Board Members

and Committee Structure

  • 2020-2021
  • 23

Executive Board

President
Tim Abel, PE (He/Him/His)

Tim is a Senior Engineer in Structures Production at Amtrak. In this role, he supports the management of the New York Division Structures Production group. Previous to Amtrak, Tim spent seven years as a Staff Engineer at Pennoni working on the design and plan review of transportation improvement projects in the greater Philadelphia region.

This is Tim’s seventh year on the Philadelphia YMF Board. He has previously served as Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, awards chair and the co-chair of the Civil Engineering Club at the Chester A. Arthur Middle School. At the Society level, Tim is also a member of the ASCE Committee on Sustainability.

Tim is a Professional Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from the University of Delaware and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree with concentrations in Transportation and Sustainability from Villanova University.

In his free time, Tim volunteers with the Uplift Center for Grieving Children and the University of Delaware Men’s Crew Team Alumni Association. He enjoys drinking (black) coffee and frequenting Philadelphia institutions like John’s Water Ice and Angelo’s Pizza.

Vice President
Kirsten Brown, PE

Kirsten is an aviation engineer for Urban Engineers working on a variety of airports, from military bases to general aviation. She works on airside and landside projects both in design and construction. She has worked with several airports, including PHL, TTN, CGS, and NFAFB. She is passionate about aviation and the civil engineering industry as a whole. Previously she was a bridge engineer for Walsh Construction on the P3 Rapid Bridge Replacement project. She has a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a B.S. in Architectural Engineering from Drexel University class of 2015.

Kirsten has previously held the position of Technical Events Chair, Society Liaison, Diversity and Inclusion Chair, and Professional Development chair for ASCE YMF. She is also on the professional development committee for WTS, on the AAAE NEC Conference Planning committee and is co-president of UYMF (Urban Engineer's younger member forum). In her personal time she enjoys handstands, acro-yoga, dancing, yoga, finding new fitness gyms, and eating all the best food in the city.

Secretary
Assunta Daprano

Ms. Daprano is a Deputy Project Manager in AECOM's Philadelphia office. She currently serves as the project lead for the CSXT Public Projects GEC, reviewing public improvement projects to assess and mitigate impacts on CSXT facilities in Virginia and the District of Columbia. She also has experience in community engagement, planning, design, and construction of railways, yards, transit facilities, and site inspection for wide-ranging projects, including railroad structures, transit stations, and utility relocations.

Assunta graduated from Drexel University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a concentration in Construction Management. She also holds a Graduate Certification in Railroad Engineering from the University of Delaware. Assunta is an active member of the America Society of Civil Engineers, serving as a Director of the Philadelphia Section, the Secretary of the Philadelphia YMF Section, and a Practitioner Advisor for the Drexel ASCE Chapter. Assunta is also a member of the Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS), Engineer's Club of Philadelphia, American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA).

In her spare time, Assunta enjoys collecting model trains, gardening, spending time with family, friends, and her cats, and baking. She is also an avid railroad enthusiast and hopes to one day learn how to operate a diesel locomotive.

Treasurer
Kevin Walsh

Kevin Walsh is a highway engineer at HNTB in the Philadelphia Transportation group. His design specialties include roadways, utilities, green stormwater infrastructure, bicycle and ADA accessible facilities, permitting, and plan preparation and review for DOT and municipalities. Kevin earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Temple University in 2014.

Kevin is in his eighth year on the ASCE Philadelphia YMF Board currently serving as the Treasurer. Kevin has previously served as the Social Chair (two years), Student Transition Chair, Civil Engineering (CivE) Club Chair (two years), Technical Events Chair, and Professional Development Chair.

Kevin received the ASCE Philadelphia Section Community Outreach and Service Award in 2017 for his work with the Civil Engineering Club at Chester A. Arthur Middle School. Kevin also received the ASCE Philadelphia Section Young Engineer of the Year Award in 2022.

Kevin serves on the Temple University College of Engineering Alumni Association Board as Treasurer. He frequently speaks with newly admitted college students and helps organize young alumni and student events for Temple.

In his free time, Kevin enjoys grilling, woodworking, golfing, biking, and traveling.

