Board Members

and Committee Structure

  • 2025-2026
  • 23
2025-2026 YMF Board Photo

Executive Board

President
Kevin Walsh

Kevin Walsh is a highway engineer at HNTB in the Philadelphia Transportation group. His design specialties include roadways, utilities, green stormwater infrastructure, bicycle and ADA accessible facilities, permitting, and plan preparation and review for DOT and municipalities. Kevin earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Temple University in 2014.

Kevin is in his 11th year on the ASCE Philadelphia YMF Board currently serving as the President. Kevin has previously served as the, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Social Chair (two years), Student Transition Chair, Civil Engineering (CivE) Club Chair (two years), Technical Events Chair, and Professional Development Chair.

Kevin received the ASCE Philadelphia Section Young Engineer of the Year Award in 2022. Kevin also received the ASCE Philadelphia Section Community Outreach and Service Award in 2017.

In his free time, Kevin enjoys golfing, biking, and pickleball.

Vice President
Christopher Medora, P.E., ENV SP

CJ is a Traffic Project Engineer at AECOM. He works on a variety of projects for private and public clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. His work includes design and analysis for multimodal facilities, traffic control, signing and pavement markings, and traffic signals. He is passionate about improving safety for all users across all modes of transportation.

CJ earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with minors in Mathematics and Theology from Villanova University in 2018. He was active in both the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) during his time at Villanova, serving as Treasurer and President for both clubs. He is a registered Professional Engineer and an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP). He is a Practitioner Advisor for Villanova University and a member of the ASCE Committee on Developing Leaders.

In his personal time, CJ enjoys hanging out with friends and traveling with his wife, Katie. This is CJ’s seventh year on the board, most recently serving as the YMF’s Secretary, where he oversaw the Communications Committee.

Secretary
Kayla Nelson, EIT (She/Her)

Kayla Nelson is a Senior Staff Professional at Schnabel Engineering in Chadds Ford, where she’s worked since graduating from Widener University with her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2019. A Baltimore native, Kayla moved to Philadelphia to begin her full-time career in civil engineering. Her background includes seepage and slope analysis, support-of-excavation design, site observation, and drafting.

Since completing her undergraduate studies, Kayla has been an active member of the ASCE, having served in the roles of Social Media Chair (1 Term), College Contact Chair (2 Terms), and Technical Events Chair (1 Term). She is a volunteer member of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee and participates in YMF community service events. At the society-level, Kayla is a Corresponding Member of the ASCE’s Committee on Student Members(CSM).

In addition to her involvement in the YMF, Kayla is involved in the Delaware Valley Geo-Institute (DVGI); She currently serves as a Director on the Board. As Director, she manages their LinkedIn Page and leads their Regional GeoWall Student Competition efforts. Nelson is also an active member of SWE; She served as SWE Philadelphia’s FY23 Secretary and chaired the Section’s Nominating Committee for the FY24 election. Kayla has volunteered her time to assist with running labs at Widener/SWE’s Annual Engineering Girls Camp since 2015.

In her spare time, Kayla enjoys hiking, playing board/card games, crocheting, spending time with friends/family, and playing guitar to her rabbit (Jude).

Treasurer
Christian Antisell, PE

Christian is a Project Engineer at PhilaPort (The Port of Philadelphia) where manages design and construction projects for the Commonwealth's marine terminal infrastructure along the Delaware River. Prior to the PRPA, he was a Highway Designer at TPD and graduated with his BS in Civil Engineering from Widener University in 2019, where he volunteered for the ASCE student chapter and is now a Practitioner Advisor.

Christian is a cat dad of two and frequently lifts weights and spends time outdoors. In his free time, he enjoys board games, playing the guitar, golfing and snowboarding with friends, and attending Union matches at Subaru Park. This is his sixth year on the YMF board, previously serving as a K-12 Outreach Chair, Social Chair, and Community Service Chair.

