Sharon Smith ~ CIAC Chair
Sharon Smith serves as a commissioner on the Oregon Transportation Commission and is the CIAC Chair. Sharon is an attorney providing legal services for Bend-La Pine Schools on a contract with the High Desert Educational Service District. She advises Bend-La Pine Schools regarding land use, real estate, procurement, contracting, policies, public records and meetings laws and general education law. She is the lead attorney on all aspects of Bend-La Pine Schools’ 2017 $268,000,000 Bond for new schools, safety and other upgrades.
Prior to joining the High Desert ESD, Sharon was a shareholder at Bryant, Lovlien& Jarvis, PC. In private practice from 1991 to 2017, she represented both private development interests as well as public entities.
Sharon has extensive experience working with transportation system plans, transportation engineers and planners.
Leah Horner ~ ODOT Executive Sponsor
Leah is currently serving as the Assistant Director for Operations at the Oregon Department of Transportation. That portfolio oversees the ODOT divisions of delivery and operations, policy and data analysis, public transit and the urban mobility office. Leah most recently worked as Oregon Governor Brown's Deputy Chief of Staff and Infrastructure Director and previously as the Governor's Jobs and Economy Policy Advisor and Director of Regional Solutions. She has served in government relations roles in a number of agencies, including the Department of Human Services, Oregon Health Authority and previously at ODOT. Leah has a Masters in Economic Development and a Bachelors of Science in Political Science.
Ted Aadland ~ External Representative
With over 40 years of experience in the construction sector, Ted
Aadland is currently working as a consultant, mentoring businesses and
individuals. A former president of the Associated General Contractors of
America, he co-founded F. E. Ward, Inc. in 1979,
created the partnership Aadland Evans Constructors, Inc. in 2003, and oversaw
the construction of the Sellwood Bridge for Sundt Construction between 2012 and
2017.
Ted was recently the chairman of the National AGC Political
Action Committee, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, the Legislative
Committee, the Highway Committee, and the Past Presidents Leadership Committee.
Paula Hammond ~ External Representative
Paula Hammond is a native of Klamath Falls and a graduate of
Oregon State University where she earned a degree in civil engineering. She
worked for the Washington State Department of Transportation for 34 years,
including five years as WSDOT secretary of transportation. She now works with
transportation agencies across the nation in her role with engineering firm
WSP.
Paula is a nationally recognized figure on transportation
issues, having served as an advisory committee member for the United States
Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Program and
as a leader of numerous American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials committees.
Shanna Brownstein ~ External Representative
Shanna Brownstein works for TESLA on climate, resiliency, and transportation electrification partnerships. She previously worked at NW Natural in government and community affairs, focused on local and regional utility issues and environmental policies. Prior to joining NW Natural, she directed policy and government affairs at The Climate Trust.
Shanna is the Board Chairwoman of the NW Energy Coalition and a founding board member of the Renewable Hydrogen Alliance. She holds a Master's degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colby College.
Rod Cross ~ External Representative
Rod Cross is the mayor of Toledo, Oregon. He applied to the Planning Commission soon after moving there in 1996 and has served in some capacity within the city since that time. He is in his second stint as mayor, his sixth year this time around. He also served as a city councilor from 1999 to 2008. He grew up in Brownsville, Oregon, volunteered for the U.S. Army out of high school, and has traveled from Turkey to Thailand. Mayor Cross is passionate about his city and the state of Oregon.
Amy Ramsdell ~ ODOT Administrator
Amanda Pietz ~ ODOT Administrator
Amanda Pietz is the administrator for the Oregon Department of Transportation Policy, Data, and Analysis Division. The division oversees the work of the Policy, Planning, Research, Data, and the Climate Office. Amanda was the inaugural Climate Office Director, establishing a new program and setting the strategic climate direction for the agency. She has been with ODOT for nearly 15 years, setting multimodal policy and investment direction. Amanda was the recipient of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Presidents Award for Planning, and chairs the AASHTO subcommittee on Air Quality, Climate Change and Energy.
Prior to ODOT, Amanda was an archaeologist specializing in relationships with northwest tribes, prehistoric sites, Victorian-era accoutrements, and Easter Island archaeology.