Three Women CEOs Bring Their Expertise to MTI Board

MTI welcomes Kristin Decas, Sachie Oshima, and Lynda Tran as new members of the Board of Trustees for the 2024-2027 term.

Kristin Decas comes to MTI as CEO & Port Director of Port of Hueneme in California. A proven leader, Decas has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to build a vision and implement strategy through open, collaborative processes that foster results. Her leadership increased cargo, revenues, and economic impact at the Port of Hueneme. She also championed an endeavor that evolved into “Feeding the Frontline” events, which bring over 1.8 million lbs. of produce and other resources to 56,000 families in Ventura County. A true trailblazer, Decas was the first woman to lead the Port of Hueneme in its 87-year history.

Dr. Sachie Oshima worked as an emergency medicine physician for more than two decades, including with Stanford University’s healthcare organization, before she took on the roles of Chair & CEO of Allied Telesis. Prior to joining the Allied Telesis team, she was also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine and she brings that laser focus to her current organization, which is committed to innovating the transportation sector through technology. Sachie proudly leads the company’s efforts to produce high-quality, innovative networking solutions that are competitive and cost-effective while maintaining a positive, agile, and supportive customer-first approach. Dr. Oshima believes in furthering this mission and ensuring the company’s work continues to make an impact in the industry. Having previously served on the Allied Telesis board for more than ten years, she is successfully continuing her father’s work as CEO, and now as an MTI Trustee. 

Lynda Tran is CEO of Lincoln Room Strategies and a nationally recognized leader in transportation and infrastructure policy. As Senior Advisor to USDOT Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Director of Public Engagement for DOT, she helped activate stakeholders to secure passage of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and played a critical role in shaping the policies and programs that determine how these historic resources are allocated. She also served as the DOT’s official designee to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawai’ians, and Pacific Islanders for the past two years. During the Obama Administration, she was director of communications for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, where she advised a bipartisan team of political appointees on high-profile transportation challenges ranging from unintended acceleration in passenger cars, to vehicle battery safety, to roadway fatalities and serious injuries. Lynda has managed high-profile communication operations across government, politics, and labor—leading teams at the federal and state levels, and more.

Each of these leaders brings their unmatched talents, extraordinary and actionable visions, and specific expertise to the MTI Board of Trustees to help continue to advance our goals to improve mobility for all.

ABOUT THE MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE

At the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San Jose State University (SJSU) our mission is to increase mobility for all by improving the safety, efficiency, accessibility, and convenience of our nations’ transportation system. Through research, education, workforce development and technology transfer, we help create a connected world. Founded in 1991, MTI is a university transportation center funded by the US Department of Transportation, the California Department of Transportation, and public and private grants, including those made available by the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1). MTI is affiliated with SJSU’s Lucas College and Graduate School of Business.

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