The following are Appointed Officer Positions divided up into three committees: Communications, Events, and Outreach. Each of these three committees are chaired by an Executive Board Officer. Descriptions of the responsibilities and duties of these Appointed Officer Positions can be found here: YMF Board Appointed Officer Positions

Communications Committee
(Chaired by Secretary)

Information Technology (IT) Chair
Nooraldean Dabdoub

Noor works in the Construction Services Department at TPD Inc. based out of their Pottstown office. His work consists of roadway, structural, and utilities inspections. He is currently working as an inspector on the BS2 section of I-95. He graduated from Drexel University in June 2017 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and concentration in Construction Management. During that time, he was an active member with ASCE Drexel University chapter. Also, he served as Chapter Ambassador with Project Management Institute (PMI). Before that, he worked as Estimator/Field Engineer with Lennar where he worked on estimating material and perform field verification on multiple projects in their NJ office. O utside of the YMF, Noor is the Scholarship Committee Director with the Philadelphia section of ASCE. Outside of work he enjoys walking on the boardwalk, and spending time with family and friends.

Public Relations (PR) Chair
Laurel Welch, PE, ENV SP

Laurel Welch is a Professional Engineer with more than 8 years of experience in transportation design and construction. Before transitioning to her current role as a Construction Engineer, she gained nearly 8 years of experience on the design of roadway projects and ADA-compliant pedestrian facilities, as well as interchange reconstruction and drainage design, in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Texas, and Florida. As a Construction Engineer at Urban Engineers, Inc., she contributes to constructability reviews and Value Engineering analyses of heavy highway and transportation projects. She also acts as an Assistant Construction Manager on several projects for the City of Philadelphia, including a road diet and intersection improvements.

Ms. Welch is ardent about serving the public and improving transportation infrastructure through innovative and sustainable solutions. Sparked through an internship in the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, her technical expertise is bolstered by an interest in the development of transportation policy and its impact on the civil engineering industry.

Ms. Welch earned her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Florida. Ms. Welch is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of New Jersey. She is also certified as an Envision Sustainability Professional.

Social Media Chair
Zachariah Abbas, EIT (He/Him)

Zach is a Geotechnical Engineer at Gannett Fleming, and has been with them for 2 years. Prior to Gannett Fleming, Zach earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. At Penn State he was an active member of the ASCE Student Chapter where he served as president of the group. He was also an active member of the Concrete Canoe team and Steel Bridge team. He's now looking to continue his education by pursuing a Master's Degree.

In his free time Zach likes to rock climb, hike, drink coffee, play the drums, and go to concerts.

Awards Chair
Tyler Farley, EIT

Tyler graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 2017, earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree with a concentration in Transportation. He currently works for Traffic Planning & Design, Inc. (TPD) in the Access Design Services Department of TPD's Philadelphia office, as a Highway Design Specialist. Tyler focuses on the design of Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) and multi-modal related projects throughout the City of Philadelphia, PennDOT District 6-0, and Delaware. Prior to working full-time within his current position, he had worked two summers with PennDOT District 4-0 as a construction inspector and a summer with TPD as a highway design specialist intern.

Outside of the office, Tyler an avid Philadelphia sports fan and enjoys attending sporting events of any kind, concerts, traveling, and spending time with his family, friends, and dog.

Events Committee
(Chaired by Treasurer)

Social Events Chair
Kevin Malley, PE, ENV SP (He/Him)

Kevin Malley is a Project Manager in the Ecological Restoration (ER) Design group of the Philadelphia Water Department's Green Stormwater and Stream Design (GSSD) Unit. In this role, he manages the design and construction of projects focusing on riparian asset protection, stream restoration, and ecological restoration. These projects protect critical PWD infrastructure, assist in regulatory compliance, and improve the city's water resources. Kevin uses his seven years of experience in water main and sewer design to manage multifaceted projects outside of the standard city right-of-way.

He graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Temple University in 2017 and a Masters in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources from Villanova University in 2021. This is his fourth year on the YMF board and first as social events chair.

Outside of work, Kevin enjoys frequent bike rides along MLK Boulevard and the Schuylkill River Trail. He is an avid Philadelphia sports fan and enjoys going to the local farmers market.

Social Events Chair
Gina Venuto

Gina is a Civil Engineering Specialist at STV, Inc. In this role, she performs roadway design work for clients such as PennDOT and the City of Philadelphia. Gina engages in a variety of tasks at work including utility coordination, roadway geometry, traffic control, erosion control, and safety studies. Gina earned her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Rowan University in 2020, while also pursuing a Minor in Spanish and currently has 5 years of experience in the transportation industry. Alongside her work, Gina is a passionate volunteer, as in addition to her new role in YMF, she sits on the board of WTS Philadelphia as the Director of Student Outreach, is actively engaged in YPT Philly, and enjoys working with various community volunteer organizations including Habitat for Humanity and Philabundance.

