2023 Board of Directors

Kristy Tu

Chair

Kristy Tu is a Transportation Engineer with the Integrated Planning team at Arup. At Arup, Kristy works on a variety of interdisciplinary projects with a team of planners, urban designers, and engineers. She has a background in transportation planning and traffic engineering with a particular interest in repurposing infrastructure, transport models and mobility data.

Kristy’s teenage fascination with her local bus system led her to a career in transportation. She is also fond of leading pedestrian intervals, streetcars, and the humble street tree.

Kristy is originally from Canada, where she graduated from Queen’s University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. She is a past board member of the YPT Toronto Chapter, TransportationCamp organizer, and also keenly involved in the broader transportation and engineering community with ITE, WTS and SWE. When she’s not thinking about transportation, she is probably thinking about her next meal.

Samuel Chan

Deputy Chair

Samuel Chan is a Senior Analyst at JetBlue, supporting corporate communications for flight operations (pilots) and technical operations (maintenance) at JetBlue. Prior to moving to NYC and joining the airline industry, Samuel worked for a global bank in Hong Kong and Sydney, where he discovered his passion for transit-oriented development and sustainable cities.
Samuel is a graduate of the University of Hong Kong, where he received a bachelor’s degree in journalism, with a second major in marketing. As an avid traveler, he has backpacked across 30+ countries, from Kazakhstan to Nepal. When not up in the air or at an airport, Samuel enjoys hiking and exploring neighborhoods by Citi Bike.

Gal Kramer

Director of Administration

Gal Kramer is a transit planner at Via on their Strategies consulting team. At Via, Gal works with public sector partners to develop and design demand-response and multimodal transit systems. She is specifically interested in the connections between mobility, climate change, and equity. Before moving to New York, Gal lived in Boston and worked as a fellow at the MBTA and as an intern at the Massachusetts Port Authority.

Beyond work, Gal enjoys baking, watching movies, and listening to podcasts. In her free time, she can also be found taking walks in the city and exploring new neighborhoods. Gal has a Masters in Urban Planning from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and a B.A. from McGill University.

Sam Sklar

Director of Communications

Sam is a freelance transportation planner and writer (sklar.substack.com) with over 10 years experience in real estate finance and planning agencies and nonprofits across the US. He has a master’s degree in sustainable transportation planning and infrastructure from Penn’s School of Design.

Prior to joining YPT-NYC’s board, Sam was an active board member of YPT-DC and a member of YPT-Philadelphia. When not writing, Sam can be found blogging about every best picture winner, trying to find the best ramen in NYC, and planning a hike somewhere.
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Logan Wagner

Director of Finance

Logan Wagner is a Transportation Engineer at GPI, where he enjoys working on projects related to Transit Signal Priority, asset management, and building information modeling. Prior to joining GPI, he interned at a community development organization and city planning department in the Greater Cleveland area. Logan is passionate about equitable transportation, affordable housing, and trains, of course.
Logan attended New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering, where he graduated with a B.S. in civil engineering. He is an active member of the Institute of Transportation Met Section. Outside of work, he enjoys playing volleyball, skiing, ceramics, and trying to find the best birria tacos in NYC.

Tara Lanigan

Director of Membership

Tara is a Presidential Management Fellow at the U.S. Department of Transportation, where she works on the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grants program. Prior to joining USDOT, Tara led policy at May Mobility, a self-driving shuttle startup based in Michigan, where she focused on accessibility, sustainability, and safety in the autonomous vehicle space.

Tara attended the University of Michigan, where she graduated with a B.A. in political science and a master’s degree from the Ford School of Public Policy. Originally from Southern California, she now lives on the Upper West Side, where she loves walking Remy (her Boston Terrier) through Central Park.

Paras Khaitan

Director of Partnerships

Paras is a Professional Engineer with 6+ years of industry experience in Geotechnical Engineering. He works at HDR and is based in the NYC area. Paras has worked on projects with most agencies in New York and New Jersey, DOTs across the US, federal agencies, and private developers. His work includes providing recommendations for new foundations and embankments, remediation recommendations for existing foundation elements, instrumentation, and impact assessment to protect existing structures during proposed construction.

Along with YPT, Paras is also involved with the DFI and ASCE. He earned his master’s degree in civil engineering from Columbia University and his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Mumbai. Outside of work, Paras spends time following the English premier league, planning trips for hiking or snowboarding, indoor rock climbing, and riding his bike.

