Board of Directors Biographies

Principal Directors

Paul C. Smedberg photo

Mr. Paul Smedberg was appointed by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) to serve as a Principal Director in January 2019. He previously served as an Alternate Director from January 2016 – January 2019.

He was elected Chairman of the Board in June 2019. He first joined the WMATA Board as an Alternate Director in January of 2016 representing the City of Alexandria and was appointed Principal Director in January 2019 representing the Commonwealth of Virginia. He served on Alexandria City Council from 2003 to 2018, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Operations Board from 2006 to 2018, serving as Chairman in 2013 and 2017, and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) from 2006 to 2018, serving as Chairman in 2014 and 2018. Professionally, he has served as a government affairs officer for numerous professional associations in the medical field. Mr. Smedberg earned degrees in economics and history from Allegheny College and is a Fellow, Sorenson Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia.

Joe McAndrew photo

Mr. Joe McAndrew was appointed by Maryland Secretary of Transportation Paul Wiedefeld as a Principal Director in April 2023. Mr. McAndrew serves as the Secretary’s designee on the WMATA Board of Directors. He was elected 1st Vice Chair in June 2023.

Mr. McAndrew began serving as Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld’s Assistant Secretary for Planning and Project Development on March 8, 2023.

Mr. McAndrew, who served on Governor Wes Moore's Transition Team as Co-Chair of the Transportation Executive Policy Committee, joins the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) after serving as Vice President of Government Affairs and Infrastructure for the Greater Washington Partnership. In this role, he led the Partnership’s policy and engagement work with federal, state and local elected officials, and led efforts to achieve a 21st century regional mobility and infrastructure ecosystem in the Capital Region.

Prior to joining the Partnership, Mr. McAndrew served as legislative assistant for the Senate Commerce Committee and Senator Brian Schatz. Before working on Capitol Hill, he served as the Policy Director for Transportation for America.

As Assistant Secretary for Planning and Project Development, Mr. McAndrew will guide these efforts to help ensure Governor Moore’s Leave No One Behind Plan is incorporated into MDOT’s planning and investment program, inclusive of the State Highway Administration, Maryland Transit Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration, Maryland Aviation Administration, Maryland Port Administration and Maryland Transportation Authority.

Mr. McAndrew holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Luther College and a master’s degree in community and regional planning from the University of Oregon.

Dr. Tracy Hadden Loh photo

Dr. Tracy Hadden Loh was appointed by the DC Council as a Principal Director in November 2021. She was elected 2nd Vice Chair in June 2023.

Dr. Loh is a Fellow with the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking at the Brookings Institution. She is a graduate of DC public schools and holds a Ph.D. in city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Loh served two years representing Ward 1 on the Mount Rainier City Council in Prince George’s County, Md. She is currently a member of the board of directors of Greater Greater Washington.

Sarah Kline photo

Ms. Sarah Kline was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation as a Principal Director in September 2021.

Ms. Kline has spent her career developing and advancing policies to improve transportation outcomes in cities, towns, and rural areas, with a specialty in public transit and transit-oriented development. She led policy development for two national nonprofit organizations, Transportation for America and Reconnecting America. She also served as Director of Policy and Government Relations here at WMATA.

Ms. Kline spent 8 years working at the U. S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs as counsel for transit policy, during which time she negotiated the transit provisions of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). She was a 2010 recipient of Mass Transit Magazine’s Top 40 under 40 Award. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in history from Harvard University and received her law degree from Stanford Law School.

Matt Letourneau photo

Mr. Matt Letourneau was appointed by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) to serve as a Principal Director in March 2019. He previously served as an Alternate Director from January – March 2019.

He was elected to represent the Dulles District on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in 2011 and re-elected in 2015 and 2019. Supervisor Letourneau serves as Chairman of the Loudoun Board's Finance, Government Operations and Economic Development Committee, which oversees county services, finances, and economic development efforts. He represents Loudoun on NVTC and served as Chairman in 2019, Vice-Chairman in 2018 and Secretary-Treasurer in 2017. He is the first Loudoun Supervisor to serve on the WMATA Board as an officer of NVTC. In 2018, he served as Chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, after serving as Vice Chairman in 2016 and 2017 and Corporate President in 2014.

Supervisor Letourneau is originally from central Massachusetts. He was a cum laude graduate of The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. In his professional capacity, he works for the United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington and was a senior aide in the United States Senate.

