Staff Directory

Kate Slevin, AICP
Executive Director
Kate is an activist and urban planner who joined TSTC in 2002 as the organization's spokesperson, moving to the position of associate director in 2003 and executive director in 2007. Under Kate’s direction, TSTC has increased its operating budget by 30%, catalyzed transportation reform in Connecticut, developed new programs to empower local communities in Newark, and helped pass legislation in New York State that led to $2 billion in new funding for public transportation. She is the editor of the acclaimed Mobilizing the Region blog which tracks regional transportation news and opinion.

Before joining TSTC, Kate worked at NYU's Institute for Civil Infrastructure Systems, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. At the NYC Parks Department, she taught environmental programs as an Urban Park Ranger and worked in the parkland acquisition office, helping to expand parkland throughout the five boroughs of NYC. Kate holds a Masters of Urban Planning from New York University and a B.A. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT.

Veronica Vanterpool
Associate Director  
Veronica joined TSTC in the summer of 2007 as a policy advocate to build support for Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan. A year later, she was promoted to associate director. Along with assisting with the general strategy and management of the organization, Veronica advocates for more balanced and equitable transportation policy at the local, state, and federal level; increased investment in public transportation; improved bike and pedestrian infrastructure; and truck and vehicular traffic mitigation. Prior to joining the Campaign, Veronica worked for several years at the Rainforest Alliance, an international conservation organization that works to protect ecosystems and economic livelihoods in some of the world's most biodiverse regions. She previously worked for NYC DEP on its Waste Water Treatment Upgrade Program for NYC's watershed. Veronica holds a M.S. in Environmental Policy from New Jersey Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Environmental Science and Political Science from SUNY-Binghamton in upstate New York.

Zoe Baldwin
New Jersey Advocate
Zoe Baldwin joined the Campaign in 2007, and works toward a safe, sustainable and balanced transportation system throughout New Jersey. A lifelong community activist, she got her official start in New Jersey politics serving as Legislative Director to State Senator Loretta Weinberg. Zoe is also the former Political and Community Organizer for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 1199NJ, and an avid cyclist. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Ramapo College of NJ.

Michelle Ernst
Staff Analyst
As staff analyst, Michelle Ernst conducts research and analysis in support of the Campaign’s advocacy efforts.  Michelle joined the Campaign after working for six years at the DC-based Surface Transportation Policy Project.  There she authored dozens of major reports including Mean Streets 2004; Second Nature: Improving Transportation Without Putting Nature Second; Transportation Costs and the American Dream; and Clearing the Air: Public Health Threats from Cars and Heavy Duty Vehicles.  Michelle holds a Masters in Environmental Science from Yale University and a B.S. in Environmental Policy from the University of California at Davis.

Steven Higashide
Communications Associate
Steven Higashide is the managing editor of Mobilizing the Region and is responsible for maintaining and expanding the Campaign’s online presence. He joined the Campaign full-time in September 2007 after working on advocacy and outreach in the Tappan Zee/I-287 corridor as an intern. Steven holds a B.A. in Metropolitan Studies from New York University and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. At NYU, he held multiple editorial roles at the student newspaper Washington Square News, an ACP Newspaper Pacemaker Finalist in 2006 and Winner in 2004.

Nadine Lemmon
Albany Legislative Advocate
Nadine joined TSTC in March 2010 as the organization’s first Albany-based staffer. She is working to advance sustainable transportation policies at the state level to ensure safer streets, improved bus service, and adequate transit funding. Since 2001, Nadine has been involved in politics and land use advocacy in New York's Hudson Valley. As a two-term elected official in Gardiner, N.Y., Nadine worked to pass and implement smart growth zoning laws and she was the project manager for a $1.6M federally-funded sidewalk improvement project. As a member of the Region 8 MPO, Ulster County Transportation Council, Nadine helped to oversee all federally-funded transportation projects in the county, including ARRA-funded projects. Prior to getting involved in local politics, Nadine was an adjunct professor at City College in NYC and the Founder and Executive Director of The Gunk Foundation, an operating foundation which specialized in supporting and promoting public art projects internationally. Nadine recieved an BA in Economics from Duke University, an MFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts, and a Ph.D in Sociology from the CUNY Graduate Center.

Ya-Ting Liu
Federal Advocate
As federal advocate, Ya-Ting Liu coordinates Tri-State's work and national transportation reform efforts and is conducting an assessment to help advance state level transportation reform efforts across the country. She joined TSTC in 2009 after two years as a senior consultant at M+R Strategic Services helping non-profit organizations strategize, develop and implement issue advocacy campaigns ranging from congestion pricing to federal transportation reform.  At M+R she served as a "jack of all trades" campaigner with roles including field organizer, project manager, deputy campaign manager, and outreach coordinator. Ya-Ting holds a Masters in City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Environmental Science from University of California, Berkeley.

Ryan Lynch
Senior Planner
Ryan Lynch focuses on promoting long-lasting and sustainable transportation options and community development in Connecticut and the metropolitan suburbs. Ryan joined the Campaign in October 2007 from the Thai-Burma border where he worked as an alternative livelihoods specialist for Women's Education for Advancement and Empowerment. Ryan also worked as the associate forest planner for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and as a policy intern with Oxfam America. He began his career in community development and advocacy as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa. Although originally from Long Island, Ryan attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning with a concentration in International Development Planning and foci in Economic and Environmental Development. Ryan also holds a B.S. in Psychology from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Kyle Wiswall
General Counsel  
Kyle Wiswall earned a J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law where he concentrated in environmental and natural resources law, in both a domestic and international context.  At UNM, he served as a Lead Articles Editor of The Natural Resources Journal and was a member of an award winning Jessup International Law Moot Court team.  He was the President of the Environmental Law Society and Vice President of the Student Bar Association.  Prior to working at Tri-State, Kyle was a legal intern at the New Mexico Environment Department and worked in the wine industry in various capacities.  He also holds a B.A. in Religion from Colorado College.  He is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey and is currently a member of the New York State Bar Association and the New York County Lawyers' Association.