MTI Names 2025–2028 Trustees and Honors Emeritus Leaders

MTI welcomes Dina El-Tawansy, Anna Harvey, Matthew Tucker, K. Jane Williams as new members of the Board of Trustees for the 2025-2028 term and elevates Trustees Will Kempton and Diane Woodend Jones to emeritus status. 

As the Director of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Dina El-Tawansy manages a nearly $20 billion budget and more than 22,000 employees who oversee 50,000 lane miles of highway, maintain 20,000 bridges, fund three of Amtrak’s busiest intercity rail services, and support more than 200 local and regional transit agencies. Previously, Director El-Tawansy was the first woman to ever serve as the Bay Area District 4 Director, where she led the  oversight of all highways, toll bridges, and tunnels in the greater San Francisco Area. While much of her three-decade Caltrans’ career has been in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, Director El-Tawansy also served as Acting Assistant Divisions Chief for Project and Program Management in HQ (Sacramento) and the Deputy District Director of Operations and Maintenance in D12 (Orange County). 

Also joining MTI is Anna Harvey. She is Deputy Project Director of Engineering for The Portal project (formerly known as the Downtown Rail Extension), an $8 billion Caltrain tunnel extension into the Salesforce Transit Center. A licensed civil engineer with over 15 years of experience, Harvey began her career on the Central Subway project before taking on roles with California High-Speed Rail and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. She has worked across funding, highways, rail, and station planning, and currently serves on a TRB research panel. She was named Student of the Year when she graduated from SJSU’s MS in Transportation Management program, and she is an active mentor to emerging industry professionals.

Matt Tucker comes to MTI as HDR’s Global Transit Director, where he sets the strategic vision for a team of over 650 employees delivering a diverse portfolio of services tailored to the design and delivery of bus, streetcar, commuter rail, light rail, subway, and inter-city passenger rail projects and programs worldwide. Prior to joining HDR, Tucker spent 15 years serving as the CEO of the North County (San Diego) Transit District (NCTD). During his tenure, NCTD constructed a downtown COASTER rail station, replaced its fleet with new locomotives, and advanced the agency’s transition to zero emissions bus fleets. Prior to NCTD, he was the Executive Director of the Virginia Department of Rail & Public Transportation, COO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), and held transit leadership roles in Phoenix and Richmond.

K. Jane Williams is a senior vice president and national practice consultant in HNTB’s advisory practice. Based in Washington, D.C., Williams serves clients nationwide as an advisor related to federal transportation funding and policy strategies. Williams brings more than three decades of experience in federal and state government along with work in the private sector in the areas of transportation and infrastructure. Her extensive background includes serving as senior advisor to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and acting administrator of the Federal Transit Administration from August 2017-January 2021. During her tenure at the FTA, Williams managed over $80 billion in grants, overseeing some of the largest formula and competitive grant programs in the nation. 

In addition to welcoming El-Tawansy, Harvey, Tucker, and Williams as new members of the Board, MTI is elevating two trustees to emeritus status. Trustee Will Kempton is a renowned transportation innovator and retired Executive Director with 50 years of experience in transportation, government affairs, and public service. He has been a member of the Mineta Transportation Institute Board of Trustees since 2004 and served as Chair during the 2021-2023 term. Trustee Diane Woodend Jones is Chairman of the Board, Executive Vice President, and Principal of the international consulting firm, Lea+Elliott, Inc. who has served in leadership and on the firm’s Board of Directors for more than two decades. She served with distinction on MTI’s Board for twelve years.

Each of these distinguished professionals brings a wealth of experience, innovative leadership, a deep commitment to public service, and indispensable dedication that strengthens MTI and helps shape a better, more connected transportation future.

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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