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)
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)
Vice 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)
Program and Events Chair
Hannah Boettcher is a Transportation Demand Management Specialist at Amazon. 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:
Transportation Demand Management Specialist at Amazon
Sarah Fischer (She/Her)
Communications Chair
Sarah Fischer is a Program Manager on ICF's Beneficial Electrification team, implementing fleet projects that promote the replacement of fossil fuel equipment with electric technology. 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 kitties, Kona and Niro.
Day Job:
Beneficial Electrification Program Manager at ICF
Melody Smith (She/Her)
Membership and Sponsorship Chair
Melody Smith is a Program Manager at Sound Transit who is excited about serving with YPT and advocating for expanded access to transit options in the Puget Sound. Melody was born and raised in South Florida and moved to Seattle in 2019 to begin her transportation career with Sound Transit. She is passionate about Sound Transit’s mission of connecting more people to more places and creating more equitable opportunities, especially nature access, for all. In her free time, Melody enjoys giving tours of streetcars, buses and light rail to her friends and neighbors. Most weekends, she is backcountry hiking and exploring the abundant natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest with her husband and friends.
Day Job:
Program Manager at Sound Transit