In her spare time, Gina loves traveling the world, reading a book with a latte in hand, cooking and baking new recipes, sunbathing at the beach, exploring wineries with friends, spending time with her family and her Siamese kitten, Sedona, and attending Zumba classes!

Technical Events Chair
Anthony Rizzo PE, ENV SP

Anthony is a Civil Engineer – Water/Wastewater at Michael Baker International. He graduated from Drexel University in 2019 with a Dual B.S./M.S. in Civil Engineering. Anthony works on a variety of highway and utility projects, with a focus on water main and sewer reconstruction. He has worked on numerous projects for the Philadelphia Water Department, PennDOT, and Private Clients. This will be Anthony’s 4th year on the YMF Board, with many more to come!

Technical Events Chair
Lexi Gawelko, PE, PMP (She/Her)

Lexi works as a Project Manager for GFT. She manages the scope, schedule, budget, client, and team for engineering technology projects, primarily in the areas of application development, information technology, and GIS for DOT projects. She has 5 years of previous experience in geotechnical engineering design and construction inspection.

This is her fourth year on the ASCE Philadelphia YMF board, having served previously in the roles of Social Media Chair, Student Member Transition Chair, and College Contact Chair. She also leads a job shadowing initiative for Penn State's Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Society (CEEAS) and participates in her company's Connected Women and mentoring programs.

Lexi graduated in 2019 from Penn State with an MS in Civil Engineering. At Penn State, she served on the executive board of the ASCE Student Chapter, as well as in leadership roles on the Concrete Canoe Team and Women in Engineering (WEP) program. In her free time, Lexi likes to travel, enjoy time with friends and family, hike with her dog, and read.

Professional Development Chair
Alyssa Pizzi, EIT (She/Her)

Alyssa Pizzi is an engineer at J&M Preservation Studio, where she is involved in the structural analysis and stabilization of historic and existing buildings, including buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Prior to J&M, Alyssa worked at TranSystems in bridge inspection and design, working on projects such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Inspection Contract, emergency bridge repair designs, and multiple rope access bridge inspections. Alyssa graduated from Syracuse University with a BS in Civil Engineering and BA in Art History.

Alyssa is also on the Steering Committee of the Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. In her spare time, she enjoys playing volleyball, running, and leading tours of Philadelphia neighborhoods.

Professional Development Chair
Andrew Edwins, PE

Andrew Edwins is an Engineer at Mott MacDonald, specializing in the planning, design, and implementation of water infrastructure projects that support growth and improvement throughout the community. His experience includes a range of projects including water and sewer main replacements, transmission main design, pump station design, trenchless installation of water mains and tunnelling projects.

He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Rutgers University in 2019 and is a licensed professional engineer.

Outside of engineering, Andrew enjoys baking bread, playing board games and solving puzzles. This is Andrew's first year as a board member and he looks forward to getting further involved with the community.

Community Service Chair
Kerianne Chen (She/They)

Kerianne received her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, with a minor in communications from Drexel University in 2020. They work at Traffic Planning & Design (TPD) in Access Design Services as a Highway Design Specialist in the Philadelphia office. Prior to graduating, she completed three co-ops for Philadelphia Streets Department, HNTB, and TPD; studied abroad in Melbourne, Australia; and participated in STEM Outreach at various Drexel events.

Outside of work, you can find her working on crafts like sewing and crochet, outside hiking or kayaking, or traveling and seeing friends & family. While originally from Austin, Texas, Kerianne has since adopted Philadelphia as their new home, and has been enjoying visiting mountains and other scenery of the tri-state area.

Outreach Committee
(Chaired by Vice President)

College Contact Chair
Cory Bogas, EIT (He/Him)

In 2018, Cory graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He currently works for HNTB as a civil designer in their transportation engineering department. At HNTB, Cory works on a variety of projects, including highway safety improvement, low cost safety improvement, and a broad range of roadway projects. Cory holds a position on the Temple College of Engineering Alumni Association as a Director at Large. In his free time, Cory likes to golf, play tennis, and watch sports.