The following are Appointed Officer Positions divided up into three committees: Communications, Events, and Outreach. Each of these three committees are chaired by an Executive Board Officer. Descriptions of the responsibilities and duties of these Appointed Officer Positions can be found here: YMF Board Appointed Officer Positions

Communications Committee
(Chaired by Secretary)

Awards Chair
Christopher Medora, EIT (He/Him/His)

CJ is an Associate Traffic Engineer at WSP. He works on a variety of projects for clients such as the City of Philadelphia, PennDOT, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. His work includes designing traffic control, bicycle facilities, and traffic signals.

CJ earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and minors in Mathematics and Theology from Villanova University in 2018. He was active in both the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) during his time at Villanova, serving as President for both clubs. He is a licensed Engineer-In-Training and Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) and holds his LEED Green Associate certification.

In his free time, CJ enjoys hanging out with friends and family, traveling, and trying new places to eat and drink. This is CJ’s fourth year on the board. He previously served two terms as a K-12 Outreach Co-Chair and most recently as the Student Member Transition Chair.

Information Technology (IT) Chair
Cory Bogas, EIT (He/Him)

In 2018, Cory graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He currently works for HNTB as a civil designer in their transportation engineering department. At HNTB, Cory works on a variety of projects, including highway safety improvement, low cost safety improvement, and a broad range of roadway projects. Cory holds a position on the Temple College of Engineering Alumni Association as a Director at Large. In his free time, Cory likes to golf, play tennis, and watch sports.

Public Relations (PR) Chair
Kevin Malley, PE (He/Him)

Kevin Malley is a Staff Engineer in the Water and Sewer Design unit for the Philadelphia Water Department. He specializes in the design of water and sewer systems, along with green infrastructure within the city right of way. He graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Temple University in 2017, and a Masters in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources from Villanova University in 2021. This is his first year on the YMF board and he’s looking forward to a fun year.

Outside of work, Kevin enjoys frequent bike rides along MLK Boulevard and the Schuylkill River Trail. He is an avid Philadelphia sports fan and enjoys going to concerts throughout the city. On the weekends you can find him at a local farmers market with coffee in hand.

Social Media Chair
Alexis Gawelko, EIT

Alexis works in the geotechnical engineering group at Gannett Fleming in their Valley Forge, PA office. She assists project managers in conducting subsurface investigations and designing foundations, ground improvement, and retaining walls for PennDOT, PA Turnpike Commission, and other private clients. This is her first year on the ASCE Philadelphia YMF board.

Alexis graduated in 2019 from Penn State with an M.S. in Civil Engineering. While pursuing her undergraduate and graduate degree, she served in leadership roles for the ASCE student chapter, Concrete Canoe team, and Women in Engineering Program (WEP).

In her free time, Alexis likes to travel, enjoy time with friends and family, hike with her dog, and read.

Events Committee
(Chaired by Treasurer)

Professional Development Chair
Caroline Voigtsberger, EIT

Caroline earned her B.S. in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Environmental Engineering from Temple University in 2016. While at Temple, Caroline was an active member of the ASCE student chapter, serving as Treasurer for two years. She currently works as a civil designer at Hunt Engineering Company, focusing on site design, permitting and approval, erosion and sediment control, and stormwater management.

In her free time, Caroline enjoys running, traveling, reading, and exploring new restaurants in the city.

Professional Development Chair
Tyler Farley, EIT

Tyler graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 2017, earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree with a concentration in Transportation. He currently works for Traffic Planning & Design, Inc. in the Access Design Services Department as a Highway Design Specialist. Tyler focuses on the design of Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) related projects throughout the City of Philadelphia, PennDOT District 6-0, and Delaware. Prior to working full-time at Traffic Planning & Design, he has worked two summers with PennDOT District 4-0 as a construction inspector and a summer with TPD as a highway design specialist intern.

Outside of the office, Tyler enjoys watching and playing various types of sports, spending time with his family & friends, traveling, swimming and water polo, and going to concerts.

Social Events Chair
Christian Antisell, EIT, (He/Him/His)

Christian is a Highway Designer at Traffic Planning and Design, Inc where he specializes in geometric roadway design and plans preparation. Prior to TPD, Chris interned for municipal and utility consultants and graduated with his BS in Civil Engineering from Widener University in 2019. His favorite memory from college was the ASCE Region 2 Geo-Competition.

Chris is a practitioner advisor for the Widener ASCE chapter as well as a father to Ernie and Bert, his two cats. This is his third year on the YMF board.