Martin Buceta Bertini

Director of Professional Development

Martin Buceta Bertini, EIT is a Traffic Engineer with the Transportation Planning and Engineering team at Jacobs. Martin works on diverse transportation projects, being involved in tasks such as traffic studies, engineering design, big data analysis, modeling and simulation. Before joining Jacobs, he interned at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Martin is interested in urban mobility and the application of data to transportation planning, and has a personal fondness for trains.
Martin is originally from Argentina, but moved to NYC to obtain a B.S. in civil engineering with a minor in transportation engineering from New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering. During his time in college, Martin was closely involved with his school’s ITE student chapter and helped organize TransportationCamp NYC.

Darwin Keung

Director of Programs

Darwin Keung is the Climate and Health Advocacy and Policy Manager at the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to promoting environmentally sound and equitable transportation. Darwin works to transform the transportation sector and address the issues of climate change and environmental justice. He brings his passion for climate, health, and equity to the transportation community from his previous work with the New York State Office of the Attorney General, Natural Resources Defense Council, and as a researcher at Columbia University where he received his master’s in public health and a certificate in environmental health policy.

Beyond his work, Darwin is the co-founder of his local Climate Reality chapter and a member of Rockland County’s Environmental Management Council. When not thinking about transit or the environment Darwin can be found adding to his never-ending list of restaurants and breweries to try, playing Magic, taking a jaunt around a nearby lake, or pushing himself to try out new things — the latest being paddleboarding and preparing to survive his first half marathon.

Isabella Downes

Director of Programs

Isabella Downes is a Business Development Coordinator at Ride Circuit, where she works both regionally and nationally to gain new partnerships, and help current partnerships flourish in the electric micro-shuttle transit space. Her work involves assisting the national sales teams and company executives, working closely with clients to improve their services, and building proposals and presentations to grow the business and educate the public.

Isabella attended DePaul University, where she graduated with a master’s degree in sustainable urban development, with a focus in metropolitan development and planning, and a keen interest in transportation. She also attended Wayne State University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s in public relations. Isabella is also a past member and Student Relations Board Chair of the YPT Chicago Chapter. Aside from YPT, she is also a member of the Transportation Research Forum. When she’s not working, Isabella is rehabbing a piece of furniture, exploring a museum, shopping or preparing to throw a dinner party!

Karam Choudhary

Director of Social Media

Karam is a Traffic Engineer at WSP Global. She specializes in infrastructure, construction, and project management with five years of experience in the construction industry, academia, and research. Her experience with the integration of information technology and artificial intelligence in the construction, transportation industry and project management has given her the ability to identify, isolate, and resolve project critical issues.
Karam earned her second master’s degree in computer science and information systems from Rider University. She received her first master’s degree in engineering management and bachelor’s in civil engineering from NED University of Engineering and Technology. Outside work she likes to travel, read self-development books, volunteer work with community centers and is keenly active in the transportation and engineering community with WTS, ITE and ASCE.

Ivoire Lloyd, CF APMP, is currently the Director of Business Development at EXP, and has 19 years of marketing, business development, corporate communications and proposal coordination experience. 

Ivoire is Bronx born and raised and is passionate about the transportation industry. In her previous role at SYSTRA USA, Ivoire managed operations of the proposal department and developed strategic plans to identify opportunities for large-scale pursuits. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and advertising from her beloved HBCU, Norfolk State University (class of 2004).

Ivoire is a volunteer with NY Cares, FreeArts NYC, NAACP – Williamsbridge Branch and she is a mentor. Additionally, Ivoire has published several articles for various organizations, and has led workshops/presented on various proposal and professional development topics and has published her first children’s book.

Ivoire enjoys writing, the company of her family and good friends, trying new restaurants, event planning, and volunteering. She is also the proud mom of two little girls, 24/7/365 (366 on leap year).

Ivoire is also a member of COMTO-New York, SMPS- New York, Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) – Liberty and Black Marketers Association of America.

Matt Kroneberger

Director of YPT-International and YPT-Regional Coordination 

Matt Kroneberger has over a decade of experience in sustainable infrastructure, transportation planning and public outreach. Since moving to the city in 2015, he has had the pleasure of being an active YPT-NYC member. A native of Southern California and former resident of Washington DC, Matt has participated in and witnessed the continuing evolution of New York as a national leader in public mobility.
Matt has had the honor of working to implement bus, bike and rededicated curb lanes for the best and highest use by the public as a Project Manager at the NYC Department of Transportation, share flood risk across New York and New Jersey on behalf of FEMA Region II, and returns to the YPT-NYC board to help elevate member voices in this nationwide and international organization. A Senior Transportation & Mobility Planner at HNTB, Matt’s lifelong passion for sustainable public infrastructure continues in the NYC region.