Date: Thursday October 10, 2024
Cost: $55 members; $65–Non-members; $35 – Young Professionals or Students
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 6, 2022 (Friday) No Walk-ins allowed.
Itinerary: 4:45 Registration / 5:00 Networking Reception & Cash Bar / 6:15 Dinner / 7:30 Keynote Speech / 8:30 Q&A / 8:45 Closing Comments / 9:00 Adjourn
Menu: Chicken Francaise, House Salad (Gf), Cheesecake, Rolls, Veggies, Coffee or Tea
Dress is Business Casual. All organizations will have information booths set-up during networking.
Keynote Speaker:
Member – Michelle A. Schultz
Michelle Schultz was sworn in on January 11, 2021, as a new member of the Surface Transportation Board. Michelle was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 18, 2020. Michelle served as Vice Chairman of the Board from February 2022 to January 2023.
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) of the United States is an independent federal agency created in 1996 that serves as an adjudicatory board. The Board comprises five members nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms. The STB is charged with the economic regulation of various modes of surface transportation, primarily freight rail. It exercises its statutory authority and resolves disputes in support of an efficient, competitive, and economically viable surface transportation network that meets the needs of its users. The STB has authority to regulate rates, service, construction, acquisition, and abandonment of rail lines, carrier mergers, and traffic interchanges. It has oversight of pipeline carriers, intercity bus carriers, moving van companies, trucking companies involved in collective activities, and water carriers engaged in non-contiguous domestic trade.
Michelle served in various leadership roles with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), which serves the public transportation needs of over one million daily riders in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. She is regarded as a leading lawyer and policy professional in the public transportation space. Most recently, Michelle served as SEPTA’s Deputy General Counsel, where her responsibilities included: representing the agency before the Federal Railroad Administration and Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission; serving as lead counsel on a major railroad reconstruction project; overseeing compliance, regulatory, and legislative issues; and, serving as lead counsel on real estate transactions and contract negotiations. In addition she also served as the Director of Legislative Affairs. and as SEPTA’s representative to the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association and the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition.
Early in her career, Michelle was an associate with White and Williams LLP where she represented businesses from diverse industries with a focus on financing matters including Chapter 7 and 11 bankruptcy, commercial litigation, and collection matters. Schultz obtained a Master of Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania; a Juris Doctor from Widener University School of Law; and a Bachelor of Arts from the Pennsylvania State University. She is licensed to practice law in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
