Beth is the President and CEO of Smart Growth America. Before being appointed to this role, she served as Vice President of Transportation and Thriving Communities, where she led Smart Growth America’s transportation program, including as Director of Transportation for America.

During her time at Smart Growth America, Beth’s experiences have translated into significant wins for Smart Growth America, including the inclusion of transit-oriented development and a dedicated rail title in the FAST Act; identifying and rallying support for transit funding during the COVID pandemic; her clarion call for no new money for the federal surface transportation program until programs and states are held accountabile to the taxpayer for delivering on their the stated goals of safety, fixing crumbling infrastructure, and better connecting people to jobs and essential services; and helping redefine what community reconnection projects look like through the Reconnecting Communities Institute, and Smart Growth America’s Community Connectors program, which supports small and mid-sized communities nationwide.

Beth previously served at the U.S. Department of Transportation as Acting Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, beginning in 2009. There, she managed the TIGER Discretionary Grant program (now known as BUILD), led the Secretary’s livability initiative, shaped the Obama administration’s surface transportation authorization proposal, and oversaw implementation of the 2012 surface transportation law.

Earlier in her career, Beth worked for Sen. Tom Carper (DE) as an advisor on transportation, trade, and labor policy, served as policy director for Smart Growth America, and was legislative director for environmental policy at the Southern Governors’ Association. She began her career in the House of Representatives as a legislative assistant for Rep. Ron Klink (PA) and legislative director for Rep. Brian Baird (WA-03).