In his free time, Christian enjoys playing soccer, guitar, snowboarding, golfing, and calisthenics. He enjoys home renovation projects, investing, and playing Catan with his friends. #DOOOOOP

Social Events Chair
Zachariah Abbas, EIT (He/Him)

Zach is a Geotechnical Engineer at Gannett Fleming, and has been with them for 2 years. Prior to Gannett Fleming, Zach earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. At Penn State he was an active member of the ASCE Student Chapter where he served as president of the group. He was also an active member of the Concrete Canoe team and Steel Bridge team. He's now looking to continue his education by pursuing a Master's Degree.

In his free time Zach likes to rock climb, hike, drink coffee, play the drums, and go to concerts.

Technical Events Chair
Sean McCreesh, PE, ENV SP (He/Him)

Sean is a Project Manager at STV Inc. in Philadelphia Transportation and Infrastructure group. He has over nine years of experience with design, analysis, rehabilitation and inspection of bridges and other transportation related structures.

Sean graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland in 2013 and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from Villanova University in 2017. He is also a registered Professional Engineer in PA and NJ, a PennDOT Certified Bridge Safety Inspector and a certified Envision Sustainability Professional.

Sean is in his fifth year on the ASCE Philadelphia YMF Board currently serving as the Technical Events Co-chair. Sean has previously served as the Public Relations Chair and Civil Engineering (CivE) Club Co-chair. Sean received the ASCE Philadelphia Section Community Outreach and Service Award in 2021 for his work with the CivE Club at Chester A. Arthur Middle School.

In his free time, Sean enjoys running, golfing, skiing, playing tennis, traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Technical Events Chair
Darren Black, PE (He/Him/His)

Darren is a graduate of Temple University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an M.S. in Engineering Management. He currently works at Jacobs Engineering as an Intelligent Transportation Systems Engineer. His work includes planning, design, inspection, testing and project management of advanced mobility deployments. Clients include DOTs and transportation authorities around the nation.

Darren’s participation in ASCE YMF began in 2014 when he started attending networking events, construction tours, clean-ups, K-12 outreach events, and seminars. However, it wouldn’t be till 2018 till Darren joined the board. Since that time, Darren has been Community Service Chair and Professional Development Chair.

Outside of work and ASCE, Darren can be found in many places across the city enjoying his love of music, comedy, art, beer, and discovery. Outside Philadelphia, Darren loves to visit his family back in New Jersey and New York, as well as travelling to places abroad to see new faces. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Wagner Free Institute of Science located in North Philadelphia.

Community Service Chair
HuYoung Kim

HuYoung graduated from the Pennsylvania State University, University Park with a B.S. in Civil Engineering with Structural emphasis in 2015. While he was in active military service, HuYoung was deployed as a field engineer for MINUSTAH (United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti) where he participated in highway, bridge and building reconstruction projects after the devastating earthquake in 2010. He was also actively involved with local orphanages in Port-au-Prince where he cleaned and taught English during his service in Haiti.

HuYoung currently serves as a Project Manager at Timothy Haahs and Associates, Inc. where he performs design calculations for precast, cast-in-place and steel structures. He also prepares specifications and construction documents for parking structures, mixed-use buildings and their foundations. HuYoung also performs construction administration services related to shop drawing reviews and field visits for new design projects as well as restoration projects.

In his spare time, HuYoung enjoys cooking, camping and playing tennis and soccer.

Community Service Chair
Marty Williams, PE (He/Him)

Marty graduated from Drexel University in 2012 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He is a project engineer at KMJ Consulting, Inc., working primarily on traffic signal design, maintenance and protection of traffic plans, traffic studies, and ADA curb ramps. Marty became a licensed professional engineer in the state of Pennsylvania in 2016. In addition to ASCE, Marty is active in the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Mid-Atlantic Section, and helped to plan the 2017 and 2019 MASITE Annual Conferences.

In his personal time, Marty is an avid rock climber, always looking to travel and climb in new places. On the weekends he can often be found climbing at the Birdsboro Quarry. He also enjoys backpacking with his dog, Xena.

Outreach Committee
(Chaired by Vice President)

Civil Engineering (CivE) Club Chair
Nooraldean Dabdoub

Noor is a Field Verification Manager at Lennar’s Hamilton, NJ Office. He works with the field personnel to adjust takeoff increase/decrease accordingly to make operation run smoothly in the NJ division.

Noor graduated from Drexel University in June 2017 with Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and concentration in Construction Management. Noor was an active member in Project Management Institute (PMI) during his time at Drexel, serving as Chapter Ambassador.

