Debra Johnson

Debra A. Johnson has served as the General Manager and CEO of Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) since November 2020. She joined RTD from Long Beach Transit, where she served as Deputy CEO of the Southern California agency from May 2014 to October 2020. Prior to that, Johnson held executive positions at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

Johnson holds a master of arts degree in public administration from California State University, Hayward (now CSU East Bay) and a bachelor of arts degree in international relations from the University of California, Davis. She serves in leadership roles in several transit-related organizations, including the American Public Transportation Association, the American Public Transportation Foundation, and the WTS International Board of Directors, and is a member of the Visit Denver Community Board, the Metropolitan State University of Denver Community Cabinet, the Denver Civic Ventures Board, the International Women’s Forum of Colorado and the Chief organization for women executive leaders. She has received numerous awards and accolades, including being named in 2019 by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials as one of 10 “Women Who Move the Nation.”

Steve Wynton

Originally born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Steve Wyton has been a resident of Calgary since 1980.  He received his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering in 1994 and his Masters in Business Administration in 2004, both at the University of Calgary.

Steve has been employed with the City of Calgary, both as a project manager and operations engineer, since 1994.  From 2004 to present day, Steve has been the Manager of Asset Management Planning with the City of Calgary (with the exception of a one-year temporary secondment as the Manager of Infrastructure & Asset Management with Calgary Housing Company that ended in May 2020).  His responsibilities include the oversight of the Corporation’s asset management program, the provision of strategic advice to Calgary’s City Council and senior management regarding Calgary’s infrastructure strategies and investments, the implementation of the City’s infrastructure quality management system and oversight of the City’s asset management software.  This influence also includes support to a new portfolio governance framework to address Calgary’s $7.4 Billion infrastructure gap for a capital portfolio valued at $100 Billion.

Mr. Wyton is passionate about making Canada the leader in municipal asset management and supports this by developing national and international infrastructure management best practices.  This effort includes being a founding member and past Chair of the Canadian Network of Asset Managers, the current Vice Chair of the Canadian Advisory Committee creating an ISO standard for asset management and one of the original contributors to the ISO55000 standard. He has participated on many large national associations with infrastructure interests, including the Canadian Infrastructure Report Card and the Canadian Public Works Association.  Mr. Wyton is also the former Chair of the Board of Examiners for the Institute of Asset Management (IAM) and a Fellow of the IAM.

On a personal level, Steve enjoys skiing and mountain biking with his family and is a dedicated community volunteer.  This includes the development of the Quinterra Legacy Garden (a memorial to five slain young Calgarians), the Promotions Committee of the Calgary Stampede and volunteer with Alberta’s engineering association, APEGA.

Ryan Laruwe

Ryan Laruwe is the Executive Director of the Michigan Infrastructure Council where he works with local communities and infrastructure asset owners to develop strategic frameworks to address the critical need for infrastructure improvements in the state.  Ryan holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University.  

In his previous role with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), he served as an engineering advisor to the Commission where he helped develop and improve lines of communication between the Commission, utility leadership, and Michigan’s energy stakeholders.  In this role, Ryan also represented the MPSC on numerous state led infrastructure efforts including the 21st Century Infrastructure Commission, Upper Peninsula Energy Task Force, and the Michigan Infrastructure Asset Management Pilot. 

Ryan has also held leadership roles on the national level including serving as the Chairman of the Staff Subcommittee on Electric Reliability and Resilience at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and as the State Government Representative for the National Electric Reliability Council (NERC).   

Erin Kuhn

Executive Director, West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission   /  Council Member, Michigan Infrastructure Council

Erin is the Executive Director of the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission, a local, state, and federally designated regional planning and development agency administering programs in Transportation, Economic Development, Environmental Planning, and Local Government Services.  The agency servers120 local governments in Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana Counties.  Erin has been with the agency for more than 20years working in the Economic Development and Local Government Services programs prior to becoming the executive director in 2014.

Erin is a governor appointee and voting member of the Michigan Infrastructure Council and serves on several of the Council’s sub-committees including the Asset Management Readiness Scale Committee and chairs the Asset Management Champion Program Committee.  She has served as President of the Michigan Association of Regions for the past three years.  She is on the United Way of the Lakeshore Board of Directors and is Chair of the United Way’s Community Impact Council.  Erin is a member of the Muskegon Rotary Club, as well as a former Lakeshore Athena Award Nominee, and Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce Agent of Change.

Erin was born and raised in West Michigan.  She earned degrees from Muskegon Community College and Grand Valley State University.  She currently lives in the City of Norton Shores with her husband and three children.