Don Drummer photo

Mr. Don Drummer was appointed by the Washington Suburban Transit Commission (WSTC) as a Principal Director in May 2021.

He is a solar energy entrepreneur, a retired Senior Executive in federal government, and a retired U.S. Army Colonel. Mr. Drummer concluded his federal career in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) while serving as Director of the Aviation Logistics Organization in Washington, DC from December 2015 to May 2018. His responsibilities included nationwide planning, programming, and management of the FAA real property lease portfolio (6.4 million square feet) and personal property account (valued at $7.2 billion). Prior to this appointment, Mr. Drummer served in the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for almost six years culminating as Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Office of Security Capabilities, which was preceded by 30 years of active-duty service in the U.S. Army.

Valerie-Joy Santos photo

Ms. Valerie-Joy Santos was appointed by the DC Council as a Principal Director in December 2023.

Valerie-Joy Santos is a Senior Urban development specialist with the World Bank. As a leading expert on land-based financing and urban revitalization, Ms. Santos works with government leaders around the globe on financing urban infrastructure; revitalization of waterfronts and former industrial areas; increasing resilience of cities; and other strategic issues in city management, economic growth and development.

Before joining the World Bank, Ms. Santos served as Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development in Washington, DC. During her tenure, the city implemented ambitious downtown and neighborhood revitalization initiatives, invested in transforming hundreds of acres of underutilized areas into parks as well as mixed-use and commercial developments – seeking to promote the Administration’s goals for expanding and diversifying the city’s tax base and enhancing quality of life in all neighborhoods.

Prior to government service, Ms. Santos served as Vice President at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a global real estate firm, where she specialized in public sector real estate. Prior to JLL, she served as a Manager in Ernst & Young’s real estate group. Ms. Santos holds Master in Business Administration (MBA) and Master in Public Policy (MPP) degrees from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Santa Clara University.

Kamilah Martin-Proctor photo

Ms. Kamilah Martin-Proctor was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation as a Principal Director in September 2021.

She also currently serves as 2021 Chair, Washington D.C. Commission on Persons with Disabilities (DCCPD). In addition, she also serves on the Board of the World Institute on Disability (WID), is a British-American Project Fellow and was the WDC 2020 United State of Women Ambassador. Martin-Proctor served as Vice-Chair on President Barack Obama‘s National Council on Disability and has worked with the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program at Howard University. She also worked as Staff Assistant and Legislative Correspondent for Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX) and as Executive Assistant to Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ). Martin Proctor received a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in Organizational and Cultural Communication from Howard University. She is a lifelong resident and fourth generation Washingtonian.

Alternate Directors

Canek Aguirre  photo

Mr. Canek Aguirre was appointed by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) to serve as an Alternate Director in January 2020.

Mr. Aguirre was elected in November 2018 to serve a three-year term on the Alexandria City Council. He is the first Latino elected to the City Council. Prior to his election, Mr. Aguirre served in leadership roles on numerous boards and commissions. He is a past chair of the Economic Opportunities Commission, past president of the Tenants and Workers United (TWU) Board of Directors, and past vice-chairman of the Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia (HSANV) Board of Directors. He also served on the Leadership Council for the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP) and the Steering Committee for the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria (PHA). In 2016, Mr. Aguirre was appointed to the Virginia Board of Social Work by Governor Terry McAuliffe.

He co-founded a parent group for Spanish-speaking families at George Washington Middle School and helped launch a citywide family and community engagement program. As a community advocate, he has fought to increase affordable housing in the city, improve equity in our schools, and built coalitions to promote government transparency and accountability. In his professional capacity, he works with underserved communities throughout Northern Virginia to increase access to care and improve health outcomes. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Thomas Graham photo

Mr. Thomas Graham was appointed by the Washington Suburban Transit Commission (WSTC) as an Alternate Director in June 2019.

Mr. Graham has served as Vice President of People Strategy and Human Resources at Pepco Holdings Inc., a regional energy holding company that provides utility service to more than two million customers, since August 2013.

Mr. Graham currently serves on the board of the Center for Energy Workforce Development (Immediate Past Chair) and Maryland Chamber of Commerce (Immediate Past Chair). Mr. Graham is also on the boards for Heroes, Inc., Excellence in Education Foundation for Prince George’s County School System, Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable, Mid-Atlantic Plan Sponsors and Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation.

