Citizens Advisory Committee

Matthew Appelbaum served on the Boulder city council for eighteen years until 2017, including five as mayor. His work with transportation issues began in 1985 when he was appointed to a committee to write Boulder’s first transportation master plan. As mayor he was an active member of the US36 Mayors and Commissioners Coalition, lobbying state and national representatives and fostering partnerships in the northwest corridor with RTD and CDOT to implement the very successful US36 managed lanes and Flatiron Flyer service. Matt currently serves on the boards of ICLEI-USA, an international organization of sustainable cities, and the WaterNow Alliance, which educates city leaders on sustainable water practices. In “real life,” Matt designed and implemented complex computer software systems, and received an MS in computer science. He grew up in New York, taking the bus and subway to both high school and college, and loves to use transit systems around the world. Matt has lived in Boulder, RTD District O, for over forty years, and frequently walks to the Table Mesa Park-n-Ride to catch the bus. (Term Expires 2025)

Heather Britton is the Director of Benefits and Wellness for the City and County of Denver (city) and is responsible for negotiating, implementing, and overseeing all insurance and voluntary benefits for nearly 11,000 city employees and their families. Ms. Britton considers transit passes with RTD an integral, inexpensive, yet high value, part of the city’s benefit package to be used along with telecommuting, alternative work schedules or flexible start/end times to make commuting a less stressful component of employee’s lives. Britton hopes to provide the perspective of the nearly 2,400 employees at Denver that utilize the city’s discounted transit pass and to help address the needs of employees who are unable to utilize transit. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Colorado, Leeds School of Business. She has utilized RTD for her daily commute to Denver since 2000. Heather resides with her daughter in Broomfield, RTD District I. (Term expires 2024)

Ben Bryan has over thirty years of experience in commercial real estate and currently has a consulting practice focusing on development, project management and asset management. He has managed commercial properties throughout the Midwest and developed a transit-oriented condominium project in Kansas City, MO. Currently, he is working with Second Chance Center, Colorado’s largest re-entry program for formerly incarcerated persons, which has developed a fifty-unit permanent supportive housing apartment project in Aurora, CO and is developing a one hundred twenty-nine unit apartment project in Denver, CO that will have both a permanent supportive housing component and a workforce housing component. Prior to his work in commercial real estate, Mr. Bryan worked in various public-sector positions, most notably as the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Transportation Development Commission, established by the Colorado General Assembly in the late 1980’s to develop a comprehensive surface transportation plan for metropolitan Denver, including rail transit. Mr. Bryan also serves on the Board of Directors of Eaton Senior Communities. He is a resident of RTD District A.

Travis Duea has over fifteen years of experience in transportation operations and is currently a senior manager for a logistics company providing e-commerce fulfillment and package delivery services. Before his work in e- commerce, Mr. Duea was a leader at Herzog Transit Services, supporting the 2010 launch and daily operations of Capital MetroRail, a 32-mile commuter train system in Austin, TX. In this role, he partnered with transit agency planners to implement off-peak and reverse-commuter rail service, along with last-mile rail connector bus routes, which doubled ridership by connecting downtown residents to major employment centers in suburban Austin. He has a BA in Operations Management from the University of Colorado and an MBA with a Supply Chain Management emphasis from Arizona State University. Mr. Duea is a Boulder native, a frequent RTD rider, and currently lives Westminster, District J. (Term expires 2023)

Stephen Duhon (he/they) is a transportation advocate. He recently completed the Denver Streets Partnership Advocacy Academy and is a frequent passenger of the 83L, 83D, 105, 10, 15, 16, H, and F lines. Stephen’s lived experiences have shaped his views on RTD and how it serves the people who depend on it the most. His service to the Denver community started back in 2019 as an Americorps VISTA, providing support and training to Indigenous/Native American communities in the metropolitan area. Stephen has a MSc in Social and Organizational Psychology from the University of Exeter and a BA in Psychology from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). He lives in Denver, RTD District B. (Term expires 2024)

Danny Fisher is the Training Officer with Serve Colorado, within the Office of the Lt. Governor, where he leads outreach and training for AmeriCorps programs throughout the State. He is also a faculty member with Columbia University’s Master of Science program in negotiation and conflict resolution. Danny has been relying on public transportation for 15 years, while living in Denver, Washington, DC, and New York City. For the past 11 years, he has volunteered with the non-profit organization Youth Celebrate Diversity, leading various workshops with high school students and teachers. Danny is a certified mediator and earned an MS in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution from Columbia University and a BS in Psychology from Oklahoma State University. He resides in Denver, District E. (Term expires 2024)

Matt Frommer is a Senior Transportation Associate at The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), a public- interest organization promoting greater energy efficiency and clean transportation in the Southwest. In his role at SWEEP, Matt works with local governments, electric utilities, and transit agencies to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and expand multimodal infrastructure and transit services. Matt received a Master of Environmental Science in Sustainable Planning and Management from the University of Colorado in 2017 and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan in 2010. He is a frequent uses the local bus, light- rail, and Flatiron Flyer. Matt lives in Denver, RTD District C. (Term expires 2024)

John Fussa is the Community Development Director for the Town of Parker and has been a member of the Executive Management Team since August 2013. He is responsible for most aspects of Parker’s physical growth and development including building services, development review, land use policy, long-range planning and management of complex, inter-disciplinary projects. His Community Development team has earned multiple awards for their work on behalf of the Town including the 2014 Transportation Master Plan, 2015 Mainstreet Master Plan, 2017 EastMain Redevelopment Project and 2019 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan. He is currently a member of the American Planning Association, Colorado Municipal League, International City Management Association and Urban Land Institute. Mr. Fussa holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of City and Regional Planning Degree from Rutgers University. (Term expires 2024)

