Cambridge Systematics (CS) CEO Brad Wright announced the promotion of five staff to the role of Principal and recognized the annual Manheim and Taggart award recipients.
Five Senior Staff Promoted to Principal
“The senior staff who have been promoted to Principal are a group of exceptionally talented professionals who represent the best of CS," said Wright. “Their subject matter expertise, commitment to client success, talent, and generosity in mentoring the next generation of leaders make them true ambassadors of our firm’s core values."
Introducing Our Newest Principals…
David Baumgartner
David is a key contributor across a range of areas and activities. In recent years, he has led significant proposal efforts, achieving an enviable success rate across topics and geographic markets. He has been essential to maintaining client relationships in the Northeast and beyond and has been instrumental to projects across the country. A recognized thought leader with a particular focus on transit & shared mobility and funding & finance, his papers and blog posts on those topics have found a growing audience. David is a strong manager who sets high standards for himself, is deliberate in his support, and holds himself and others accountable to the highest standards.
Rebecca Brown
A trusted and talented technical lead in our Software group, Rebecca is well known and respected for a range of attributes—among them, her invaluable project estimation skills. In addition, Rebecca has a well-earned reputation as a "fixer." She is adept at identifying problems, confronting issues head-on with a deft hand, and moving complex projects forward. CS has benefitted from Rebecca's contributions across a variety of platforms and projects. She strengthens the firm's position in the industry through her ability to solve challenging issues and meet unique client needs.
Lisa Destro
Lisa has won the admiration of many at CS and ascended to a critical leadership role. She has contributed strategically and technically in the freight planning space and is a true force in driving the business. Along the way, Lisa has forged strong client relationships, helping position the company to win significant new work and follow-up projects. She has excelled with project delivery, project management, and business development, and serves as an ambassador for CS, presenting at conferences and earning the firm visibility through her insights and accomplishments.
John Gliebe
John has made a tremendous impact in a short amount of time at CS. He has played an important role in pursuing and winning project work, delivering on highly challenging projects, navigating complex stakeholder dynamics, and balancing competing demands. He has been pivotal to the Ohio Strategic Transportation and Development Analysis Project, currently one of CS' largest active projects. John has played a critical senior role in the project and has helped to guide critical technical decisions related to the use and enhancement of the statewide model. He is a hands-on manager who earns high marks as a mentor to junior and midlevel staff. He is also active in TRB circles, routinely showcasing the field's, and our firm's, latest innovations.
Hannah Santiago
A core member of the Planning Group, Hannah's welcome leadership capabilities are always on display, beginning with her insightful contributions at the proposal stage of a project. A thoughtful, capable communicator, she is adept at helping others understand and shine in their individual roles. She successfully manages a diverse portfolio of projects across the country and is diligent about delivering on time and on budget and earning the trust and admiration of clients. Hannah brings a balanced approach to managing teams; she is dedicated to others' development and elevates the work by holding her team to the highest standards. A collaborator at heart, she consistently models the OneCS philosophy.
2023 Manheim and Taggart Award Winners
Marvin L. Manheim Award Winner:
Minnesota DOT (MnDOT) Mobility-as-a-Service project team
The Minnesota DOT (MnDOT) Mobility-as-a-Service project team excelled in developing a trip-planning app for rural transit in Southern and Western Minnesota. Hosted through the Transit app, the platform allows customers to discover various transit & shared mobility options and even to directly book and pay for some of those services within the app. Launched a year ago as a pilot in partnership with 13 rural transit agencies and intercity bus companies, its open approach does not rely on vendor platforms. The team led the implementation of transactional data specifications (TDS) which supports system interoperability, helping providers operate as one integrated network. The app connects multiple services and allocates rides among them, improving access to demand response transportation services and enabling more efficient service delivery. The project positions CS as a leading provider of mobility-as-a-service integration and as a pioneer in TDS implementation. The team includes Lenny Caraballo, Jenn Whittingham, Mitchell Salvatore, Alex Andrade, Becky Soll, Cayla Savitzky, Jyothi Kataru, Brian Jennings, and Raphael Barcham.
Established in 2001, the Marvin L. Manheim Award celebrates the legacy of one of the four original founders of CS, Marvin L. Manheim. His vision, intellectual leadership, and emphasis on creativity served as one of the primary driving forces behind the growth and success of CS. Each year, this award is presented to an individual or team who best demonstrates Marvin Manheim’s key qualities in the development of a new product or service, an innovative solution for a client, a new approach to client service, or a business process improvement.
Chip Taggart Exceptional Service Award Winner:
Sue Krabbe, Director of Facilities
Sue Krabbe has a long history with CS and is highly respected and admired. She began her tenure at CS as executive assistant to Lance Neumann as CEO and soon thereafter, Chip as COO. Showing her attention to detail, skillful execution, and drive to continually improve processes, she soon became the Director of Facilities. In this role, she is responsible for the operations of all facilities, working closely with office directors, as well as managing administrative support staff. She also continues to provide valuable support to the CS Board and leadership team and handles company events and other special projects along the way. Most recently, Sue coordinated three office moves last year for Bethesda, Chicago, and Oakland, negotiating more favorable terms that yielded significant savings for CS. During the pandemic, Sue pivoted her role to focus on how best to support staff working in a remote environment. This transition was nearly seamless, in large part due to the dedicated work of our Facilities and IT teams. Today, Sue, along with Joey Nicotera, is leading conversations about the office of the future, rethinking office spaces, policies, and services that will guide us into the future of a modern, hybrid work environment.
The Chip Taggart Exceptional Service Award is named in honor of CS’ first Chief Operating Officer. Chip embodied the philosophy of forming strong personal relationships to improve operational performance and exemplify excellence in all work endeavors. Created in 2011, this award honors his many contributions to CS and represents our continued corporate commitment to excellent service, operational efficiency, and our core values.
Congratulations to our newest Principals and award recipients. Thank you all for your continued commitment to service and excellence across the firm!