Mr. Rafat Raie, a highly regarded professional Traffic Engineer who has been a distinguished instructor with the TechTransfer program at the Institute of Transportation Studies since 2001, offering a broad range of courses covering design, operations, planning, and maintenance. Over the course of his career, Mr. Raie has served as City Traffic Engineer for several municipalities across northern and southern California, where he successfully implemented various Smart City applications, including the first deployed cloud-based emergency vehicle pre-emption system in the United States. Widely recognized as a Transportation Technology expert, he is leading the Contra Costa County Transportation Authority in developing its inaugural Digital Motions Master Plan. In his current role as Principal at the Advanced Mobility Group, he supports multiple public agencies by managing their communication systems, parking technologies, signal design and coordination, multi-modal data management, and transit analysis. Mr. Raie's extensive expertise and practical insights make him an exceptional resource for professionals seeking to deepen their knowledge and advance their skills in Traffic Engineering.

Justin Calkins currently serves as ITS Project Manager for DC Electric Group Inc. with more than 20 years of experience across a wide range of roles in the ITS industry. His career has included hands-on work as a traffic signal technician, product sales and technical support, construction estimating, project management and ITS system integration and operations. This broad background has given him a well-rounded understanding of the challenges and practical needs involved in designing, installing, and maintaining traffic signal, roadway lighting, and ITS systems. He holds an IMSA Level III Field Technician certification and has experience working with a variety of vendors, consultants, public agencies and contractors throughout Northern California to support the delivery of practical solutions, often helping to bridge the gaps between technical design, operational needs and physical construction. Throughout his career, he's found satisfaction in mentoring others-whether that's training customers on new systems, supporting field crews, or simply sharing lessons learned from his past experience. He values collaboration and is passionate about supporting public agencies in understanding and applying ITS technologies.