Good Morning Corona

Description

Online registration will close at 4pm on April 27. Walk-ins are welcome.

Guest Speakers: Panel Discussion from Nelson Nelson (City of Corona Public Works Director) and Mike Kraman (CEO of Transportation Corridor Agencies)

Topic: Transportation Superhighway
(Includes: SR-91 freeway, 241/261 toll roads, highway 71, I-15, and City of Corona streets)

Come learn the pertinent information from our guest speakers, and have an opportunity to ask questions too. The meeting will also feature awards for excellence in business and education, community and economic updates, self-introductions, a presentation from The New Home Company, and more. Our emcee, Sol Shapiro, will keep things lively as we kick off the day with some coffee, hot breakfast, and business.

Have a question you'd like to submit? Email to stephanie@mychamber.org by 5pm on Tuesday, April 25 and one of our moderators just might pick yours to ask during the general meeting! Q&A will be open to the audience as time permits.

We will also be recognizing excellence in education, as we honor the following outstanding educators:

Patricia Hartson – Teacher, Washington Elementary
Jon Carlton – Teacher, Chavez Academy
Matthew Trevino, Paraeducator, Roosevelt High



Nelson Nelson is the Director of Public Works for the City of Corona. Nelson has over 28 years of service in Public Works and six years in construction. Prior to working for the City of Corona, Nelson worked for the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works for 17 years serving in various positions in the Construction, Operational Services and Information Technology Divisions; and for the City of Chino Department of Public Works.  Nelson has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Wyoming and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps where he served as a Construction Surveyor. He is a Registered Civil Engineer in California. Nelson served as the Chair of the Greenbook Specifications Subcommittee for 8 years and Co-chair of the WATCH Committee for 4 years (Work Area Traffic Control Handbook).

Michael A. Kraman, P.E.
 
Mike is the Chief Executive Officer for the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA). TCA operates a 51-mile toll road network in Orange County California providing traffic relief to over 300,000 customers daily. Additionally, TCA manages 2,200 acres of restored open-space that was established as mitigation for construction of the Toll Roads.
 
As CEO, Mike has lead the TCA’s efforts to redefine its pathway forward in completing the roadway network that will connect the 241 Toll Road to the I-5 Freeway. These efforts included a strategic restructure of the Agencies’ finances to establish a favorable debt profile for the future. He has worked to overcome various obstacles preventing progress on completing the 241 Toll Road. Including the recent approval of an historic settlement agreement with the Environmental Groups and the Attorney General. This agreement provides a baseline for improving regional mobility in Orange County, while at the same time protecting extraordinary recreational, cultural and natural resources.
 
This manner of innovative and creative leadership has been a trademark throughout Mike’s career in the planning, design and delivery of major civil and transportation projects.
 
Mike views his career as both varied and rewarding. After graduating from the United Stated Coast Guard Academy, he served as a Shipboard Officer followed by graduate school at the University of Illinois, where he obtained his M.S.C.E. Then continuing as a Civil Engineering Officer with the Coast Guard, culminating as the Public Works Officer for the Coast Guard Support Center in Alameda, California.
 
Transitioning to the private sector, Mike worked the next 18 years with Moffatt & Nichol (M&N), where his primary clients were Port Authorities. The primary challenges facing the Ports at the time were their landside linkages. These challenges were instrumental in how Mike made the progression from a waterfront specialization to a transportation focus.
 
After M&N, Mike served as the Southern California Regional Vice-President for HNTB Corporation including a three-year assignment as the Design Manager for the $1.3billion I-405 Sepulveda Pass Widening design-build project.
 
Looking forward, Mike’s priorities include:

• continuous customer service improvements through the reprocurement of the Agencies’ back-office contracts;
• being a regional advocate and partner for tolling; and
• working with communities and regional stakeholders to improve regional mobility by delivering what was made possible through the historic environmental settlement agreement, the connection of the 241 toll road to the I-5 freeway.