Opening Remarks

FasTracks Program Update

Cal Marsella, RTD General Manager

Clarence W. “Cal” Marsella, a 34-year transit veteran, was hired as the General Manager of the Regional Transportation District (RTD) in August 1995. He manages 2500 employees, over 1000 privately contracted employees, and an annual operating budget of more than $400 million. Since taking the reins at RTD, Cal and his talented staff have helped gain the trust of the greater Denver metro area by building three new light rail lines on time and on budget.

Mayor John Hickenlooper, City & County of Denver

A small businessman who had never previously run for political office, John Hickenlooper was elected Mayor of Denver in 2003 and reelected in 2007. Since taking office, Mayor Hickenlooper passed a citywide charter reform initiative to modernize Denver’s personnel system, overcame a $70 million deficit to balance the City budget while averting major cuts in services and massive layoffs, reached deals with United, Frontier and Southwest Airlines enabling all carriers to grow at Denver International Airport, implemented the most sweeping set of police reforms in Denver’s history, built an unprecedented partnership with Denver Public Schools, launched efforts to create a more business-friendly environment in city government, initiated a citywide campaign to end homelessness, created Denver’s sustainable development initiative, and ushered in a new era of bipartisan regional cooperation culminating in passage of the largest regional transit initiative in the history of the United States. In November 2005, Mayor Hickenlooper was the only mayor named by Governing Magazine as one of the top Public Officials of the Year, and in April 2005 – less than two years into his first term – TIME Magazine named Mayor Hickenlooper one of the top five “big-city” mayors in America.

Bob Walsh, JPMorgan Securities, Inc.

Bob Walsh is a senior transportation banker in the Tax-Exempt Capital Markets Department. With over 20 years of public finance expertise, Mr. Walsh is a recognized expert in developing innovative financing structures for surface transportation projects. Bob serves as the P3 financial advisor on behalf of JPMorgan to the Denver RTD in its effort to deliver the East and Gold lines Public-private Partnership project He also is representing a Department of Transportation in JPMorgan’s role as sell—side advisor on the sale of a toll development project in the southeastern United States. Mr. Walsh is presently senior managing the Georgia DOT’s $600 million Garvee issue expected to price in March 2008. He is also serving as co-senior manager on $275 million in Section 5307 Formula Funds Bonds for New Jersey Transit. Mr. Walsh holds a B.A. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY and a M.A. from New York University, NY. He holds Series 7, Series 53, and Series 63 registrations.

Brian Middleton, RTD-FasTracks

Brian works for Jacobs Carter Burgess and serves as the Project Manager for the Project Support Services Consultant team and Senior Penta-P Advisor for the $6.1 billion RTD FasTracks program. He has more than 29 years professional experience in the rail transportation industry managing planning, design, procurement, and construction of rail vehicles, systems, and complete rail systems under conventional and innovative procurement methodologies.

Prior to coming to Denver, Brian served a number of transit agencies around the nation including NJ TRANSIT, Houston Metro and LA to Pasadena Blue Line Construction Authority, helping them develop Public Private Partnership contracts for transit systems.

Lessons Learned from Vancouver, CANADA

Jane Bird, CEO, Canada Line Rapid Transit Inc.

Jane Bird is the Chief Executive Officer of Canada Line Rapid Transit Inc. In her capacity as CEO, Ms. Bird is the senior executive responsible for the management and implementation of the Canada Line, a $2 billion, 19 km rapid transit line currently under construction, connecting downtown Vancouver with Richmond and the Vancouver International Airport. Canada Line will be in revenue service November 2009.