K-12 Outreach Chair
Anthony Ableman (He/Him/His)

Anthony graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington in 2016. He currently works as a Project Manager at Keller Engineers of New Jersey, L.L.C. with over six years of experience in land development, water resources, and Computer Aided Design and Drafting. He is also a registered Professional Engineer in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

This is Anthony’s first year on the ASCE Philadelphia YMF Board, currently serving as the Technical Events Co-Chair with Kayla Nelson. Anthony started as a mentor for ASCE YMF’s Mentorship Program the previous year, having also volunteered with the K-12 Outreach Program as well.

In Anthony’s personal life, you can find him playing video games on his computer or tinkering with his 3D printers. When outside, he will most likely be playing pickleball or throwing around the frisbee, walking through the park and feeding squirrels, or spending quality time with his dogs.

K-12 Outreach Chair
Shane D. Leiphart, EIT (He/Him)

Shane works as an Associate Engineer for Pennoni Associates Inc. He works with the civil/site group at Pennoni working on a multitude of projects within the Philadelphia area. These projects cover a range of uses including industrial, commercial, recreational and residential. He has 4 years of previous experience in civil engineering design with a focus on site design, stormwater management design, and construction coordination.

This is Shane’s first year on the ASCE Philadelphia YMF board. He has previously volunteered with the outreach committee over the past year as well as attending a multitude of other ASCE YMF events over the past few years.

Shane graduated from York College of Pennsylvania with a BS in Civil Engineering in 2021. While at York College of Pennsylvania Shane was a member of the ASCE Student Chapter and attended multiple events coordinated with neighboring colleges and universities.

In Shane’s free time he enjoys baseball, volleyball, travel, food and spending time with friends and family.

Civil Engineering (CivE) Club Chair
Katie Wade

Katie is a structural design engineer in JMT’s Structures group in their Philadelphia office. She has been working for two years and has experience designing various transportation structures. She earned her bachelor's degrees in civil engineering and architectural engineering from Drexel University in 2022. During her time at Drexel, Katie was an active member of the ASCE student chapter, participated in the steel bridge team, and held leadership roles in Alpha Omega Epsilon Sorority. This is her first year on the ASCE Philadelphia YMF board. In her free time, Katie enjoys playing pickleball, board games, and spending time with her friends, family, and cat.

Civil Engineering (CivE) Club Chair
Emma Youngs (She/Her)

Emma 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. This is her second year on the ASCE Philadelphia YMF board. Emma graduated in 2022 from Drexel University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. At Drexel she was an active member of the ASCE Student Chapter where she served as president of the group. She served in additional leadership roles for Drexel's Dean's Student Leadership Program and Alpha Omega Epsilon Sorority. In her free time, Emma likes to travel, hike, read, play ultimate frisbee and soccer, watch Philadelphia sports, and cuddle with her cat!

Student Member Transition Chair
Hannah Booz, EIT (She/Her)

Hannah is a Roadway Designer with McCormick Taylor working out of their Philadelphia office. She specializes in 3D modeling with OpenRoads, ADA Design, Right-of-Way Acquisition, and Utility Coordination. She graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Villanova University in 2021. During her time at Villanova, Hannah served as the President, Vice President, and Freshman Class Representative on the Villanova ASCE board and hosted the 2020 Region 2 Assembly. She stays involved with Villanova ASCE as one of the chapter’s Practitioner Advisors. While this is her first year as a board member, Hannah is not new to the Philly YMF. Last year, she was a member of the Event Planning Committee and hosted the “Introduction to Proposals” event.

Hannah spends her free time exploring new restaurants, taking care of her plants, and dominating her local Cornhole and TopGolf leagues.

JEDI Committee

JEDI Chair
Elvira-Marie Mikhael, EIT (She/Her/Hers)

Elvira graduated from Drexel University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering, where she served as Event Coordinator for the ASCE student chapter for two years and as President of the Drexel Society of Women Engineers. Elvira currently is a Highway Design Specialist at Traffic Planning & Design (TPD), working primarily on roadway design relating to Highway Occupancy Permits (HOP) within the City of Philadelphia and PennDOT District 6-0.

An avid biker herself, Elvira loves taking part in bike advocacy programs such as the Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia, promoting safe environments for bicycling in the city. She also enjoys traveling, listening to live music, and doing new things in the city.

