John Robert Smith is the former Mayor of Meridian, Mississippi, and a long-time activist on behalf of passenger rail. He is co-chairman of the National Forum on the Future of Passenger Rail, is a member of Amtrak’s board, and a member of the transportation committees of the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He is a veteran of the station-centered community development movement, and led the drive to renovate the City of Meridian’s Union Station, a $7 million historic restoration project that created a new multimodal transportation center, dramatically increased use of the station, raised property values and city tax receipts, and lowered crime in the station's neighborhood. He served on Reconnecting America’s board for five years, and was a founding partner and board member of Reconnecting America’s predecessor organization, the Great American Station Foundation, voting to expand its mission and change its name in 2004.

As Managing Director of Reconnecting America, Allison Brooks is responsible for overseeing all grants and contract work and in helping to guide the overall strategic direction of the organization. Prior to joining Reconnecting America, Allison served as Program Officer for the Livable Communities Program at the East Bay Community Foundation where she spearheaded a number of innovative and collaborative transit oriented development and community development efforts across the Bay Area, particularly in low-income and under served communities. Allison has an extensive background in building broad collaborations, working in partnership with diverse local and regional stakeholders, to foster healthier, more equitable and sustainable communities. She has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego and a Masters in Sustainable International Development from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.

Abigail Thorne-Lyman is Project Director in Reconnecting America’s Oakland office, and manages a range of technical assistance projects throughout the United States. She was previously a Principal at Strategic Economics, a partner in the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, where she managed economic and real estate analyses for a range of different clients including transit agencies and local governments. She has worked with CTOD since 2004, during which time she has completed a wide range of assignments supporting TOD at the station area, corridor, and regional scales. Abby received her Master in City Planning from U.C. Berkeley with a concentration in regional and local economic development. She has a Bachelor of Arts in the Growth and Structure of Cities from Bryn Mawr College.

Kelley C. Britt is a program associate in Reconnecting America's Washington, DC office. She performs policy research on the federal and local levels and provides support on technical assistance projects. Previously, she was a Comprehensive Planner with the city of Baltimore, MD (Eastern district) where she managed multiple master planning projects involving TOD, permit reviews, and capital improvement projects. She was also a community planner for the Department of Defense (contractor) and the cities of Laurel, MD and Cleveland, OH. Kelley has a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Affairs and a Master's degree in Urban Planning, Design, and Development from Cleveland State University.