• The WTS member portals will be temporarily unavailable for scheduled maintenance from November 9th at 6:00 AM ET through November 10th at 8:00 AM ET. Please plan ahead and complete any time-sensitive activities before maintenance begins.
WTS

Meet the Programs Committee

Committee

The WTS Philadelphia Programs Committee brings together transportation professionals through premier events focused on networking, professional development, and industry insight. The Committee hosts formal luncheon programs that typically draw 100+ transportation professionals from across the Philadelphia region. Each program explores multidisciplinary topics relevant to today’s transportation industry, featuring panels and conversations with regional leaders who share their perspectives on emerging trends, major initiatives, and the future of transportation.

In 2026, each event hosted by the Programs Committee was championed by a member of the Committee who helped lead its development and execution.

2026 Events: 

  • February- From Rail Hub to Neighborhood: The 30th Street District Plan
  • Champions: Kelly McHugh & Emma Youngs
  • March- WTS and ASHE Women’s History Event at Crowne Plaza in KOP
  • Champions: Dalina Tu
  • April- Closing the Gap: Delivering the Schuylkill River Trail Swing Bridge Connection
  • Champions: Rachael Crandley
  • September- Value of Diverse Teams on Project Outcomes
  • Champions: Ann Mathew & Kelly Spitko
  • October- Investing in SEPTA: Building the Future of the Region
  • Champions: Christina Arlt

Meet the committee!

Kirsten Kennedy, PE, is a Project Manager in Michael Baker’s Aviation Department, focusing on a variety of projects for aviation clients throughout the Northeast region. She is the 2025-2026 WTS Programs Director and has been involved in the WTS Board since 2017, serving as Task Leader for the Symposium, Special Projects Chair, and WTS Works Co-Chair. Kirsten is passionate about connecting transportation professionals and collaborating with transportation trends and best practices.

Christina Arlt, AICP, is the Manager of Planning & Communications for McCormick Taylor’s Philadelphia office. Her specialties include public engagement, stakeholder engagement, training course design and delivery, land use planning, and long-range planning. In addition to teaching a class about the planning process for graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania, Christina is the Vice President of the American Planning Association Pennsylvania chapter and serves as Co-Chair of the WTS Philadelphia Programs Committee. 

Rachael Crandley is the Senior Project Manager of Railway Development at HDR, focused primarily on infrastructure projects and economic development within the freight rail industry. Rachael works with a variety of Class I and short line railroads and is involved in a large array of project types, providing advisory services in areas such as grant funding and utility coordination, and facilitating communication between railroads and real estate developers and municipalities to help progress capital improvement projects. In addition to serving as Co-Chair of the WTS Programs Committee, Rachael is also the Vice President of the American Railway Development Association (ARDA).

Kelly Spitko is the Director of Business Development at Unified Industries Incorporated. She joined the WTS in 2022 and has proudly served as a Committee Member for the Philadelphia chapter's Programs Committee for the last two years. She leads UII’s business development efforts, supporting government and public transit contracts, client relationships, and strategic growth initiatives. With experience in program management and consulting, she develops partnerships, expands opportunities, and connects customer needs with UII’s capabilities and solutions.

Ann Mathew, ENV SP, is an Environmental Scientist at Urban Engineers, where she focuses on environmental permitting and remediation for transportation projects. Aside from her involvement as a committee member of the WTS Philadelphia Programs Committee, Ann also serves as a Board Member for local non-profit organizations Sustainable South Jersey and the Society of Women Environmental Professionals of Greater Philadelphia. 

Emma Youngs is a Design Review Engineer in the Design Management group at Amtrak in their Philadelphia, PA office. Her work includes managing the design review process for major capital in-house projects, as well as external third-party projects, to ensure that the project design documents are in compliance with all Amtrak Corporate and Engineering Department standards, policies, and procedures. Emma graduated in 2022 from Drexel University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and currently serves as a committee member for the WTS Programs Committee. 

Dalina Tu is an electrical engineer with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Penn State and three years of experience across railroad, transit, and building infrastructure. She has been a WTS member for two years and serves as a member of the Programs Committee. Dalina is eager to keep growing in transportation and to help connect more women with the industry through WTS.

Laurel Welch is a Construction Engineer with twelve years of design and construction management experience of roadway, transit, and facilities projects, including experience in ADA-compliant pedestrian facilities, interchange reconstruction, and drainage design. She currently serves as a member of the WTS Programs Committee. Laurel is a licensed Professional Engineer in the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania and is also certified as an Envision Sustainability Professional.

Nithya Muthireddy, a Highway Engineer at Pennoni Engineering, began her career in transportation with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, where she worked as an intern before accepting a full-time position in 2020. Over the past seven years in civil engineering, Nithya has remained passionate about advancing our transportation infrastructure and is proud to serve as a member of the Programs Committee for the WTS Philadelphia Chapter.

Kelly Freeman is Vice President and senior architect at Sowinski Sullivan. She is an alumna of Drexel University, a LEED Accredited Professional, and specializes in design of stations and facilities for all modes of transit from rail and bus to aviation and bike/ped. She proudly serves as WTS Philadelphia Chapter Secretary and as member of the Programs Committee.