As Deputy Chief Engineer of Program Operations and Asset Management of MTA C&D, Justine Tietjen (nee Lorentzson) is responsible for the overall strategic planning and management of the Capital Program—as well as other special programs—and management of E&C’s implementation of the Authority-wide Asset Management program. Ms Tietjen leads a 15-person professional engineering organization including the Program Oversight Unit, Estimating and Scheduling Unit and the E&C asset management unit.

Ms Tietjen has been with MTA C&D since 2003 and has previous experience in the private sector in engineering consulting implementing major public works projects in the New York area. In addition, Ms Tietjen also has extensive experience with Ohio Department of Transportation in the field of highway engineering.

As Chairperson of ICSBOA, Ms Tietjen has authored several technical papers on the subject of cable supported bridge suspension elements and is the primary author of a chapter for the book Inspection, Evaluation and Maintenance of Suspension Bridges Case Studies published in 2015.

A licensed professional engineer in both New York and Ohio, Justine Tietjen holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Akron University, a Bachelors of Arts degree in Music from Marietta College, Ohio, and a Master of Science degree in Biological Sciences from State University of New York at Stony Brook.

David List is the General Manager of Tamar Crossings, a public sector undertaking which operates two crossings of the River Tamar in the south-west of the UK – the Torpoint Ferry crossing using three chain ferries running between Devonport and Torpoint, and a suspension bridge, the Tamar Bridge, which connects the A38 trunk road further upstream. The undertaking is owned by two local authorities – Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council, and is self-funded from toll income. David is responsible for all aspects of the delivery of the service, financial management and strategic planning. The undertaking employs approximately 110 staff.

David has been in post for 24 years, having previously worked in Hong Kong for 16 years on a range of civil engineering projects including reclamation and structures, and before that for 5 years in the UK working on highways and structures projects.

David is one of two Europe Region Members on the Board for the International Cable Supported Bridge Owners Association. He has authored several papers related to the Tamar Bridge, and was co-author of a chapter for the book “Inspection, Evaluation and Maintenance of Suspension Bridges Case Studies” published in 2015.

He graduated from Nottingham University with a BSc in Civil Engineering, holds an MBA from Hong Kong University, gained chartered status in 1981 and became a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 2012.

Kiyohiro Imai is the Senior Director of the Corporate Planning Department of Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway Company Limited (HSBE). He has been involved in the construction and maintenance of the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge as a bridge engineer for more than 30 years. He was involved in the design and construction of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge and the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridges, and the maintenance of the Ohnaruto Bridge.

In 2003, Kiyohiro Imai and Prof. Dan M. Frangopol received the Moisseiff Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for their contributions to research on the reliability evaluation of suspension bridges. He has been involved for more than 10 years in the activities of the Permanent International Association Road Congress (PIARC), which continues to promote global discussion and knowledge about roads and road transport. Since 2016, he has been the Chair of PIARC Technical Committee on Road Bridges. In 2020, he was awarded the 2020 IABMAS SENIOR PRIZE for his work on the construction and maintenance of the Honshu-Shikoku Bridges, his research on bridges in the USA, and his work on the PIARC Technical Committee.

In 2022, Kiyohiro Imai was approved to represent HSBE on a board member of the International Cable-Stayed Bridge Operators Association (ICSBOA).

Kiyohiro Imai received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering from Kyoto University and his Ph.D. degree in civil engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA.

Kim Agersoe Nielsen is the Head of Department, Structures and Landworks, Sund & Bælt Holding A/S. As an experienced Head Of Department, Kim has a demonstrated history of working in the transportation/trucking/railroad industry. He is skilled in bridges, infrastructure, power plants, renewable energy, engineering and project engineering. Kim has a strong professional education with a Master of Science (M.Sc.) focused in Mechanical Engineering from Danmarks Tekniske Universitet / DTU.

In his role as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Bridge Officer, Mr. Schwartz oversees all aspects of design, construction, rehabilitation and reconstruction, maintenance, operation and administration of the 806 bridges, 4 vehicular tunnels and 650 retaining walls under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Transportation.

He is responsible for formulating policy and providing executive and administrative direction for the Division of Bridges with a team of nearly 650 engineers, technicians, tradespeople, planners and administrators. He has served the Bridges Division for over 20 years having joined City DOT in the fall of 2002.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from Cornell University, College of Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of New York.

Currently there are over 40 bridge and tunnel projects in various stages of design and well over $2 billion worth of construction projects in progress.

Jeffrey Wright is Chief Engineer of the New York State Bridge Authority which owns and operates six major crossings over the Hudson River. Two of the crossings are suspension bridges: the Mid-Hudson Bridge opened in 1930 and the Bear Mountain Bridge opened in 1924 as the world’s longest suspension bridge. One of the other crossings, The Walkway over the Hudson Bridge originally opened as a railroad bridge in 1889 is now the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge. The other crossings include the Newburgh-Beacon Bridges, 2 articulated deck truss spans, the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, a continuous under deck truss, and the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, a cantilevered and under deck truss bridge.

Jeff is responsible for maintaining the NYSBA bridges and infrastructure in good condition for their long term safety and stability. During his time as the Chief Engineer, Jeff has been in charge of overseeing the design and construction of the Authority’s largest capital project, the $101 million Newburgh-Beacon Bridge North Span re-decking. He is also instrumental in educating others about engineering and potential careers in the construction field by giving tours and talks to Master Teachers and students from middle school through college.

Mr. Wright is also on the board of Historic Bridges of the Hudson Valley (HBHV). HBHV promotes the cultural awareness and general knowledge of Hudson Valley bridge history and the art of civil engineering, architecture, and bridge science. 

Prior to joining the Bridge Authority, Mr. Wright worked in the private sector for consultants for 30 years. He was heavily involved in managing bridge inspections and construction projects where he was the Resident Engineer on many projects for the Authority. Jeff received his BS in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is a licensed Professional Engineer.

Xianghui Chen is currently the director of the Technical Expert Committee of Jiangsu Communications Holding Co., Ltd in China, after serving as the deputy general manager of the company for many years. He is responsible for the management, operation, and maintenance of large-span cable-supported bridges such as Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge, Runyang Yangtze River Bridge, Sutong Yangtze River Bridge, Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge in Jiangsu Province. Through his innovative contributions in technological progress and administration, the structural durability and safety of cable bridges were improved, which won several provincial and ministerial technological progress awards.

Xianghui Chen is the member of the Expert Committee of the China Highway and Transportation Society, the executive committee member of the Jiangsu Provincial Comprehensive Transportation Society, and the deputy director and secretary-general of the Expert Advisory Committee. He is a professional researcher-level senior engineer, and received a special government allowance from the State Council due to his achievements in engineering and technology.

Xianghui Chen organized the 7th ICSBOC (Zhenjiang) and the 10th ICSBOC (Nantong) both in Jiangsu Province in 2010 and 2018 respectively. As the executive chairman of both conferences, he contributed to the technological exchanges on management and maintenance of cable-supported bridges.

Xianghui Chen holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Southeast University and an MBA from Nanjing University and the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands.