Instructors

Qualifications and Experience of Instructors

Mid-Atlantic Public Works Institute instructors are working professionals with years of experience in the field. They are outstanding experts in their subject matter, but what truly sets them apart is that they are also expert instructors. Our talented instructors engage participants and pass their expertise on to them with practical, hands-on skills they can use right away to solve the challenges they'll face in the real world.

"Facilitators were very engaging and kept the level of interest at a level 10 the entire session. Great job!"

About Our Instructors

To ensure quality instruction, a rigorous application and selection process has been put in place to create the instruction team. Instructors will be selected by mid-July and their bios placed here for your reference.

Matt Adams

Wes Barton

Greta Bonaparte is a Learning and Development Specialist for the Department of Public Works in the District of Columbia. She has over twenty years of experience in education administration and has held several positions in both public and private industries to include Academic Dean and Campus President. As a strong proponent of the tenets of adult education theory, in her current position, she researches, develops, and delivers Leadership and Management, and Professional Development workshops to Public Works employees that address all levels of learning style.

David Bradshaw As the leader of Clark Nexsen’s Infrastructure practice, Dave Bradshaw brings more than 37 years of experience designing and managing major transportation projects to his role. He promotes an environment of innovation within his team, encouraging our transportation engineers to explore new possibilities and develop unique solutions to client challenges. This emphasis has led to highly successful project delivery for our transportation clients, ranging from major roadway widening, to local collector streets, to interstate projects, and more.

Dave is a member of the American Public Works Association (APWA), the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) and the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance (VTCA). He is currently on the APWA Mid-Atlantic Chapter board of directors, has served on the board of directors and as Past President for ASHE, and is highly regarded within the industry.

Dave holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Old Dominion University. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife of 33 years, his kids, and his grandkids, and anything related to watching or playing sports.

Rick Childs started with the City of Newport News Department of Public Works in 2010 as a Senior Equipment Operator than moved up in 2014 to Inflow / Infiltration Technician than to Training Specialist in 2015. I am certified as a VDOT Work Zone Safety, Confined Space and HAZWOPER, Red Cross and American Heart Association First aid and CPR Instructor.

Lori Crouch, APR currently serves as Managing Partner, at SIR, a 68-year old Richmond-based research and marketing firm. She oversees a diverse portfolio of research, marketing, and brand-related projects as well as provides trusted counsel to client leadership, manages crisis communications response and conducts media training.

Formerly she served as the Director of the Department of Communications for the City of Norfolk, Virginia where she proudly oversaw a talented, multi-disciplinary team that delivered engaging and strategic communications, public relations, public art and art programming to a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders. Lori is an Emmy-nominated, award-winning broadcast journalist and accredited public relations professional.

Lori started her journalism career at WJHG-TV in Panama City, Florida as a reporter and quickly rose to anchor the top-rated weekday morning show. She left; padding: 10px; Florida for Virginia Beach where she landed a job as a reporter and anchor with WVEC-TV.

Not to stay put for long, it was back to Florida, where Lori worked as a reporter and anchor for the CBS/FOX affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida. Lori wrapped her 20-year career with another move to Norfolk where she worked as a reporter and weekend anchor for WAVY-TV.

Highlights of her time as a broadcast journalist include interviews with World War II vets, a month tour in Iraq interviewing servicemembers and civilians, swimming with manatees and opening a new Disney World experience.

In 2011, Lori ventured down a new career path and accepted the position of Public Relations Manager with the City of Norfolk. In 2019, she was promoted to Director of Communications where she served as trusted counsel to the City Manager and city spokesperson.

Lori is a graduate of the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk Jayhawk!).

She achieved her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America in 2017. In addition to her Emmy-nomination, Lori was awarded the Pinnacle Award from the Public Relations Society of America-Hampton Roads Chapter for her work on the 2013 Meet, Greet & Imagine Granby Street revitalization campaign.

She currently serves as president-elect of the Public Relations Society of America- Hampton Roads Chapter and on the board of Faith Inclusion Network. She is a LEAD Hampton Roads Class of 2015 graduate.

Lori is an active member of Second Presbyterian Church, Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus and the Hampton Roads Rowing Club. She is married to her college sweetheart, Robert, (USN Ret.) and they live in Norfolk with their two children Taylor, Brandon, one husky, and two cats.

"Awesome job! Love the real life experiences the instructors shared."

Ken Eyre is a Past-President of the APWA Mid-Atlantic Chapter, is a Life Member of APWA, and has been very active with Mid-Atlantic Chapter educational venues including serving on the Mid-Atlantic Public Works Institute's Steering Committee. Ken has developed and provided numerous public works training sessions as part of his engineering and professional society's services. He has over 45-years of extensive environmental and civil engineering experience for east coast communities, including having served as project manager for a number of mid-Atlantic public works agencies. For APWA, Ken served as their representative on the Stakeholder Advisory Committee to the US EPA's Wet Weather Flows ETV initiative. Ken has served on other national APWA committees. Ken was recently recognized nationally as a 2016 Top Ten Public Works Leader of the Year. Ken is a registered professional engineer in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington DC. APWA President Bill Spearman has appointed Ken to serve on the national Top Ten Public Works Leader of the Year Evaluation committee. With two retired Fairfax County public works professionals, Ken established a new consulting business, providing public agencies with organizational assessments, infrastructure engineering assistance, executive level program evaluation, and leadership advice to help their organizations deliver the best services to their communities and customers.

Jeff Finegan has worked for APWA on the D.C.-based Government Affairs Team since 2021 where holds the title of Government Affairs Associate. In this role, he manages APWA’s Workforce Development Policy Portfolio, as well as that of Solid Waste and Recycling. Prior to his tenure at APWA, he worked for two U.S. Senators on Capitol Hill. In his free time, he is an avid biker, as well as lover of British history.

Curtis Garnett is a Crew Supervisor for Public Works Solid Waste division for the City of Newport News. His career in public works spans 14 years. He has also worked in the recycling field with over 8 years of experience in collections. In total he possesses 22 years in the field of collections. He is a graduate of PWI and proud member of the APWA.

Marilyn Gross is the Administrative Officer for the Department of Public Works Parking Administration Management Administration (PEMA), a position she has held for 7 years. This Administration not only oversees parking violation enforcement but additionally supports booting, towing and impoundment activities for the District of Columbia. She is a member of PEMA’s leadership team. Her daily responsibilities include oversight for the PEMA Budget, HR Specialist, IT Support Services, Facilities, Quality Assurance, and Communication for 350 employees.

Ms. Gross has over 25 years of experience in the public and private sectors, including Contracts & Procurement, Organizational Development, Customer Service, Leadership Through Quality and Performance Measurement. Ms. Gross training and consulting experience includes Ethics, Root Cause Analysis, Work Process Improvement, Problem-Solving, Customer Service, new Supervisor Training, Strategic Planning, Teambuilding and Executive Coaching.

Ms. Gross is a graduate of the University of Utah College of Law, where she majored in Business and Labor Law. She graduated with a B.S. in Physics from the University of Tennessee. She was a Malcom Baldrige Quality Examiner for Xerox Corporation.

Demetria Harris joined the District of Columbia Department of Public Work(DPW) Safety & Security Administration (SSA) family in July 2022. Demetria has been employed with the District Government for 16 years. Prior to coming to SSA, Demetria worked at the Department of Public Works Fleet Management Administration as the Special Events Coordinator. Ms. Harris came to her position at SSA with a background in Facilities Management as a former Facilities Specialist with Fannie Mae Corporation prior to joining the District Government. Ms. Harris will oversee and assist all DPW agency moves, Capital Improvement Projects, respond to all facility requests, and provide support for Safety and Security. She manages the entire portfolio of assets for DPW including budgetary responsibilities. She continues to manage Contract Plow Snow Program and operations for the District during all snow events and all other agency and stakeholder requests. Ms. Harris is instrumental in being actively involved in the yearly local and regional APWA Rodeo, the DC Truck Touch and Electric Vehicle Grand Prix. Ms. Harris attended Virginia Union University and is a Certified Public Manager and Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt from George Washington University.

Judith L. Hines is the Assistant Director of Public Works for Administration for the City of Newport News, Virginia. Her career in public works spans over 40 years. She was a key management team participant in achieving APWA National Accreditation for the Newport News Public Works Department in 2003, and was also instrumental in re-accreditation in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. She is a graduate of Christopher Newport University with a degree in business management. She is a past president of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of APWA and served as the Chapter Delegate to APWA's Council of Chapters for six years. Judi was named a Top Ten Public Works Leader of the Year in 2020. Judi is a charter member of the Steering Committee for the Mid-Atlantic Public Works Institute.

