All Aboard: Ensuring TDM for Everyone Spotlight
Welcome to All Aboard. Brought to you by the members of ACT’s DE&I Committee, this content strives to highlight people and their stories in a more holistic approach to show how these contributions move our industry forward.
This month, ACT’s DE&I Committee had a chance to catch up with speakers from the TDM Forum's Ensuring TDM for Everyone track. Please join us as we hear about their upcoming sessions, motivation, career advice and more. This article spotlights:
- Jessica Alba, Director of Policy & TDM from Stanford University
- Mason Chamblee, City of Raleigh, Sustainable Mobility Strategist
- Tanisha J. Hall, AICP, TDM-CP, CEO & Founding Principal, Fairpointe Planning
- Shontay Rose-Bell, Senior Project Manager, Odonnell Company
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Roz Tucker, Managing Director of Mobility Services, Georgia Commute Options, Atlanta Regional Commission/Interim Chief Human Resources Officer
Jessica Alba
Director of Policy & TDM, Stanford University
What motivates you in your job?
Seeing the impact our program offerings have on our commuters and the community, plus leading with grace, trust and transparency so that we can all grow together as a team.
Where should an agency/organization/business start in introducing DEI efforts?
Explore who is currently benefitting from your program offerings, establish a baseline and develop equity targets. Engage with your stakeholders and LISTEN. Ensure that your communications are accessible and translated as necessary so that everyone can take full advantage of your offerings.
How do you handle challenges or adversity?
By listening, providing a safe space where all voices are welcome, then discussing opportunities, constraints, and tensions of various options, followed by actions in an iterative process.
What is the best advice you have heard or given in your career?
Lead with inclusion.
Why should a Forum attendee listen to your presentation?
This entire track is so well crafted and filled with so much value that when we get to the end of day, and the session I am leading, your equity lens will have broadened and deepened to the point where you will activate your vision or plan and prepare to share it with your peers and stakeholders back at home.
Mason Chamblee
Sustainable Mobility Strategist, City of Raleigh
Where should an agency/organization/business start in introducing DEI efforts?
With questions. To first step addressing anything is identifying and admitting there is a problem. Then to solve the problem you need to talk to the people most affected by it. Ask what their challenges are, what solutions they would seem the most benefit from, how they feel about any changes. Solutions only work when the people you’re trying to help believe and buy-in to them. Talk to as many folks in your organization, community, target population as possible. And talking means talking, try to be as conversational and open-minded as possible. Surveys are great but strive to be less extractive and more symbiotic.
How do you handle challenges or adversity?
Asking for help. I know it sounds simple, reductive, or naïve. But we all constantly face problems and issues in our personal and professional lives. And I think it's fine and necessary to admit when we’re struggling, but its also equally important to know that there is nothing wrong with asking for help. No one person has the answer to everything. We all need support to deliver the best product/program possible.
What is the best advice you have heard or given in your career?
Keeping moving forward. Sometimes when we face a problem and try to solve but make a mistake it can be easy to stop. But this advice has always resonated with me because the only way we’re going to succeed is by keep trying and moving forward. Doing nothing, in my opinion, is rarely the best option. So keep working towards a better ends.
Why should a forum attendee listen to your presentation?
I’ve been told I have a very distinctive accent…. But also I would say that I come from a background growing up in rural East Texas, moving around the country and living in diverse and unique communities and have become the sum of those experiences. I hope I would be able to provide perspective on how we’re different with different needs, but still very similar with a lot of shared problems and concerns.
The group photo above is from a “Train the Trainer” bus ride along Mason conducted with volunteers and translators from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.
Tanisha J. Hall
CEO & Founding Principal, Fairpointe Planning
What motivates you in your job?
I am motivated by solving problems that help improve communities.
Where should an agency/organization/business start in introducing DEI efforts?
Agencies should introduce DEI when developing/updating the organization's vision, mission, and values. DEI is part of the principles that guide the work done, the people who work there, and the organization's culture.
How do you handle challenges or adversity?
As an entrepreneur, I face my fair share of challenges and adversity. I try to see the situation from the other side to find the root cause and address the issue. I also seek advice from trusted advisors to troubleshoot solutions.
