. Ellis is a Senior Research Scientist at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute with the Infrastructure Investment Analysis Program.  He received his undergraduate degree in agricultural economics (1979), a Master’s in Urban Planning (1990) and a doctorate in Urban and Regional Science (1995) from Texas A&M University.  He has 34 years of experience in transportation economics and finance, demographics, the economic impacts of transportation investment, and tax policy.

His recent work at TTI includes research on transportation supply, demand and finance, transportation tax policy, modeling and forecasting fuel tax and other transportation revenue sources, benefit/cost analysis of transportation improvements, and the effect of fuel price changes on vehicle miles traveled.

Prior to returning to Texas A&M to work for TTI he was a lobbyist in Austin, representing a number of clients in the construction materials industry before the Texas Legislature and various state boards and agencies.  Following that, he served as Director of Research for the Texas Department of Commerce.  In that capacity he also served as Director of Research for both the Strategic Economic Policy Commission and the Rural Economic Development Commission.

Thursday July 26 • General Session • USDA Workshops Panel

Mr. Eriksen is the head of the Informa Economics IEG Client Advisory and Development group, and Energy and Transportation Services. In this capacity, he directs the group’s efforts in client advisory and development, risk management, consulting and events. Since joining Informa Economics IEG in 2001, Mr. Eriksen led the Informa Economics IEG Transportation, Industrials and Energy Services team and co-led the Informa Economics IEG project consulting practice. Mr. Eriksen regularly speaks on commodity, transportation and infrastructure issues and developments and is an expert witness in the area of transportation, logistics and supply-chain matters.

Prior to joining the company, Mr. Eriksen worked for USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service as an agricultural statistician. In that capacity, he conducted national surveys and set national estimates in agriculture. Also while at USDA, he worked for the Agricultural Marketing Service on its transportation and marketing program, conducting research and analysis on domestic and international transportation issues. He also worked as an international longshoreman for the Pacific Maritime Association in Tacoma, Washington. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agribusiness and agricultural economics from Washington State University. While working on his master’s degree there, Mr. Eriksen was a transportation economist for the Department of Agricultural Economics, performing economic transportation data analysis and modeling.

Wednesday July 25 • General Session • Conditions and Challenges Confronting Ag Transportation

Mr. R.D. James was confirmed by the Senate on January 30, 2018 and sworn in as the 12th Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works on February 5, 2018.

As the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, he establishes policy direction and provides supervision of the Department of the Army functions relating to all aspect of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program. These responsibilities include programs for conservation and development of the nation’s water and wetland resources, flood control, navigation, and shore protection.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. James was a self-employed farmer and manager of cotton gins and grain elevators for the A.C. Riley Company in New Madrid, Missouri. President Ronald Reagan appointed Mr. James to the Mississippi River Commission on Commission on December 1, 1981. Mr. James was reappointed to the Mississippi River Commission by Presidents George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, serving a total of 37 years on the Commission.

 Wednesday July 25 • General Session

 Thursday July 26 • General Session • USDA Workshops Panel 

 Mr. Litrico is CEO for APCT, and is a member of the APH Executive Management Team. Mr. Litrico graduated from the State University of New York Maritime College in 1977, with Bachelor of Science Degree in Marine Transportation Management, a commission as Ensign in U.S. Navy, a license as Third Mate Oceans Unlimited Tonnage, and a Master’s license for 1600 GRT Vessels.

Upon graduation, he sailed in various licensed deck officer positions, including Master, with American Export Lines and Interstate & Ocean Transport until 1983, when he moved to Tampa to join the shore staff of Maritrans as Port Captain. He held numerous professional, management and executive positions in Safety and Vessel Operations. Mr. Litrico became Vice President of Maritrans in 1990.

Mr. Litrico became Vice President of TECO Transport in 1994 responsible for the operations and company financial performance.

In 2004, he became President and Chief Operating Officer of TECO Transport, later selling the fleet to United Maritime Group. He became President and Chief Executive Officer for the United Maritime Group with management responsibility for three distinct operating fleets.

In 2010, Mr. Litrico retired from the United Maritime Group and formed Charlie Echo Group in Tampa Florida. He now works as a subject matter expert and consultant for Business Development, leadership training, risk management and litigation support.

In 2014, Mr. Litrico and APH agreed to terms for him to head up APCT and is leading this project with PPHTD.

 Wednesday July 25 • General Session • Innovation Session #1: Containerization on the Inland Waterway System

 Thursday July 26 • General Session • USDA Workshops Panel 

Thomas Sorel was appointed Director of the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) in August 2017 by Gov. Doug Burgum.

Sorel served as Minnesota Department of Transportation commissioner from 2008-2012, overseeing a workforce of 5,000 employees with a $4.3 billion annual budget and a $1.4 billion annual transportation program. Prior to that, he had a 30-year career with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, serving as administrator of its St. Paul Division from 2005 to 2008 and receiving a presidential honor for his leadership related to the I-35W bridge collapse response, recovery and rebuilding.

Sorel most recently served as chief operating officer of the Minnesota Trucking Association. He previously ran his own transportation consulting firm in Woodbury, Minn., and served as vice president of surface transportation for Serco North America, working on intelligent transportation systems and other areas.

 Thursday July 26 • General Session • State DoT Directors Panel

 Kirk T. Steudle began his career with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in 1987. A registered professional engineer, he rose through the ranks of the department to his current position. Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Steudle state transportation director on Jan. 1, 2011. He also served as state transportation director from 2006 to 2010.

Steudle oversees MDOT’s $4.7 billion annual budget and is responsible for the construction, maintenance and operation of nearly 10,000 miles of state highways and more than 4,000 state highway bridges. He also oversees administration of a wide range of multi-modal transportation programs statewide. MDOT currently has 2,500 employees.

Steudle was the 2014 chair of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee and has served on the TRB Executive Committee since 2004. He also chaired the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Oversight Committee for TRB. He was president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) from 2011 to 2012 and he has been a member of the AASHTO Board of Directors since 2006.

 Thursday July 26 • General Session • State DoT Directors Panel

With more than 30 years of federal government expertise, Mike Toohey serves as WCI’s President and CEO and joined the association in August 2011. Prior to joining WCI, he served as Consultant with The Livingston Group’s Transportation, Shipbuilding, Shipping and Ports practice area.  Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Government Affairs for Ashland Inc., a global chemical, energy and construction company. During his 19 years with Ashland, Mr. Toohey served as the principle representative to the federal government and also supervised state government relations for this Fortune 500 corporation. His responsibilities also included leadership positions as the Chair of the American Chemistry Council’s Federal Legislative Roundtable and Chairman of the Board of the American Highway Users Alliance, and board positions with WCI, and the Danny Thompson Memorial Foundation.

President George H. W. Bush nominated Mr. Toohey as Assistant Secretary of Transportation, where he served from 1992 to 1993 following confirmation by the United States Senate. Mr. Toohey also served as Staff Director for the Republican Staff of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, and the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries during his 14-year tenure with the U.S. House of Representatives.

 Wednesday July 25 • General Session 

Mr. Walker is responsible for handling waterside infrastructure issues and relevant legislative and regulatory matters, including AAPA’s Quality Partnership Initiative (QPI) with the Army Corps of Engineers.  He serves as staff liaison to the Harbors and Navigation Committee. 

Mr. Walker’s experience includes a 36-year career with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) in navigation support, culminating with six years at Corps Headquarters leading its navigation program.  As lead of the Corps navigation program, he was in charge of a $2 billion annual budget over a 27 river inland marine transportation system (IMTS) and over 900 coastal navigation projects. His major accomplishments include development of a Navigation Strategic Vision, an IMTS Capital Projects Business Model, formal partnering with the Dredging Contractors of America, successful execution of ARRA funds, and development of the 2007 Water Resources and Development Act implementation guidance. 

Mr. Walker, who is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.), holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of South Alabama, and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University.

Wednesday July 25 • General Session • Port Panel 

Mark Wilson previously served as Deputy Director and  has worked his way through the Port ranks. He was first hired 30 years ago as a high school student on the summer maintenance crew and has spent the majority of his tenure on the Port’s development activities.

Wilson has managed a number of projects significant to the Kalama community. His vision for the area includes attracting businesses that provide stable, family wage jobs, and the development of recreational areas to benefit the community as a whole. Wilson envisions the continuation of operating within a budget that does not require the collection of property taxes from those residing in the Port district.

Wednesday July 25 • General Session • Port Panel