Patricia (Trish) Hendren was recently appointed as the Executive Director of the Eastern Transportation Coalition, a multi-state, multi-modal organization dedicated to improving transportation from Maine to Florida. The focus of her career has been turning data into useful information, helping agencies overcome internal barriers to data-based decision making, and demonstrating transportation investment needs to external stakeholders. She has worked with State DOTs, MPOs and transit agencies including the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) where she launched an Office of Performance Management.

To improve current practice and stay abreast of national issues, Trish has been actively involved in the TRB since 2001 chairing or serving on committees, research panels and conference planning efforts. She recently outlined practical insights to help organizations start down the performance management path in the TR News article “Moving from Reactive to Strategic: A Transit Agency Perspective.” Dr. Hendren’s contributions to the field and focus on mentoring were recognized in her selection as the 2014 WTS -DC Chapter Woman of the Year.

Trish holds a Ph.D in Transportation Technology and Policy and a Master’s Degree in Ag Econ, both from the UC Davis, and a B.A. in English from Duke University.