Outside of work he enjoys walking on the boardwalk, and spending time with family and friends

Civil Engineering (CivE) Club Chair
Anthony Rizzo EIT, ENV SP

Anthony is a Water Resources Engineer for Pennoni Associates, working in the Philadelphia Transportation Division. He graduated from Drexel University in 2019 with a Dual B.S./M.S. in Civil Engineering. Anthony works on a variety of highway and utility projects, with a focus on water main and sewer reconstruction. He has worked on numerous projects for the Philadelphia Water Department, PennDOT, and Private Clients. This will be Anthony’s first year on the YMF Board, hopefully with many more to come!

College Contact Chair
Elvira-Marie Mikhael, EIT (She/Her/Hers)

Elvira graduated from Drexel University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering, where she served as Event Coordinator for the ASCE student chapter for two years and as President of the Drexel Society of Women Engineers. Elvira currently is a Highway Design Specialist at Traffic Planning & Design, working primarily on roadway design relating to Highway Occupancy Permits (HOP) within the City of Philadelphia and PennDOT District 6-0.

An avid biker herself, Elvira loves taking part in bike advocacy programs such as the Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia, promoting safe environments for bicycling in the city. She also enjoys traveling, listening to live music, and has recently started rock climbing!

College Contact Chair
Kayla Nelson, EIT (She/Her)

Kayla Nelson is a Senior Staff Geostructural Professional at Schnabel Engineering in Chadds Ford, where she’s worked since graduating from Widener University with her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2019. During her undergraduate studies, Kayla completed internships with Aluma Systems (Baltimore, MD), Facchina Construction (La Plata, MD), Accu-Crete (Upper Marlboro, MD), and Schnabel Engineering. A Baltimore native, Kayla moved to Philadelphia to begin her full-time career in civil engineering. Her background includes seepage and slope analysis, support-of-excavation design, site observation, and drafting.

Since completing her undergraduate studies, Kayla has been an active member of ASCE, previously serving as Social Media Chair and currently serving her second term as College Contact Chair for ASCE Philadelphia YMF. Additionally, she is a volunteer member of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee and actively participates in YMF community service/outreach events. She is also a member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), currently serving as Secretary of the Philadelphia Section. Kayla has volunteered her time to assist with running labs at Widener/SWE’s Annual Engineering Girls Camp since 2015.

In her spare time, Kayla enjoys hiking, playing board/card games, crocheting, spending time with friends/family, and playing guitar to her rabbit (Jude).

K-12 Outreach Chair
Ben Deatrich, PE (He/Him)

Ben is a Water/Wastewater Project Manager for AECOM. He leads complex and varied projects for water utilities throughout the region and has a passion for systematizing work using simple productivity tools. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering at Temple University in 2012 and 2018, respectively. Ben has served as a K-12 Outreach co-chair since 2021.

On the weekends, Ben can be found camping, snowboarding, disc golfing, or geocaching with his wife and three sons. He is also a proud Toastmaster and serves as president of his local club

K-12 Outreach Chair
Kerianne Chen (She/They)

Kerianne received her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, with a minor in communications from Drexel University in 2020. They work at Traffic Planning & Design (TPD) in Access Design Services as a Highway Design Specialist in the Philadelphia office. Prior to graduating, she completed three co-ops for Philadelphia Streets Department, HNTB, and TPD; studied abroad in Melbourne, Australia; and participated in STEM Outreach at various Drexel events.

Outside of work, you can find her working on crafts like sewing and crochet, outside hiking or kayaking, or traveling and seeing friends & family. While originally from Austin, Texas, Kerianne has since adopted Philadelphia as their new home, and has been enjoying visiting mountains and other scenery of the tri-state area.

Student Member Transition Chair
Sabrina Mamo (She/They)

Sabrina is a project manager for Carroll Engineering Corporation in Warrington, PA. She focuses on municipal and tri-state local projects including Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Her day-to-day role includes staff training, CAD managing, traffic reviews, mentorship, business communication, and design. She serves as the primary reviewer for local townships. This is Sabrina’s second year serving on the YMF board as the Student Transition Chair, JEDI committee member, and on ASCE’s MOSAIC. Other engineering professional organizations that she participates in are MASITE and WTS. Her alma mater is the University of South Florida, where she started her career on projects in FDOT D1 and D4.

In her free time, Sabrina enjoys kayaking, painting, traveling, business development, volunteering, and spending time with her loved ones.