What is the best advice you have heard or given in your career?
Career advice I give to new team members - Always ask questions and be a proactive learner.
Why should a forum attendee listen to your presentation?
Forum attendees should come to our session because it will be a casual, safe space to gain insights from diverse individuals on ways to contribute to creating a more equitable TDM community.
The above photo shows a ribbon-cutting event for the Rip Patton Transit Center in North Nashville. Fairpointe Planning coordinated the event, which included elected officials, stakeholders, and community members. We also led neighborhood discussions about placemaking for the transit center. The client, WeGo Transit agency wanted to ensure the community played a part in the development of the transit center. Since April, there has been a 36 percent increase in ridership on the seven routes served by the transit center.
Shontay Rose-Bell
Sr. Project Manager, Odonnell Company
What motivates you in your job?
The opportunity to create equitable and inclusive transportation solutions motivates me. Knowing that my work can make a tangible difference in reducing disparities and increasing access for underserved communities keeps me driven every day.
Where should an agency/organization/business start in introducing DEI efforts?
Begin with assessing your current culture and practices, listening to underrepresented voices, and building a DEI framework grounded in education, accountability, and measurable goals.
How do you handle challenges or adversity?
I approach adversity with resilience and an open mindset. I focus on identifying solutions rather than getting stuck on the problem. Each challenge presents an opportunity to innovate and strengthen our approach to inclusivity and equity.
What is the best advice you have heard or given in your career?
"Don’t fear failure; fear stagnation." This advice reminds me to take risks, grow, and push boundaries, even when success isn’t guaranteed. Growth often comes from embracing discomfort.
Why should a forum attendee listen to your presentation?
The presentations help foster conversations about how we can make transportation more equitable, inclusive, and accessible for all. Attendees will gain valuable insights to apply in their own organizations, driving meaningful change.
Roz Tucker
Managing Director of Mobility Services, Georgia Commute Options, Atlanta Regional Commission/Interim Chief Human Resources Officer
What motivates you in your job?
At the core of everything I do is the desire to make life easier and more equitable for people. Transportation is really about access—access to jobs, to education, to opportunities. I’m motivated by the idea that our work can remove barriers and improve quality of life for so many different people. Knowing that the programs we build help someone get to work faster or allow a child to walk to school safely makes every challenge worth it.
Where should an agency/organization/business start in introducing DEI efforts?
I believe DEI starts with humility and genuine curiosity. It's about stepping back, listening to voices that may not always be heard, and recognizing that we don't have all the answers. We must ask, “Who is being left behind or who is not at the table?” and work to close those gaps. Starting with open, honest conversations and learning from the communities you serve is essential. From there, it’s about taking intentional steps to make sure everyone feels included, valued, and considered in the decisions being made.
How do you handle challenges or adversity?
I handle challenges by leaning into them with grace and resilience. I've learned that adversity can bring out the best in us if we let it. When things get tough, I focus on the people around me—whether that’s my team, my colleagues, or the communities we serve. We tackle challenges together. I remind myself that every problem is an opportunity to learn something new or to push for a solution that may not have been obvious at first. Ultimately, it’s the support we give one another that gets us through.
What is the best advice you have heard or given in your career?
The best advice I’ve ever received is: “Lead with your heart first.” It’s something I carry with me every day. People respond to genuine care and empathy. In leadership, it’s not about having all the answers, but about showing up for people in a way that lets them know they matter. It’s a reminder that being human in our work is just as important as being knowledgeable or strategic.
Why should a forum attendee listen to your presentation?
If you care about real, people-focused solutions and want to make meaningful impact, I think my presentation will resonate with you. I’m passionate about making sure that transportation is a tool for equity and connection, not just a way to get from point A to point B. I’ll be sharing practical insights, grounded in experience, that show how we can use transportation demand management to create lasting change in our communities. I’m excited to share ideas that I believe can truly make a difference.
Have you registered for the TDM Forum?
It's not too late to hear from these fantastic speakers and join the Ensuring TDM for Everyone track at ACT's TDM Forum! Register at the link below for the most participatory TDM event of the fall.