Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT)

Please join us for a special presentation by members of Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT) and learn about the benefits of membership. Founded in 2008, the vision of YPT is to become the preeminent professional development organization for emerging leaders in the transportation field. YPT provides professional development guidance, fellowship, and networking opportunities for young professionals in transportation. Our members are rising leaders in the transportation field and are employed in consulting firms, local government, and national transportation agencies across the continent.

YPT is rapidly expanding its membership and influence. Since January 2014, YPT has added new chapters – including multiple international chapters – and has grown to 25 chapters across North America. Our international board supports local chapters as they develop innovative programming and grow membership, as well as sustaining strong ties with national transportation agencies and organizations. YPT hosts events at international conferences such as Transportation Research Board (TRB), and partners on learning opportunities and fun events through digital engagement.

Supporting YPT shows a commitment to supporting the future of transportation. We encourage you to join Young Professionals in Transportation International and learn more about our dynamic industry. We are the future of the global transportation community.

Panelists:

William Wang is Chair and CEO of YPT and Manager, Strategic Concessions Project and Process Improvement at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. He is currently working for the Aviation Concessions & Strategic Customer Experience Unit. William works on operational excellence projects to modernize and digitize concessions processes, improve customer experience, and develop strategic partnerships to expand revenue streams. He supports Aviation Concessions, Commercial and Customer Experience leaders in strategic initiatives.

William was born in China and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. He received a bachelor’s degree with a double major in politics and public policy from New York University and a Master of Public Affairs from Brown University. His experience in multiple levels of government from the U.S. Senate and House to the New York City Mayor's Office has focused his passion and interest on urban planning and development in the New York Metropolitan Region. William works to promote collaboration and professional development opportunities for people in the transportation and civil service fields. In his free time, he enjoys spending time exploring parks and other public places, especially ones located near subways and train stations.

Nigel Grembowski is Director of YPT Membership and a transportation and urban planner with experience in transportation, land use, emergency management, complete streets, and traffic planning who strives to identify and fill gaps in organizational structure and functionality. Nigel is a Certified Planner by the American Planning Association. Now based in New York City, Nigel was born in Chicago, IL and grew up in Woodstock, IL, a small town in northern Illinois. He values input from diverse opinions, counting his experience both in the rural Upper Midwest and New York City as extremely beneficial. Nigel received his Bachelor of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and his Master of City and Regional Planning from the Eduard J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Within transportation, Nigel is especially passionate about complete streets and how they can influence development to proceed at a human scale creating long-term benefits for cities and their residents.

Jeff Kessler (ENG16 W16 GEN17 ML17) brings more than a decade of experience innovating at the intersection of transportation, technology, operations, and customer experience. As a systems optimizer with a passion for the transportation industry, his unparalleled work and board experience spans the public and private sides of every major transit network in the Northeast (Amtrak, WMATA, SEPTA, MTA NYCT, MBTA CR).

Jeff holds four degrees from the University of Pennsylvania: a BSE and MSE in Systems Engineering, a BS Economics from The Wharton School's Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology (M&T), and a Regulatory & Technology Law Master in Law from Penn Law. During his time at Penn, Jeff held various leadership positions on the M&T Program Student Board, chaired an advisory board for SEPTA, volunteered with Penn For Youth Debate, and served on the Penn Transit Advisory Board.

Jeff currently serves as the Director of Service Delivery Innovation at Keolis Commuter Services — the Boston-based subsidiary of global mobility provider Keolis — where he's charged with leveraging technology, implementing best practices, and delivering process improvements to enhance operations and customer experiences on the MBTA Commuter Rail's nearly 400-mile network throughout the Boston region. He is the Founder and Principal of KASDAT Consulting, an Emeritus Member of the Delaware River Port Authority Citizens Advisory Committee, the inaugural Mid-Atlantic Regional Director of Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT), and a founding co-chair of the annual TransportationCamp PHL conference.

Contact Kali Meeks, Associate Director for Professional Development, for the Zoom registration link.

If you require any accessibility accommodation, such as live captioning, audio description, or a sign language interpreter, please email news@design.upenn.edu to let us know what you need. Please note, we require at least 48 hours’ notice. If you register within 48 hours of this event, we won’t be able to secure the appropriate accommodations.