Speaker Bios:
Emiko Atherton is the Director of the National Complete Streets Coalition (Coalition), a program of Smart Growth America. As the Director, Emiko oversees the Coalition’s federal advocacy, communications, research, and technical assistance programs. She has used her expertise in transportation policy, public health, land use, economic development, and legislation to consult with communiti…es across the United States on how to create better transportation networks. Emiko is an international voice on Complete Streets and has spoken to audiences across the country about the value this approach.
Before joining the Coalition, Emiko served as the Chief of Staff for a King County Councilmember in Washington State. In that role, she worked closely with local and state governments, federal agencies and Congress, and MPO’s on policy development and implementation, coalition building, and transportation planning. This included engagement on Transportation 2040, the Puget Sound Regional Council’s long-term transportation plan; the development of pedestrian and bicycle connections to Sound Transit’s line rail stations in underserved communities; the integration of public health goals into the region’s transportation and land use plan; and working with a diverse range of stakeholder to include equity goals into King County’s strategic plan for transportation. Emiko received her Master’s in Public Administration from Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington.
John Robert Smith is co-chair of T4America and policy advisor for Smart Growth America. He served for 16 years as mayor of Meridian, MS, whose Union Station, his signature project, is recognized as one of the best multi-modal transportation centers in the country. Having served as a mayor of a city with a wealth of late 19th century buildings, he worked with developers to restore those buildings, and is a strong advocate for historic preservation, believing that each community must respect its past and play to its strengths in order to develop and maintain a strong community identity. He helped define Meridian’s role as a cultural center with the restoration of the Grand Opera House of Mississippi, the creation of the Riley Education and Performing Arts Center, and the selection of Meridian as the site for the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Center. Additionally, he secured $17 million in HUD HOPE VI funding to develop low- and middle-income housing.
