Leadership
YPT Seattle is led by local young professionals with a love of transportation. Like our membership, our leadership comes from a wide range of focuses in the transportation field.
John Larson-Friend (He/Him)
Co-Chair
John Larson-Friend is the Transportation Program Coordinator at the City of Issaquah. He is passionate about transportation, equity, and shifting connectivity options toward a more holistic and inclusive system. Prior to moving to Seattle in 2021, John lived in the Portland area before attending graduate school at the University of Oregon, where he earned his Masters degree in Community and Regional Planning. He fills his limited free time with baking, writing, and traveling when he and his partner can. John is excited to serve as YPT Seattle’s Chair and continue to create connections between the region’s transportation professionals!
Day Job:
Transportation Program Coordinator at the City of Issaquah
Rachel Brown (She/Her)
Co-Chair
Rachel Brown is a Research Associate in King County Metro's Research & Innovation Group. Rachel grew up in the Seattle area and after graduating from the University of Washington, she moved to New York City to work in immigration law at a non-profit. Three years of riding the subways and living car-free converted her into a transit enthusiast. She returned to Seattle to complete her Master of Urban Planning at UW and begin a career in transportation in her hometown. Rachel served on the board of Seattle Subway for three years, including one year as the board president. She is excited to join YPT Seattle's board to build community among young transportation professionals who may have missed networking and relationship building opportunities during the pandemic.
Day Job:
Research Associate at King County Metro
Hannah Boettcher (She/They)
Director of Program and Events
Hannah Boettcher is the Sustainable Transportation Coordinator at the City of Bainbridge Island. Prior to moving to Seattle, Hannah received her master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan where she primarily studied land use and environmental planning. Hannah is passionate about planning and transportation equity and believes reliable and affordable transportation is a fundamental human right. Hannah is living the car free lifestyle in Seattle and can frequently be found biking out of breath to the top of one of Seattle's many hills.
Day Job:
Sustainable Transportation Coordinator at the City of Bainbridge Island
Sarah Fischer (She/Her)
Co-Director of Communications
Sarah Fischer is a Program Manager on ICF's Beneficial Electrification team, implementing projects that promote the replacement of fossil fuel equipment with electric technology. She currently manages Seattle City Light's Fleet Electrification and Multifamily EV Charging programs. Prior to joining ICF, Sarah led fleet electrification projects for several years at the Electrification Coalition, a nonprofit focused on promoting transportation electrification across the country. As a native Midwesterner, she is constantly excited by the many public transportation options in the PNW, and she is passionate about using transportation as a tool to increase equity and environmental health. In her free time, you can find Sarah tinkering with unnecessary DIY projects, taking pictures of random electric cars, hiking, and/or yelling at her two quarantine cats, Kona and Niro.
Day Job:
Beneficial Electrification Program Manager at ICF
Jacob Margolis (He/Him)
Co-Director of Communications
Jacob Margolis is a Transportation Engineer at Arcadis IBI Group. Before moving to Seattle in 2023, Jacob finished his Master's Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Jacob also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. In his spare time, Jacob enjoys a good book, cycling around Seattle, seeing theatre, and hiking.
Day Job:
Transportation Engineer at Arcadis IBI Group
Sean Dolan (He/Him)
Director of Sponsorship
Sean Dolan is a transportation planner at KPG Psomas where he works on a wide variety of projects across the region. He received his master’s degree in Transport Planning from the University of Leeds. Prior to working as a planner, Sean worked in the worlds of air cargo and maritime shipping and continues to be fascinated by urban freight systems. He grew up playing with wooden trains, bicycling around his hometown of Everett, WA, and busing to music lessons across three counties. Sean is passionate about addressing our roadway safety crisis, especially by creating safe routes to school (and beyond). In his free time Sean enjoys playing soccer and exploring the neighborhood with his dog.
Day Job:
Transportation Planner at KPG Psomas
Michael Pham (He/Him)
Director of Membership
Michael Pham is a General Engineer for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) contributing to project oversight for capital improvements in FTA Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington). Michael grew up in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area but has moved around the United States from the San Francisco Bay Area, Central Illinois, North Carolina, New York City, DC Metropolitan Area, and now resides in Seattle. Michael earned his civil engineering degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and now hones his career towards public transportation infrastructure. Michael has been an avid public transit user since an early age and enjoys the advantages it provides. As a public servant, Michael is determined to equitably progress those advantages. When Michael is looking for a good time, he explores a new place, gets inspired in museums, and tries all kinds of hot sauces.
Day Job:
General Engineer at Federal Transit Administration