9th Annual Northern Virginia Roundtable

Candice Gibson is an Engineer working with the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Office of Strategic Innovation.  She is the Regional Multi-Modal Mobility Program’s (RM3P) Deputy Program Manager and the AI-Based Decision Support System (AI-DSS) Project Manager.  She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, a ITS Project Management Graduate Certificate, and is a graduate of the Operations Academy Senior Management Program.  She is a registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  She has over 15 years of experience in Operations, Signal and Freeway Engineering, Innovation, and Project Management.

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Chris Arabia has more than 30 years of experience in transportation demand management at the city, county, regional, and state levels.  Chris has been with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public transportation for the past 19 years. His work focuses on getting more people to use transit, carpool, vanpool, and bike instead of driving. This work has included oversight of statewide TDM/commuter assistance grant programs, and planning, commuter assistance program operations, marketing, evaluation, and implementation of technologies for multimodal ride matching, trip planning, rewards, and guaranteed ride home programs.

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Fariel Bouattoura, founder of Mindhop, Inc., is a hands-on technology leader with over 28 years of experience in the transportation technology industry. With a background in Electrical Engineering and a passion for transforming transportation systems, Fariel has been a driving force in the research, design, and development of cutting-edge transportation solutions. Her expertise spans Integrated Corridor Management Systems (ICMS), Data Analytics Solutions, AI Prediction Engines, and Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS), all aimed at helping cities and regions enhance traffic management, optimize infrastructure, and deliver real-time traveler information.

Throughout her career, Fariel has been instrumental in managing regional transportation projects, pushing the boundaries of technology to deliver next-generation smart transportation systems. Her relentless drive for innovation has led her to explore decision support systems, machine learning, and data analytics to provide predictive insights, improve safety, optimize resource allocation, and advance traffic operations.

Among her recent achievements are leadership roles in high-profile projects such as VDOT AI Decision Support System, NYC Congestion Pricing and  PANYNJ Multi-modal Data Hub & Analytics.

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Dr. Yi-Chang Chiu is a transportation expert, academic, researcher, and entrepreneur focused on innovative urban mobility solutions. He earned a PhD in transportation engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2002 and became a tenured full professor at the University of Arizona. With over 200 research papers and mentorship of future engineers, he also founded the DynusT Laboratory, a hub for pioneering research.

In 2012, Dr. Chiu founded Metropia Inc., where he now serves as CEO and President, following his retirement from the University of Arizona in 2021. Metropia aims to alleviate congestion and enhance mobility by integrating real-time data, predictive analytics, and behavioral economics. Metropia’s Connected MaaS mobility platform supports urban planners and policymakers, with his work spanning from Texas, Virginia to Asia. His impact is evident in traffic optimization, emission reduction, and public transit improvements, aligning with Metropia’s vision of sustainable cities.

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Joel L. Ticatch serves as Vice President of Consulting within the ITS and Solutions Consulting Group at Kapsch TraffiCom USA. He is a skilled transportation strategist, practitioner, analyst, and communicator. He has managed innovative transportation system management and operations (TSMO) projects in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and for the I-95 Corridor Coalition. Among current assignments, Joel leads the Program Management Oversight Consultant Team for the Virginia Regional Multi-Modal Mobility Program (RM3P). He is a nationally recognized expert in operations planning, intelligent transportation systems, transportation safety, multi-modalism, and commercial vehicle operations. He has conducted a host of field research studies, data analyses, and technology deployments.  Key clients have included the Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Federal Transit Administration, numerous state departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, airport authorities, and transit agencies. Mr. Ticatch is the former Vice President of The Scientex Corporation and J.A. Reyes Associates, Inc. He previously chaired the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committee on Truck and Bus Safety and served on the Executive Board of TRB’s Safety and Users Group.

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