Mentors

Past President
Assunta Daprano, EIT

Assunta Daprano is a Project Manager in the Goods Movement/Transit Business Line at AECOM. She currently serves as the project lead for the CSXT Public Projects GEC, reviewing public improvement projects to assess and mitigate impacts on CSXT facilities in Virginia and the District of Columbia. She also has experience in community engagement, planning, design, and construction of railways, yards, transit facilities, and site inspection for wide-ranging projects, including railroad structures, transit stations, and utility relocations.

Assunta graduated from Drexel University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a concentration in Construction Management. She also holds a Graduate Certification in Railroad Engineering from the University of Delaware. Assunta is an active member of the America Society of Civil Engineers, serving as the Assistant Secretary of the Philadelphia Section and a Practitioner Advisor for the Drexel ASCE Chapter. She is also a member of ASCE's Committee on Student Members. Lastly, Assunta is a member of the Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS), the Engineer's Club of Philadelphia, and the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA).

In her spare time, Assunta enjoys visiting train museums, gardening, spending time with her partner Joe and her cats, and cooking. She is also an avid railroad enthusiast (railfan) and hopes to one day learn how to operate a diesel locomotive.

Second Past President
Kirsten Kennedy, PE (She/Her)

Kirsten Kennedy is a Project Manager in Aviation for Michael Baker International. She is a passionate aviation engineer with 9 years of experience. Her experience ranges from project management, design, and construction management. Kirsten is a Professional Engineer in the state of Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland. She has worked on a variety of airports throughout the country including PHL, ACY, N94, FME, CGS, TTN, NFAFB and NID. Previously she was an Aviation Engineer for Urban Engineers for 6 years. Before that, she was a bridge engineer for Walsh Construction on the P3 Rapid Bridge Replacement project. She has a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a B.S. in Architectural Engineering from Drexel University class of 2015.

Kirsten is currently the Past-President and has previously held the position of President, Vice President, Technical Events Chair, Society Liaison, Diversity and Inclusion Chair, Professional Development chair, and Co-Social Chair for ASCE YMF. She is also on the professional development committee for WTS as the WTS Works Chair, was the previously the young professional (YoPro) co-chair for AAAE NEC and is currently on the Airport Conference Planning committee for AAAE NEC. In her personal time she enjoys handstands, acro-yoga, dancing, yoga, traveling, golfing, running and eating all the best food in the city.

Other Past Presidents

The YMF has a long, proud history of excellent leadership. The following have devoted their time and energy as Presidents of our great organization:

  • 2024-2025 - Assunta Daprano
  • 2023-2024 - Kirsten Kennedy
  • 2022-2023 - Tim Abel
  • 2021-2022 - Dennis Wilson
  • 2020-2021 - Katrina Lawrence
  • 2019-2020 - Jesse Gormley
  • 2018-2019 - Eammon Farley
  • 2017-2018 - Nha Truong
  • 2016-2017 - Kevin Brown
  • 2015-2016 - Chris Renfro
  • 2014-2015 - Drew Sirianni
  • 2013-2014 - Chris Gray
  • 2012-2013 - Kazi Hassan
  • 2011-2012 - Jeremy Chrzan
  • 2010-2011 - Mike Wagner
  • 2009-2010 - Cathy Farrell
  • 2008-2009 - Don Gusic
  • 2007-2008 - Joseph Platt
  • 2006-2007 - John Federico
  • 2005-2006 - Jeremy Colello
  • 2004-2005 - Alyson Lester
  • 2003-2004 - Michael McAtee
  • 2002-2003 - Kristen Bowman-Kavanaugh
  • 2001-2002 - Christopher Wright
  • 2000-2001 - Carol Martsolf
  • 1999-2000 - Christopher Menna
  • 1998-1999 - John Zarsky
  • 1997-1998 - Yael Heller-Jekogian
  • 1996-1997 - David Hanly
  • 1995-1996 - Allen Cadden

And prior to 1995, when the YMF wasn't quite as organized as today, there were a number of other people who focused their efforts to bring about the YMF as we know it today. Some of these people, who have our sincerest thanks, include:

  • Joanne Anovick
  • Ruben David
  • John Durrant
  • Tom Lauer
  • Ed Lutz
  • Sandra May
  • Drew Mihocko
  • Bill Thomsen
  • Bob Wright