Monica Backmon, has served as the Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) since May 2014. Responsible for the region’s long-range planning, prioritization and funding of regionally significant projects, the NVTA brings transportation solutions to Northern Virginia through dedicated annual revenues of over $365 million per year. Her accomplishments include the 2017 adoption of TransAction, the first update to the NVTA’s long-range transportation plan, and the FY2020-25 Six Year Program, whose 44 projects total $1.3 billion in investment. Ms. Backmon holds a B.A. in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; she also serves on the department’s Alumni Strategy Council. Please join me in welcoming Ms. Backmon.