InfraTalk America

This special episode of the InfraTalk Podcast is brought to you during Women’s History Month and celebrates our ‘Women Leading Innovation’ series. Melissa Batula is a principal program manager for HDR and former executive deputy secretary for Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. In her 30 years of transportation infrastructure experience, she's been an active member in associations such as WTS, Transportation Research Board and AASHTO. Batula is an expert in the industry and advocates for innovative practices, digital delivery, and public-private partnerships.

Listen in as they discuss:
- The goals behind PennDOT's Digital Delivery Directive 2025 initiative,
- The ongoing payback of digital project delivery,
- And recruiting the workforce of tomorrow.

This interview was recorded at the 2023 AASHTO Annual Meeting as part of our ‘InfraTalk On The Road’ series.

This special episode of the InfraTalk Podcast is brought to you during Women’s History Month and celebrates our ‘Women Leading Innovation’ series. ITA Publisher Gregory G. Nadeau sits down with Gloria Shepherd, executive director for the Federal Highway Administration. Making history as the first woman and African American to serve in her current position, Shepherd is paving a deep path for others to follow in her footsteps.

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This special episode of the InfraTalk Podcast is brought to you during Women’s History Month and celebrates our ‘Women Leading Innovation’ series. Paula Hammond is a senior vice president for WSP and former secretary for Washington State Department of Transportation. Hammond is an active member of the transportation infrastructure community and has served on multiple boards, including her role as the first woman chair for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) in their 120-year history. Throughout the course of her exemplary career, she has championed the need for a more diverse workforce, worked to ensure the industry is more equitable, and advanced innovative practices.

Listen in as they discuss:
- Breaking glass ceilings as a women in the industry,
- How to work together to address workforce challenges,
- And cultivating innovation through creativity and risk taking.

This interview was recorded at the 2023 AASHTO Annual Meeting as part of our ‘InfraTalk On The Road’ series.

Digital project delivery includes various innovative solutions that increase project efficiency, safety, and sustainability. Despite these incredible benefits, there is a lot of work that still needs to be done to get these technologies implemented in our nation’s transportation agencies. However, through education, proper funding, and a universal set of open data standards, we have the ability to revolutionize the way we deliver projects. As part of our InfraTalk On The Road series, Publisher Greg Nadeau interviews Trimble’s Director of Strategy for State and Federal Government, Doug Reichard, and Senior Manager for Proposals and Grants, Patrick Holtz, at the 2023 AASHTO Annual Meeting.

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Next generation e-Construction is critical to delivering today’s infrastructure projects in a more efficient, safer, and climate resilient way. As part of our InfraTalk On The Road series, ITA Publisher Greg Nadeau interviews HaulHub’s Vice President of Industry Relations and Government Affairs Matthew Valle and National Customer Success Director Houston Merck at the 2023 AASHTO Annual Meeting.

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Employing innovation is imperative to delivering 21st century projects and increasing safety on our nation’s roadways. In this episode of the InfraTalk Podcast, ITA Publisher Gregory G. Nadeau has the distinct honor of interviewing Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt as part of our “Moving Innovation in Public Infrastructure” series. As the head of the Federal Highway Administration, Administrator Bhatt is tasked with overseeing the agency’s implementation of the $350 billion it received as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

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Initiating change within state and local transportation agencies isn’t always easy. By the time new ideas and innovations go through the funding, testing, and implementation process, it can take years before they are fully adopted. We are launching season 3 of the InfraTalk Podcast with a new series titled “Moving Innovation in Public Infrastructure.” As part of this program, we will be interviewing government and private sector leaders who are working to help the industry advance innovation at a more rapid pace.

In this episode of the InfraTalk Podcast, ITA Publisher Greg Nadeau interviews Ranking Member of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rick Larsen. As ranking member, Representative Larsen is dedicated to ensuring our nation’s infrastructure is well funded. Proper investment in the industry can allow for the continued creation of well-paying jobs, implementation of innovation, and ensure our transportation network is safer and more sustainable.Listen in as they discuss:

Join us for the third season of the InfraTalk Podcast. Listen in to the season three trailer as our host, Greg Nadeau, touches on our purpose, focus and goal: having conversations that inspire and drive innovation. The first two seasons of the InfraTalk Podcast featured our 'Women Leading Innovation in Transportation Infrastructure' series. This series highlighted women in the industry who are driving change and making a difference.

Our upcoming season will feature a new series titled 'Moving Innovation in Public Infrastructure'. It will highlight public and private sector guests who are addressing the support needed to move innovation forward. We look forward to sharing the conversations with you and hope you will join us for season three!

In this bonus episode of the InfraTalk Podcast, ITA Publisher Greg Nadeau interviews Megan Tanel, president of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), a North American leader in construction and agriculture equipment manufacturing. The two discuss the state of the industry at AEM’s Celebration of Construction on the National Mall. In addition, they explore AEM’s global reach and its mission to promote a new vision for the industry.

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In this episode of the InfraTalk Podcast, ITA Publisher Greg Nadeau interviews Cyndee Hoagland, senior vice president of Trimble, a global leading provider of advanced digital construction and asset lifecycle management technologies. Poised at the intersection of the physical world and digital world, Trimble’s technologies are used to manage millions of assets across markets. This data heavily impacts the way we work, build and construct.

Listen in as they discuss: