MN State and Region Leadership Panel on Transportation Funding and Policy - Members Only Program!
Program: 4 - 5:30pm
Networking: 5:30 - 7pm
This is a members only program.
If you are not a member, you can sign-up here!
Program Description
Ever wonder how transportation funding and polices are set at the State Capital? Or how state legislation impacts regional transportation decisions? Well, this is your chance to find out!
The WTS October program will feature long-time WTS member and newly elected Senator Ann Johnson Stewart. She will moderate a program featuring Senator Carla Nelson, Representative Frank Hornstein, and Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle. This esteemed panel will discuss their work and leadership on important House and Senate Committees (Tax, Transportation Finance and Policy, and Capital Investment Committees) that influence state-wide and regional transportation funding, tax policy, and planning decisions. This is a rare opportunity to have an audience with these transportation leaders and ask them your questions!
Hybrid Program
The event will have a virtual and in-person option.
- If you would like to attend virtually, a Zoom link will be sent prior to the program.
- People are also welcome to attend in-person at Kimley Horn's St. Paul Office (767 N Eustis St Suite 100, St Paul, MN 55114). Masks will be required.
When registering, please choose the option you are most likely to use for this program. This will help us have a better understanding of the attendance for each format.
In-Person Networking Event
Join us after the program for a networking event from 5:30 to 7:00pm in the Atrium of the Kimley Horn office building. Lawn games, food, and drinks will be hosted by WTS.
COST TO ATTEND: $5
Panelist Bios:
Representative Frank Hornstein: Representative Hornstein obtained a B.A. in environmental science from the Macalester College, and an M.A. in urban and environmental policy from Tufts University. During the interim, he teaches at the University of Minnesota. He and his wife have 3 children.
Senator Ann Johnson Stewart: Senator Ann Johnson Stewart was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2021. She represents Senate District 44, which covers the communities of Plymouth, Minnetonka, and Woodland.
Johnson Stewart grew up in Wausau, WI, and earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and a master's degree in civil engineering at the University of Minnesota. She is a civil engineer, business owner, and a teacher at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and local technical colleges. A 25-year resident of Minnetonka, Johnson Stewart, and her husband have four children and three grandchildren.
Senator Carla Nelson: Senator Carla Nelson was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2011. She represents Senate District 26, which covers the communities of Rochester Chatfield, Dover, Eyota, and Stewartville.
Senator Nelson earned an elementary and special education degree from Drake University and a Masters of Education from the University of Minnesota. The Senator taught in small rural schools and most recently in the Rochester public schools. Senator Nelson is a small business owner and earned national recognition as a MDRT member for several years. She and her husband have three grown sons, two wonderful daughters in law, a precious granddaughter and another grandchild on the way.
Metropolitan Council Chair Zelle: Charles A. Zelle is chairman of Jefferson Lines, an intercity bus company with scheduled passenger routes in 14 heartland states from Minnesota to Louisiana. He held the position of president and CEO for more than 20 years until 2012, when he was appointed commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation. In that capacity, he oversaw a multimodal state transportation agency with an annual budget of more than $4 billion.
Zelle has served as a board member of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), served on its executive committee, and was chair of its Public Transportation Council. In addition, he has served as a member of the executive committee of the Transportation Research Board and past president of the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO).
Zelle has been recognized for his work in transportation policy as a recipient of the George Rucker Award by the Community Transportation Association in 2009 and the Ray L. Lappegaard Distinguished Service Award by Center of Transportation Studies in 2012.
Born and raised in St. Paul, Zelle received a B.A. from Bates College and an M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management.