People news from HNTB, MaxAccel and NITA

HNTB has named Henrika Buchanan its transit and rail market sector leader. With over 27 years of transportation leadership experience, Buchanan will guide the firm’s strategy, growth and service for transit and rail clients, HNTB officials said in a press release. Prior to joining HNTB in 2021, she served in several senior leadership positions within the Federal Transit Administration, including associate administrator for transit safety and oversight, and chief safety officer. During her federal service, she helped lead national transit safety, capital investment and program oversight initiatives while overseeing federal funding and recovery programs. Since joining HNTB, Buchanan has played a key role in building the firm’s leadership in the transit and rail industry, providing strategic counsel to clients and supporting complex transit programs.

MaxAccel today announced that Josh McCormack has joined the company as director, strategic development. A regulatory compliance subject-matter expert in freight and passenger rail, McCormack has held leadership roles across the North American rail and transit industries, including with Bombardier, the Maryland Department of Transportation and RATP Dev USA, company officials said in a press release. He most recently led business and strategic develop efforts for Alstom’s North American Services Operations and Management business line. He joins MaxAccel as it expands its market-leading position in electronic compliance recordkeeping and pursues other sectors of the transportation industry, MaxAccel officials said. McCormack will work closely with the MaxAccel leadership team to strengthen its solution portfolio while helping to identify new opportunities across freight rail, passenger rail, industrial switching, ports and public transportation industries.

The Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) board met for the first time on Sept. 10 and unanimously elected Tom Kotarac as chair and Jamie Rhee as interim executive director. The board also authorized Kotarac to execute a contract with K&A to provide executive search services to find NITA’s permanent executive director. Kotarac is senior vice president of the civic committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, where he leads the organization’s transportation and infrastructure work. Previously, he served as deputy executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and chaired the Regional Transportation Authority subcommittee focused on the transition to NITA. He also is on the Chicago Transit Authority board. Rhee brings over 30 years of progressive leadership in Chicago government to her role as interim executive director. Most recently she served as commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation, and previously she was the city’s chief procurement officer.