JEDI Committee

JEDI Chair
Matthew Reese (He/Him)

Matthew graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Civil Engineering. With both a Professional Engineering licensure and American Institute of Certified Planning certification he works on land development project for both the public and private sectors. With a design and engineering background he knits together grey and green infrastructure with parks, plazas, and public spaces. Over the past decade he has worked on natural gas projects in Central PA, university work in Boston, and green infrastructure projects in Philadelphia.

In addition to his work as an engineer, Matthew has a strong focus on diversity equity and inclusion (DEI). At Urban engineers he is Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ DEI committee, has given presentations focusing on DEI to engineers, and tries to be in advocate in all facets of his life.

Mentors

Past President
Dennis Wilson, PE (He/Him/His)

Dennis works for McCormick Taylor as a Project Manager in Transportation Engineering and has more than 10 years of transportation engineering experience. Based in McCormick Taylor’s Philadelphia headquarters, Dennis is a registered Professional Engineer in both Pennsylvania and Florida, leading design efforts on jobs in both the greater Philadelphia area and the southwest Florida area out of their Fort Myers office. His project experience has included intersection improvements, highway rehabilitations, and interchange reconstructions. Dennis also helps to manage the PennDOT District 6 HOP Review contract and the City of Philadelphia On-Call ADA contract. Dennis graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, where he completed his senior design project in Ecuador, in 2012 with a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a concentration in Structural Engineering.

In addition to his current role on the YMF Board, Dennis is the incoming Chair of ASCE’s Committee on Younger Members (CYM). In his spare time, Dennis enjoys traveling, cheering on the Philly sports teams (and Pitt Panthers - Hail to Pitt!), playing sports (ice hockey, golf, softball), and checking out new restaurants around the city with friends. Dennis lives in Folsom (Delco) with his wife, Bridget, and their two cats, Maci and Miles.

Second Past President
Katrina Lawrence, PE, AICP

Katrina works for Pennoni Associates as a Project Engineer in their Philadelphia Transportation Division and is the Assistant Project Manager for the I-95 CAP project. Prior to Pennoni, Katrina has worked for McCormick Taylor as an Associate Project Manager, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) as a Consultant Project Manager for PennDOT District 6, and the Georgia Department of Transportation as an Urban Planning Engineer. Katrina received her bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2010 and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania and Delaware as well as a Certified Planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners. She has been on the ASCE Philadelphia YMF Board for 6 years and has held the following positions: K-12 Outreach Chair; Awards Chair; Treasurer; and most recently, Vice President. In her spare time, Katrina enjoys cycling, traveling, and attending sporting events (Go Yankees!) with her family and friends.

Other Past Presidents

The YMF has a long, proud history of excellent leadership. The following have devoted their time and energy as Presidents of our great organization:

  • 2021-2022 - Dennis Wilson
  • 2020-2021 - Katrina Lawrence
  • 2019-2020 - Jesse Gormley
  • 2018-2019 - Eammon Farley
  • 2017-2018 - Nha Truong
  • 2016-2017 - Kevin Brown
  • 2015-2016 - Chris Renfro
  • 2014-2015 - Drew Sirianni
  • 2013-2014 - Chris Gray
  • 2012-2013 - Kazi Hassan
  • 2011-2012 - Jeremy Chrzan
  • 2010-2011 - Mike Wagner
  • 2009-2010 - Cathy Farrell
  • 2008-2009 - Don Gusic
  • 2007-2008 - Joseph Platt
  • 2006-2007 - John Federico
  • 2005-2006 - Jeremy Colello
  • 2004-2005 - Alyson Lester
  • 2003-2004 - Michael McAtee
  • 2002-2003 - Kristen Bowman-Kavanaugh
  • 2001-2002 - Christopher Wright
  • 2000-2001 - Carol Martsolf
  • 1999-2000 - Christopher Menna
  • 1998-1999 - John Zarsky
  • 1997-1998 - Yael Heller-Jekogian
  • 1996-1997 - David Hanly
  • 1995-1996 - Allen Cadden

And prior to 1995, when the YMF wasn't quite as organized as today, there were a number of other people who focused their efforts to bring about the YMF as we know it today. Some of these people, who have our sincerest thanks, include:

  • Joanne Anovick
  • Ruben David
  • John Durrant
  • Tom Lauer
  • Ed Lutz
  • Sandra May
  • Drew Mihocko
  • Bill Thomsen
  • Bob Wright