Michelle Gaeng is a 2022 graduate from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and anticipates admission to the Colorado Bar in fall 2022. She will also join Lewis Roca, LLP as an associate in fall 2022. Michelle was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, but prior to making Colorado her home, she lived in Washington, D.C. for five years, where she formed her passion for public transportation. Never having owned a car, Michelle relies on public transportation and her bike to get her where she needs to go and advocates for reliable, safe and accessible public transit in Colorado. She also lived in Freiburg, Germany, during college, a city that is essentially car-free and that exposed her to a bike and tram-centric lifestyle. Michelle holds an undergraduate degree from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She resides in RTD District A in the Baker neighborhood of Denver and takes RTD every day. (Term expires 2025)

Ursula "Bryn" Grunwald is an associate on RMI's Urban Transformation team, an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit organization of experts across disciplines working to accelerate the clean energy transition and improve lives. In her work at RMI, Bryn works with city and state governments, local frontline organizations, and other groups to improve cities and communities access to transit, improved urban design, and renewable energy. Bryn has a master’s in mechanical engineering with a focus on energy and the environment from the University of Colorado Boulder, as well as bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and mechanical engineering. Bryn resides in District ) and frequently uses the local bus and the Flatiron Flyer. (Term expires 2025)

Tony Jackson is the National Sales Director for a firm called Transit Marketing Group. He has been with this Boulder, CO based company in various roles for the past 11 years. Tony’s daily business activities are 100% focused on public transportation solutions in the United States and Canada. He is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association where he can consistently network with other members and have an impact on the public transit industry. As a customer of RTD Tony frequents the A Line to the airport and the Flatiron Flyer to Boulder. Tony is currently pursuing a Master of Business Management at the University of Denver. He will complete the program by summer 2021. Tony and his family live in Denver, District C. (Term expires 2023)

Jim Paulmeno retired from a long career with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) where he focused on environmental planning activities in the Denver metro area. Jim managed the Region 6 Planning and Environmental Section ensuring Denver Metro transportation projects were designed and completed in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Jim’s CDOT experience included his position as the Environmental Manager for the T-REX Multi-Modal project in Denver and later in his CDOT career served as the CDOT/RTD FasTracks Liaison. After retiring from CDOT, Jim was employed by Parsons-Brinckerhoff (now WSP) as a Senior Supervising Environmental Planner and some of his projects included the Denver Union Station, the N Line and the Southeast Rail Line Extension to Ridge Gate Parkway. Jim continues to use and support transit and is an avid road cyclist. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado-Boulder and a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from University of Colorado-Denver. Jim is a Colorado native born in Denver and currently lives with his wife in Longmont, District I. (Term expires 2022)

Catherine Sanders is currently employed as Employer Program Manager at Smart Commute Metro North, a Transportation Management Organization in the north metro area. As Employer Program Manager, she works with commuting employees to explain RTD and mobility options like walking, biking, and carpooling. In addition to working through employers, she also regularly engages with the public at community events. Prior to working for Smart Commute, she worked for the Denver Regional Council of Governments and Commuting Solutions. Ms. Sanders grew up in Thornton, and attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. While in Michigan, Catherine worked for the City of Ann Arbor's non-motorized transportation program and fell in love with the challenges of inspiring behavior change in the transportation realm. She resides with her husband and four children in Northglenn, District J. (Term expires 2023)

Devin Saunders is the community relations coordinator for Denver District 1 Councilwoman Amanda P. Sandoval. He is an advocate and supporter of neighborhood organizations, citizen involvement in governance and community-based initiatives to enhance community education, unification and prosperity. Devin has developed extensive knowledge and awareness of community concerns regarding RTD and public transit throughout the city and county of Denver. Prior to living in Colorado, Devin worked with community groups, local nonprofits, local governments and the Illinois EPA and Department of Transportation to successfully obtain federal and state funding for the electrification of the public bus fleet for a Chicago suburb. Devin obtained his bachelor’s in political science from the University of Colorado Boulder. He lives in RTD District M and almost solely uses RTD transit as his method of transportation.

Eric Smith has over 10 years of property and asset management, real estate and logistics experience, and currently manages Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties for Burgwyn Residential Management Services in the Denver metro area. Smith is a transportation advocate as many of his management companies' tenants rely on RTD services for daily living and commuting. He hails from Texas, where transportation was not as reliable and plentiful as Denver. From his time as a logistician in the U.S. Army at Fort Carson, Colorado, Smith has always had a passion to improve transportation accessibility and operations. He uses RTD daily to get to and from work, to classes downtown at MSU, where he is working to complete a double major in political science and psychology. Smith lives in Denver, RTD District A. (Term expires 2024)

Andrea Suhaka served on the founding Centennial Council, 2001-2008 and then moved on to serve 12 years on the Centennial Planning and Zoning Commission. Also, in 2007, she was elected to the Centennial Home Rule Charter Commission. She is a graduate of the Transit Alliance Citizens’ Academy and was a founding member of Transportation Solutions Arapahoe County. Throughout 2015, she worked with the Affordable Fares Task Force sponsored by Mile High Connects and continues to follow and take part in the Arapahoe County Transportation Forum. She is a past Board member of the Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council (DRMAC). She graduated from Douglass College of Rutgers University in 1970 and retired from Girl Scouts – Mile Hi Council in 2007 after a 21-year career. Growing up in New Jersey, Ms. Suhaka bussed to summer jobs in New York City. She is a resident of Centennial, RTD District H. (Term expires 2023)