July-August 2022 - 34

Allison Mayos, PMP
Property Team Lead
WSP Canada
Allison Mayos started her career in the rail
and transit industry 14 years ago as the executive
administrative assistant to the senior vice
president of the project management division
for an engineering firm based in Toronto,
Ontario, specializing in government infrastructure
projects, including public transit.
Realizing there was a fruitful career for herself
within the industry, Mayos enrolled herself in
the Project Management Certificate Program,
successfully completing the program and
gaining her PMP certification. Most recently
Mayos acquired her Real Estate License.
One of her most impressive contributions to
the industry started in March 2016, where she
took on multiple positions for the Metrolinx
Eglinton Crosstown Light-Rail Transit Project.
First acting as the property acquisition manager,
she was directly responsible for leading
a department to manage and acquire
300-plus properties and ensure access to
businesses and residences along this corridor
was preserved during construction. She
then transitioned to being the development
integration manager where she created new
processes and procedures that contributed
to the success of TOD modernizations across
the line. Lastly, she acted as commercial manager
during the interim maintenance period
where she was part of a team that innovated
I really enjoy being part of
something in which you can
physically see your works
come to life and know that the
outcome of those works will
be used by so many people
for the years to come.
QR code technology for asset management.
Mayos currently works at WSP as a consultant.
She centers her work around property acquisition,
third party approvals, TOD implementation
and initiating a third-party team within
WSP's current rail and transit department.
Mayos participates in industry events, webinars,
courses and conferences. She also
attends events for women in transportation,
organizes her own personal events
and volunteers at women shelters.
Colleagues say Mayos embodies a sense of
purpose, passion and vocation and is a dedicated
person who does well under pressure.
Fast Fact: WSP has recognized Mayos as a
future leader within the corporation, and she
will be attending the Great Traits Corporate
Champions Program in the coming months.
MassTransitmag.com/21276458
Darwin
Moosavi
Deputy Secretary
for Environmental
Policy & Housing
Coordination
California State
Transportation
Agency (CalSTA)
In Darwin Moosavi's first seven years
with the state of California, he rose from
an entry level role as a transportation planner
at Caltrans to be appointed as a deputy
secretary of CalSTA under Gov. Gavin
Newsom's Administration. But what makes
Moosavi stand out is his skill in leading
major change in transportation policy.
With every great opportunity
to influence policy changes
comes great challenges and
political resistance. It takes time,
leadership, coalition building
and finding the right opportunity
to make changes happen.
Moosavi spearheaded and delivered a substantial
policy change for California on
behalf of CalSTA: the Climate Action Plan
for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI).
Adopted in 2021, it is now enshrined as a
key policy for transportation planning and
infrastructure investment in the state. As a
funding framework, CAPTI guides decision
making on more than $5 billion of annual
transportation investment in California, centering
investment in transit, rail and active
transportation networks by prioritizing it over
investment in traditional highway expansion.
While any major policy change is always a
team effort, his colleagues have attested that
CAPTI would not be what it is today without
Moosavi. He helped initiate it, was the
lead author of it, served as its public face
and saw it through to publication. He now
oversees its implementation. Moosavi's work
has been acknowledged in several publications,
including the New York Times.
34 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | JULY/AUGUST 2022
CAPTI is not his first major accomplishment.
In his previous role at the California Strategic
Growth Council, Moosavi was the program
manager and one of several co-creators of the
Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities
program, a grant program for transit-oriented
development that revolutionized the way
housing developers work with transit agencies
and transportation departments to create
seamless transit connections for residents.
Additionally, he serves on the Leadership
Council for the National Center for Sustainable
Transportation and is passionate about furthering
research and innovation in the field.
Fast Fact: In 2014, as part of his graduate
studies in urban and regional planning, Moosavi
served as the project manager for the design of
a microtransit system for Cherriots, the transit
agency in Salem-Keizer, Ore.
MassTransitmag.com/21276461
http://www.MassTransitmag.com/21276458 http://www.MassTransitmag.com/21276461 http://www.MassTransitmag.com
July-August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July-August 2022