Spring Worth photo

Ms. Spring Worth was appointed by the DC Council as an Alternate Director in December 2022.

Spring currently serves as the WMATA Budget & Policy Program Manager at the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). Since joining DDOT in 2013, Spring has led several large transit planning projects including the 16th Street NW Bus Lanes Project, the H Street NW Bus Priority Project and the Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE Bus Priority Project. In 2022, Spring accepted the role of chair of the Metropolitan Council of Governments Public Transportation Committee. She has served as the Vice Chair of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Committee and the Secretary of the APTA BRT Standards committee. She is a 2018 APTA Emerging Leaders Program Graduate. She has also completed the District government's Capital City Fellows Program and the National Urban Fellows program. Spring holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from the City University of New York at Baruch and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester (NY). Spring lives car free in DC and is a regular bus and rail user.

April Rai photo

Ms. April Rai was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation as an Alternate Director in December 2022.

She was appointed President & CEO of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) in December 2021. In this role, April works to build upon COMTO’s 50-year history of ensuring equitable opportunities and maximum participation for minority individuals, veterans, people with disabilities and minority, women and disadvantaged business enterprises (MWDBEs). With over 15 years of experience managing private, public sector and non-profit organizations, April’s career focus has centered on strategic partnership development, coalition building, people, and project management. Under the direction of the COMTO Board of Directors, April provides strategic leadership, guidance and ensures COMTO operates effectively to further the mission.

Previously, April served as Deputy Executive Director for the Women’s Transportation Seminar International (WTS), partnering with the Executive Director to achieve the WTS mission and vision. In that role, April focused on the management of operations including serving as Chief of Staff, lead on project planning and execution ensuring deliverability on time and within budget. April managed several board-level committees, strategic initiatives and worked to implement growth and retention strategies for membership, chapters, public and private partners as well as build relationships with advocacy organizations, local, state and federal stakeholders.

Prior to joining WTS, April served as the CEO for the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), a coalition of over 100 organizations and agencies dedicated to youth health and safety education. In this role, April engaged with transportation stakeholders on road safety programs, injury prevention education and workforce development initiatives. April previously served as Manager & Affairs Analyst in the Office of the Dean at the University of Maryland, School of Nursing, directing government affairs and communications. In this role, April was responsible for managing the State of Maryland, Action Coalition, an initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Walter L. Alcorn photo

Mr. Walter Alcorn was appointed by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) to serve as an Alternate Director in January 2020.

Representing Fairfax County when he began his first term as the Hunter Mill District Supervisor on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Walter’s focus is on transit-oriented development, pedestrian/bicyclist mobility and safety, affordable housing and diversifying the local economy. Previously, Walter served on the county’s Planning Commission for 16 years and also served on the Park Authority Board. Professionally, he has worked on environmental issues in the tech industry and is a nationally-recognized expert on electronics recycling systems.

Walter is a graduate of the University of Virginia and resides in Reston with his family.

Michael Goldman photo

Mr. Michael Goldman was appointed by the Washington Suburban Transit Commission (WSTC) as an Alternate Director in December 2022. He previously served as a Principal Director on the WMATA Board from June 2013 to June 2021.

Mr. Goldman has practiced in the areas of international, antitrust and transportation law since 1972. He previously served as a Principal Director on the WMATA Board from 2013 – 2021. During his time as a Principal Director, Mr. Goldman served as the Board’s Second Vice Chair and the Chair of its Safety and Operations Committee. Mr. Goldman is currently an active member of the District of Columbia Bar, the American Bar Association sections on antitrust and administrative law, and the Forum on Air & Space Law.

Dr. Bryna Helfer photo

Dr. Bryna Helfer was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation as an Alternate Director in September 2021.

She has a long career in public service with a wide range of experiences in the transportation industry including former positions as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Engagement at the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), Senior Advisor on Accessible Transportation and Workforce Development at USDOT, Senior Advisor for the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility, and the Director of Easter Seals Project ACTION.

Dr. Helfer currently serves as the Assistant County Manager in Arlington County, Virginia where she leads government wide communications and public engagement strategy.

She has received the USDOT Inspiring Leaders Award, the USDOT Secretary of Transportation's Gold Medal and Meritorious Awards, the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials for "Women Moving the Nation", and the WTS-DC Chapter Rosa Parks Award.

She holds a bachelor's degree from Ohio University, a master's degree from George Mason University, and a doctorate from The George Washington University.