John Robert Smith
President and CEO
John Robert Smith is the former Mayor of Meridian, Mississippi, and a long-time leader on behalf of passenger rail. He is co-chairman of Transportation for America, a former Chairman of Amtrak’s board, and a former member of the transportation committees of the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, as well as former co-chairman of the National Forum on the Future of Passenger Rail. 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.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 202-429-6990
(September 9, 2009)
Allison Brooks
Chief Of Staff
As Chief of Staff 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.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 510-268-8602
(October 18, 2007)
Sam Zimbabwe
Technical Assistance Director
Sam Zimbabwe is technical assistance director in Reconnecting America’s Washington D.C. office. He is an urban designer with a background in TOD planning and pedestrian-oriented design. Previously he managed regional and site-specific planning and design projects in the San Francisco Bay area and western U.S., including station concept design, a TOD policy framework, and a joint development program for the planned Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 202-429-6990
(July 29, 2008)
Sarah A. Kline
Policy Director
As policy director for Reconnecting America, Sarah Kline is responsible for the organization’s work on Capitol Hill fostering healthy and prosperous communities that serve people of all incomes. A lawyer by profession, Kline has worked as counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. Before joining Reconnecting America she was director of policy and government relations for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Kline graduated magna cum laude with a degree in history from Harvard University and received her law degree from Stanford Law School.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 202-429-6990
(August 31, 2010)
Darnell Chadwick Grisby
Deputy Policy Director
Darnell Grisby, who most recently worked as a legislative advocate in Sacramento, California, brings extensive experience in transportation issues on the state and local level and a strong background in housing to his position as deputy policy director, where he plays a key role in the organization’s work in transit-oriented development and transportation equity. Grisby holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard and was valedictorian at UCLA, where he earned a degree in political science.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 202-429-6990
(August 31, 2010)
Rebecca M. (Becky) Sullivan
Communications Director
Becky Sullivan joined Reconnecting America in February 2010 as Communications Director. She is responsible for developing and managing a comprehensive communications program to include branding, media relations, website oversight and all internal and external communications. Becky has more than 20 years of experience in communications and government relations, including positions at the U.S Department of Transportation, the White House and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Originally from Ohio, Becky has a BS in Political Science from Kent State University.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 202-429-6990
(March 11, 2010)
Abigail Thorne-Lyman
Project Director
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.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 510-268-8602
(January 27, 2010)
Catherine Cox Blair
Program Director
Catherine Cox-Blair is program director for Reconnecting America. She provides TOD training to regions and helps set up land acquisition funds. Prior to her arrival at Reconnecting America, Catherine served as a senior associate with Cherokee Investment Fund in Denver, a leading private equity firm that invests in brownfield redevelopment. Before that she worked for the city of Denver, managing the city’s exemplary transit oriented development program. Catherine also led station area planning efforts and a number of other TOD initiatives, including a public housing redevelopment strategy. Catherine is based in Denver; she lives in Highlands with her husband and daughter.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 303-881-3858
(June 29, 2009)
Alia Anderson
Program & Policy Associate
Alia Anderson is a Program & Policy Associate in Reconnecting America's Oakland office. She specializes in state and federal policy, transportation planning, and urban design as it relates to transit station-area placemaking. Before joining the staff at Reconnecting America, Alia served as the Executive Director of a transportation and land use advocacy organization in central Virginia, where she oversaw an urban streetcar campaign, worked on programs linking physical activity and the built environment, and provided trainings on Safe Routes to School programs to practitioners around the country. Alia has also worked for the Urban Land Institute of San Francisco, providing technical assistance and program management for a Bay Area transit-oriented development program. Alia holds a M.A. from UC Berkeley in City and Regional Planning and a B.A. from the University of Virginia.
Contact: E-mail Phone: (510) 268-8602
(March 12, 2010)
Kelley Britt
Program Associate
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.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 202-429-6990
(October 18, 2007)
Elizabeth Wampler
Program Associate/Data Analyst
Elizabeth is a Program Associate/Data Analyst in Reconnecting America's Oakland office. She recently received her Masters in City Planning from the University of Berkeley, where she did research on climate change and housing and income equity near transit. Previously, Elizabeth lived and worked on the southside of Chicago, where she served as the industrial coordinator at a community development agency after receiving her BA at the University of Chicago.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 510-268-8602
(October 1, 2009)
Jeffrey Wood
New Media Director/Chief Cartographer
Jeff is the New Media Director and Chief Cartographer at Reconnecting America. He does mapping analysis for a variety of projects and conducts research on transit mode funding, technology, and the relationship of transit to development while also coordinating new media outreach and communications. Previous to his work at Reconnecting America, Jeff co-founded Connect Austin, an umbrella organization for nonprofits in Austin that promoted streetcars. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and a Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 510-268-8602
(April 5, 2007)
John L. Hughes
Communications Manager
John Hughes became communications manager in July 2010, having worked with Reconnecting America since 2008 as webmaster and content manager for the organization's Internet efforts. As the communications manager, Hughes assists the Communications Director and the New Media Director. Hughes worked for more than 27 years for The Sacramento Bee, holding editing positions in the newsroom, Capitol bureau and the opinion pages. Hughes has a strong interest in transportation, housing and community revitalization and how all of these issues can be integrated through transit-oriented development. For more than a decade Hughes has also operated a web design, construction and maintenance firm catering to small businesses and nonprofits.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 916-359-9407
(July 6, 2010)
G. Sasha Forbes
Policy Associate
Sasha Forbes is a policy associate in Reconnecting America’s Washington, DC office. She works on federal and local level transit-oriented development policies including mixed-income housing, equitable development, “green communities” and energy efficiency. Previously, Sasha was an urban planner with a land use firm in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. There she worked on comprehensive plans, TOD corridor visioning, housing studies, and permit reviews. She is passionate about sustainable development and community outreach and advocacy. Sasha has a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Florida.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 202-429-6990
(January 29, 2010)
Tina Pasco-Sanchez
Administrative Director
Tina is the Administrative Director for Reconnecting America, where she oversees accounting, grant administration, purchasing and human resources. Previous to her work at Reconnecting America, she managed Homeland Security grant funds for the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management and served as the office administrator for the San Francisco Mayor’s Office Treasure Island Development Authority. She has also worked in several political campaigns for local initiatives and candidates. Tina graduated from the University of San Francisco with a BS in Business Administration.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 510-268-8602
(October 1, 2009)
Vicki Watkins
Executive Assistant
Vicki provides support to Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith and other staff in the Washington DC office. Previously she worked as an executive assistant to the executive director of a Washington DC law firm.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 202-429-6990
(February 2, 2010)
Crystal Henle
Administrative Assistant
Crystal wears many hats including office administration, membership coordination, and office technology liason. She also provides support for human resources and operations. Previously, she worked as an event coordinator for a Bay Area nonprofit and as legislative assistant for former Minnesota Representative Myron Orfield. She has a bachelor's degree in geography.
Contact: E-mail Phone: 510-268-8602
(October 1, 2009)
