Conocer al equipo

Chad Parasa had been serving as WAMPO Executive Director since 2019. He has more than 25 years of MPO transportation planning experience in the public sector, and he has 5 years of consulting work experience in the private sector, in the areas of Traffic Engineering. Chad has a master’s degree in civil engineering, major in transportation engineering, from the University of Oklahoma. Chad also obtained his master’s degree in mathematics, from Fairfield University, in Connecticut. Chad has a passion for public service, and he believes that many choices of transportation modes of public, develop into a transportation system. The transportation system becomes an integral part and a foundation for economic development. Thus, there are so many areas to serve the public’s interests in a multi-modal transportation system. One of the ways to serve the public is by serving elected officials because they represent the public and strive for the larger good of the public. Chad believes that an MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) is a great place for collaboration by bringing together various agencies such as local jurisdictions, regional leaders and stakeholders, state agencies, as well as federal agencies.

Peter joined WAMPO in April of 2023 as an Engineering and Data Analyst. He graduated from Wichita State University in 2022 with a Computer Science degree. Prior, Peter served his community as a Registered Nurse working at a local hospital. He has a passion for helping others and applies his knowledge of data analytics to best serve the transportation needs of the greater Wichita area.

Kim joined WAMPO in March of 2024 as the Multi-Modal Transportation Safety Planner. She graduated from the University of Texas - Austin in 2001 with a Bachelors in Classics. Prior to joining WAMPO, Kim served as the Executive Director at Bike Walk Wichita. She has served on WAMPO committees for the past seven years and is excited to apply her community engagement, grant writing, and planning skills. Kim has worked in public health for the past 23 years, focusing primarily on health policy and system improvements.

Nick Flanders has been a transportation planner at WAMPO since 2020. He holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and previously worked as a travel-demand modeler at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.

Markey graduated from Wichita State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Modern and Classical Languages, with a French concentration, before joining the WAMPO team in October 2023. She is enthusiastic about creative problem-solving, joyful lifelong learning, and engaging with a global community. An avid traveler, Markey is excited to contribute her unique perspective and organizational skills to streamline WAMPO's mission and improve the regional transportation network.

Christopher Sweeney is a Senior Accountant that joined WAMPO in May 2025. He brings six years of experience from private company accounting, specializing in budgeting and financial management. A Wichita State University graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration focused on Accounting, he is eager to apply his expertise to governmental accounting.

Sruthi joined WAMPO as an Engineering and Data analyst in July 2024, after earning her Master's degree in Computer Science from Wichita State University. She is passionate about applying her programming and data analysis skills to support the transportation needs of the greater Wichita area.

Deepu joined WAMPO in August 2024 as an Engineering and Data Analyst while completing the final semester of her Master of Science in Computer Science at Wichita State University. After Graduating, Deepu is am committed to applying data, technology, and innovative problem-solving to enhance the safety and efficiency of transportation systems. As a curious learner and collaborative thinker, she thrives on finding innovative ways to translate data into meaningful, real-world outcomes. Deepu is excited to continue applying her technical skills and thoughtful approach to support WAMPO’s mission and improve transportation in the region.

Katie graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in May 2024 and with a Masters in Urban Planning in May 2025, before joining the WAMPO team in August 2025. Her interest in transportation planning and community intersect wonderfully for this position.

Laura VanBurkleo está cursando su último año en Wichita State, donde se graduará con su título en Administración de Empresas y Finanzas. Antes de trabajar para WAMPO, Laura pasó ocho años en USD 259 ayudando a estudiantes a aprender académica, social y emocionalmente. Notó su creciente pasión por los datos que veía y por cómo analizar y resolver problemas dentro de las escuelas, y fue entonces cuando comenzó a pensar en un cambio de carrera. Está entusiasmada por aportar sus habilidades de enseñanza, comunicación y resolución de problemas al mundo de los datos y el análisis. Comprometida con su contribución a la comunidad, Laura está entusiasmada con la oportunidad de generar un impacto positivo mediante decisiones basadas en datos.

Deepika graduated with a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Wichita State University in May 2025. She joined WAMPO in August 2025. Prior to this, she completed a backend developer internship, where she gained valuable experience in software development and data analysis. She is passionate and eager to contribute her skills and enthusiasm to support WAMPO’s mission and the region’s transportation planning efforts.