Christopher Kohr, PE, is currently the Operations Manager for the Town of Leesburg, Virginia and oversees the Streets and Grounds Maintenance, Building Maintenance and Fleet Maintenance divisions. Chris obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering with a Business Minor from Penn State University and a Master’s Degree from Stevens Institute of Technology. He started his career in land development and geotechnical consulting and gained field experience in heavy civil construction working on New York City infrastructure projects like the 2nd Avenue Subway and 7-Line subway extension. Chris and his wife moved to Virginia in 2013 to raise a family where he started his public service work managing building construction projects for Fairfax County. Chris joined the Town of Leesburg in 2018 and some of his responsibilities include budget management and forecasting, contract management, small construction project oversight, emergency response including snow plowing, implementation of the Town’s ADA Transition Plan and development of a work order and asset management system for Public Works.

Renee LaFollette, PE, is currently the Public Works and Capital Projects Director for the Town of Leesburg, Virginia. The department consists of eight divisions: Streets, Fleets, Buildings & Grounds, Stormwater, Transportation, Inspections, Trash & Recycling, and Capital Projects, with an annual operating budget of $22.5 million and an average annual capital budget of $38.5 million. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering from The Ohio State University. She started her career as a resident engineer with the Ohio Department of Transportation where she gained field experience on heavy highway construction projects. She moved to Virginia in late 1999 and worked for a geotechnical company prior to beginning her career with the Town of Leesburg in November of 2000 as a senior engineer in the Capital Projects division of Public Works. Since starting with the Town, she has gained field and leadership experience at the local government level and rose through the ranks to become the Director of Public Works and Capital Projects in July 2015.

Jack Reed is a licensed Class 1 Virginia Waterworks operator and a member of the Virginia American Water Works Association. He started his local government career as a waterworks operator with the Halifax County Service Authority. His previous experience includes serving as the Water Treatment Plant Manager for the Town of Smithfield and the James City County Service Authority, and as Utility Operations Manager for Prince George County before returning to Smithfield as Director of Public Works and Utilities where he also served as the as the assistant town manager. While in Smithfield, his department team was able to achieve APWA national re-accreditation for the third time.

In October 2023, Reed was hired as the Director of Public Works and Utilities for the City of Williamsburg. As the Director of Public Works and Utilities, Reed’s responsibilities include directing the development and implementation of the department’s goals, objectives, initiatives, policies, and priorities; overseeing the coordination and execution of capital improvement projects with staff, municipal departments, and regional partners; assessing and monitoring the City’s infrastructure to provide adequate levels of public service; and serving on the City of Williamsburg’s leadership team.

Reed holds a bachelor’s degree in management and leadership from Bluefield University and a Master of Business Administration from Virginia Tech. He is an alumnus of the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service’s LEAD program and a graduate of the Mid-Atlantic Public Works Institute's inaugural class.

Larado Robinson is a professional engineer has over 30 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry specializing in water and wastewater system modeling. While most of his career has been dedicated to working as a consultant engineer, he currently holds the position of Director of the Water and Sewer Department for the City of Salem Virginia, a position which he has held for over 7 years. Larado has served as Vice Chairman of American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) National Engineering Modeling and Applications Committee. Larado is a Vernon Lucy Award alum, which recognizes an individual’s sustained service and demonstrated creativity, initiative, and dedication to the work of the Engineering and Construction Division of AWWA. Larado has also had the privilege of helping develop leaders by mentoring and developing leadership programs. As Director, Larado leads a team of nearly 40 individuals to provide quality water and wastewater services to the citizens of Salem. His desire is to have a positive impact on each member of his team while helping them to become better leaders.

"Excellent presentations! Learned some valuable tools."

Scott Smith, PE, LS-Senior Civil Engineer, is currently licensed as a Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor in Virginia and is Certified Public Works Professional and has over 33 years of experience. Scott currently serves as a Senior Civil Engineer for the City of Hampton, Public Works Department, with a primary responsibility for stormwater management. Duties involve project management of stormwater water quality, drainage improvement , water storage and runoff reduction projects. These projects will assist in the City in meeting its nutrient reduction requirements of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. Other projects reduce flooding in neighborhoods and help improve the quality of life for the citizens of Hampton. Other duties include assisting Resilience office implement the Resilient Hampton initiative, working to develop and implement adaptation and mitigation strategies in response to Climate Change.

Scott is a member of APWA and ASCE and serves on the Board of Directors for the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the APWA and is Chairman of the Public Works Institute steering committee.