About YPT-DC

Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT) is an international 501(c)(6) nonprofit coalition of organizations, which helps professional development, fellowship, and networking for young professionals in the transportation field.

Since 2008, YPT-DC has been the local chapter for Northern Virginia, DC, and Southern Maryland transportation practitioners, students, and partners. This chapter aims to put into practice YPT's mission.

• To foster professional development, YPT-DC hosts regular lectures, panel discussions, and on-site tours with local experts. Because this chapter is located in the seat of the Federal government, members are also able to learn from national lawmakers and thought leaders. This feature is unique to YPT-DC.

• To promote fellowship, YPT-DC sponsors casual outings and fun events for members and friends, including a monthly "Beers with Peers" and group outings to sporting events and recreational activities. 

• To build its network, YPT-DC's 2,000 members and friends work together to sustain an environment that will usher in the next generation of thought leaders and experts who are prepared to lead.

YPT-DC Board

Each year, candidates submit qualifications and are selected by YPT's members to carry the mission forward. Elections are held each autumn and terms are for one year. For 2024, YPT's Board is as follows:

Preston Jutte, Chair moved to DC in 2018 after receiving his Master's degree in Civil Engineering at The University of Alabama and is a Transportation Planner at the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). He works on development review, public space permitting, and corridor/neighborhood planning studies, primarily in Wards 7 and 8 in DC. 

Having grown up in mostly rural and suburban areas in Ohio and Tennessee and now happily car-free for the last 5+ years, Preston has a passion for density, active transportation, and local politics.

Outside of work, Preston enjoys going to concerts and stand up comedy shows, watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, and singing karaoke in front of large groups of strangers.

Beatrize Stephen-Pons, Director of Sponsorships, is a Stakeholder Outreach Specialist at the Urban Institute.

Interested in sponsoring YPT-DC? Contact Beatrize at YPTwDC@gmail.com

Beatrize’s interest in transportation began as a concern about economic mobility. The transit access and walkable culture she enjoyed growing up in Chicago and Skokie, IL and later as a college student in Philadelphia, PA made it viable to avoid the financial burden of car ownership. Today, Beatrize’s passion for passenger rail, transit, and pedestrian infrastructure is fueled by the potential of re-designing our transportation system to elevate community, equity, and sustainability.

Beatrize moved to DC in November 2021. The “third spaces” of her neighborhood and her trips biking or walking have her falling ever more in love with the city. In her free time, you can catch her dabbling in DC’s literary and artistic scenes, trying out the new hobby of the week, and hosting and attending themed dinner parties.

Amelia Gilchrist, Director of Communications is a Senior Consultant at Guidehouse, where she works for USDOT on matters relating to civil rights to ensure more equitable and accessible transportation across the country. She graduated from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a focus on environmental justice and a master’s degree in Public Affairs.

Amelia’s passion for transportation stems from its impact on climate, and she hopes to draw more climate-conscious young people to the transportation field through YPT. Amelia moved to D.C. in August 2021 and in her free-time, she enjoys discovering new running routes around the city and hanging out with friends.

David Eijbergen, Director of Administration grew up in the Washington, DC area and is passionate about local transportation and land-use planning. His goal with YPT DC is to empower members to discuss, model, and advocate for positive change on transportation and public policy issues in their communities.

David is a consultant with WSP Advisory Services where he conducts economic and financial analyses for transport authorities. He is particularly interested in helping municipalities improve their transit systems, road safety records, and reduce emissions from transport sources.

In his free time, David loves to ride bikes and play soccer. You can see him at DC Bike Party most months and DC United games most weekends.

Zach Falk, Deputy Chair has loved any and all things transportation since gazing longingly at Metro-North trains from the childhood playground, and has had good luck thus far making a career out of this passion . He works as a Senior Consultant with WSP USA’s Emerging Technology group, where he works with DMV transit agencies on zero-emission bus transition planning and implementation.

Outside of work, he may be found searching high and low for distant cousins of New York-style pizza in the DMV, plane-spotting at Gravelly Point or cycling up Beach Drive.

Sanskrit Singh, Director of Programming, is a Consultant with WSP. He holds a Master of Science degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Previously, Sanskrit worked at Brookfield Asset Management, a global investment banking company, where he oversaw their infrastructure portfolio in the India region.

Outside of work, Sanskrit enjoys engaging in outdoor activities such as tennis, soccer, and hiking. He is also a big fan of the Capital Bikeshare service in DC.

Sanskrit is also passionate about sustainability and climate change, advocating for emission reductions at his work and encouraging his friends to make the small changes in their lives that contribute to a greener environment.

Bhumika Raj’s, Director of Membership, passion for public transport ignited four years ago during my internship with the Mumbai Metro, and since then, there's been no looking back.

In 2022, I interned with Amtrak for the Gateway Program, which is where I was first introduced to YPT! Now, I work as a transportation consultant at WSP. By living in different cities around the world, I've been able to experience the intricate urban fabrics of cities like Mumbai, the NYC metropolitan area, and Washington, DC, and gained insights into what makes or breaks their functionality.

Beyond the day-to-day of transportation planning, I find solace in the world of cinema, exploring new cities, and savoring global cuisines. And hey, how about signing up for a petition to bring techno trains to the USA? Let's not just dream it; let's develop the business plan and make it a reality! 

Reid Unison, Director of Finance, is a Senior Consultant at Guidehouse working on the USDOT account team. Originally from Indianapolis, Reid graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Operations Management and a minor in Political Science. He moved to the DC area in June 2022 and was previously in a finance rotational program for a major automaker in Michigan.

Reid’s passion for transportation originated with a fascination of cars growing up but quickly converged with interests in sustainability, public policy, and urban design. Following a study abroad experience in Spain, he realized that multimodal transportation systems were the key to connecting communities, satisfying climate objectives, improving quality of life, and increasing economic efficiency. Now he has the privilege of striving to reach these objectives through project opportunities with DOT.

In his free time, Reid enjoys reveling in DC’s walkability, balancing his physical fitness and “foodie” objectives, and reading to gain a new perspective.

Thank You To Our Sponsors!

Our sponsors support YPT-DC with resources that allow us to plan and execute panels and talks, happy hours, and other events to connect our members and friends with one another. Click on a logo below to learn more about our sponsors.