SPECIALTIES

• Meeting Facilitation
• Event Coordination
• Writing and Editing
• Budget Management
• Regulatory and Legislative Analysis

EXPERIENCE
Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.

• Maura is Project Manager for a number of major public involvement and public outreach programs for agencies throughout the New York-New Jersey area.  Her work on these projects includes both innovative and traditional techniques such as public meetings; stakeholder identification and briefings; project brochures, newsletters and fact sheets; surveys and focus groups; media relations; and supervision of community outreach field offices.  Representative projects include the following:
• NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak's Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement Project.  Maura is currently leading the stakeholder and agency coordination for the preliminary engineering phase, including facilitation of agency coordination meetings, property owner interface, newsletters, and open houses (2008-ongoing).  For the earlier Environmental Assessment/ Environmental Impact Statement phase of the project, she led the public involvement and agency coordination effort, requiring extensive outreach to a diverse population of stakeholders.  Tasks included identifying key groups and interests, with particular attention to environmental justice principles; creation of a Regional Citizens' Liaison Committee; a Public Scoping meeting; elected official briefings and informational sessions; open houses; public hearings; development of a Technical Advisory Committee; and Agency Scoping (2006 08).
• Goethals Bridge Replacement Environmental Impact Statement.  Maura leads the public outreach for this U.S. Coast/Port Authority of NY & NJ project, including assisting with the public scoping and public hearing processes, planning and facilitating open houses, establishing and working with two technical committees and a stakeholder committee, and producing newsletters (2004-ongoing).
• Amtrak Preliminary Design of Remote Control Operations for Six Movable Bridges.  Maura is managing the preparation of a regulatory issues report for conversion of six movable bridges in New York and Connecticut to remote operation.  HSH is defining stakeholders for each bridge, including rail operation stakeholders; researching potential local concerns; and developing a strategy to mitigate all concerns (2008-ongoing).
• Route 3 at the Passaic River Crossing.  Maura is leading the innovative public involvement program for this New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) bridge reconstruction, using techniques that include public information centers and a Community Liaison Committee, as well as brochures and opinion surveys (2004-ongoing).
• Pioneer Valley Planning Commission I-91 Knowledge Corridor Passenger Rail Study.  Maura is leading the stakeholder and community involvement for this study to expand passenger rail service between Springfield, Massachusetts, and White River Junction, Vermont.  She is coordinating a partnering session with key stakeholders, coordinating meetings of the project steering committee, and conducting stakeholder interviews, issues groups, small group meetings, and public open houses.  In addition, she is overseeing the creation of a project logo and Web site, design and writing of study newsletters, and assisting with media relations (2008-ongoing).
• North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) Regional Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan.  Maura managed a study to develop a 3-C planning process and regional coordinated human services transportation plan for northern New Jersey.  Responsibilities included conducting a series of focus groups with disabled, senior, and low-income users of paratransit in the NJTPA region.  In addition, Maura coordinated meetings of the project's steering and stakeholder committees, as well as public meetings to present the draft plan (2008).
• Evaluation of NJTPA Public Participation Procedures.  Maura led the effort to revise NJTPA's public participation plan in light of new federal regulations, and to prepare detailed recommendations on how the organization can implement the plan's techniques in a cost-effective manner.  Tasks included interviews with internal and external stakeholders, public open houses, outreach specific to the Hispanic community, review of media relations, and the organization's Web site (2006-07).
• NJ TRANSIT Northern Branch Corridor Project.  Maura is leading the preparation of a Web site for this environmental assessment of re-introducing passenger rail on a freight rail line in Hudson and Bergen counties (2007-ongoing).
• Strategic support for Walkway Over the Hudson in its effort to convert the abandoned Poughkeepsie Highland Railroad Bridge into a recreational pedestrian and bicycle facility.  Tasks included advising on branding, design of a brochure and other outreach materials, identifying supporters, media relations, and briefings of elected officials (2006-07).
• For NJDOT, Maura conducted focus groups, interviews, and intersection site visits with senior drivers and driver advocacy groups as part of a senior safety study (2002-04).
• New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), and MTA Metro-North Railroad Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Environmental Review Process public participation and information sharing services.  Efforts included strategic input, establishment of a stakeholder committee, public workshops, media relations, and community outreach centers (2001-06).
• Establishment of a community liaison office and leadership of the public involvement efforts for the I-287/I-87 Interchange 8 reconstruction project for NYSTA (2001-04).
• She supervised public outreach for the NJTA 25-year Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) update.  Maura facilitated the development of a database, conducted stakeholder management, coordinated and facilitated public meetings, prepared fact sheets, and drafted the public involvement portion of the RTP (2000-01).
• For a Connecticut Department of Transportation Bus System Study to improve the existing bus network,  Maura coordinated focus groups and public meetings (1999).
• Maura assists agencies with strategic planning and other long-range planning efforts by facilitating retreats, workshops, and partnering sessions, including the following:
• She facilitated workshops for NJTPA's Project Prioritization efforts (2006-07).
• She facilitated partnering sessions between the Federal Transit Administration's Lower Manhattan Recovery Office and the Port Authority of NY & NJ as they embarked on construction of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub and Security Center projects.  These partnering sessions helped identify shared goals, define roles and responsibilities, determine protocols for future activities, and establish good communications between the agencies (2005).
• She facilitated board and advisory committee retreats and meetings for NJTPA (2004-06).
• For the City of Syracuse, she facilitated workshops for the Comprehensive Plan 2025 initiative (2003).
• Maura facilitated relationship-building sessions for NJDOT and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, including staff interviews and partnering sessions (2001).
• As a Deputy Project Manager and/or Senior Planner, Maura:
• facilitated public open houses for NYSTA's Albany Needs Study (2003-06);
• facilitated focus groups and issue groups for NJDOT's update of its long-range transportation plan (2005);
• conducted employee and customer focus groups for NJ TRANSIT regarding real-time signage needs (2002);
• managed public outreach for design and construction of the Clinton Square redevelopment in downtown Syracuse, New York.  She coordinated and conducted stakeholder and public meetings as well as media outreach (2000);
• managed the strategic engagement effort to prepare for the environmental review process for NYSTA's Tappan Zee Bridge corridor (2000-01);
• participated in a research project to assess value pricing strategies for NJDOT roadways and facilities (1999-2001);
• conducted market research focus groups for a study of regional fare card technology for the South Western Regional Planning Agency in Southwestern Connecticut (2001);
• facilitated discussion groups for the I-95 Corridor Coalition (2001); and
• coordinated discussion groups for the NJDOT Long-Range Transportation Plan (1999-2000).
  

Prior Experience

• Maura worked in several capacities for the New York Power Authority:
• As a Policy Analyst for electric transportation in the Energy Service and Technology Business Unit, she coordinated policy development and project management.  Maura demonstrated a variety of electric vehicle applications in the New York metropolitan area and expanded the Authority's local and national role in the growing field of electric transportation (1994-99).
• As a Strategic Planning Facilitator, Maura devel¬oped department-specific performance measures to achieve corporate goals (1996-98).
• As a Breakthrough Change Facilitator, Maura served on a 30-person team to conduct three-day intensive organizational simulations throughout the Authority's sites.  She ensured employee understanding of industry deregulation and the goals of the corporate mission through lectures, meetings, and negotiations (1997-98).
• Maura served in the New York City Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Air Policy and Programs:
• As Director of the Office of Air Policy, she oversaw the office responsible for legislative, regulatory, and policy formation and analysis of clean air issues at federal, state, and local levels for New York City.  She also analyzed and implemented the 1990 Clean Air Act Amend¬ments, the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, and the 1992 Energy Policy Act (1990-94).
• As a Policy Analyst, Maura analyzed state and federal legislation and policy related to stationary and mobile source emissions and regulations, alternative fuels, transportation control measures, hazardous air emissions, and municipal solid waste disposal alternatives (1989-90).
• Maura served as a departmental liaison to the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council.  In that role, she participated in committees assigned to draft NYMTC's Long-range Transportation Planning documents and evaluated and selected projects to receive Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement funds (1991-94).
  
  

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

• With HSH: 11
• Other: 10

EDUCATION

New York University Wagner School of Public Service
New York, New York
M.P.A., Public Policy Specialization, 1990

Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York
A.B., English, 1983

COMMUNITY SERVICE