MEET THE TEAM

Executive Director
Chad Parasa, PE, PTOE
Chad Parasa has more than 20 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 graduate degree in Civil Engineering, major in Transportation Engineering, from the University of Oklahoma. Chad also obtained his Master degree in Mathematics, from Fairfield University, 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 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.
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Transportation Planning Manager
Ashley Bryers, AICP
Ashley Bryers brought more than eight years of transportation planning experience to WAMPO when she joined in January 2022. Her former organizations include the Lawrence-Douglas County MPO and the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA). She graduated with her Master’s Degree in Regional and Community Planning from Kansas State University. She achieved her American Institute of Certified Planner (AICP) credential in 2017.

Director of Mobility Management for South Central Kansas
Jessica Warren, LMSW
Jessica has been the Mobility Manager for South Central Kansas since April 2021. Her focus on creating safe, affordable, and accessible mobility solutions for all is guided by her previous work with individuals who have experienced traumatic events. She is passionate about working with organizations and systems to find equitable “big picture” solutions that will increase quality of life for as many people as possible. Jessica has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Wichita State University.

Senior Transportation Planner
Nick Flanders
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.

Transportation Planner
Dora Gallo
Dora graduated with a Master's degree in Regional and Community Planning at Kansas State University, where she got her first manuscript published. Dora is an experienced Field Supervisor, and she has led numerous surveys to gather data on transportation patterns and usage. She is skilled in traffic modeling and has used this expertise to develop transportation plans that are both efficient and sustainable. Dora has a passion for working with diverse communities and ensuring that their transportation needs are met. She is particularly interested in traffic modeling, bicycle and pedestrian safety, and the use of data analytics to inform transportation planning decisions.

Principal Engineer
Peter Mohr
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.

Senior Accountant
Kyle Thomas
Kyle joined WAMPO in June 2023 as the Senior Accountant. He has over a decade of accounting experience, working in a variety of industries within the private sector. He graduated from Wichita State University with a bachelor’s degree of Business Administration in Accounting. As a lifelong Wichitan he’s excited to help serve the WAMPO region and be a part of its continued growth and development.

Engineering and Data Analyst
Marcela Quintanilla
Currently pursuing a Bachelor's in Computer Science at Wichita State University, with a Technical Certificate in IT Computer Support Specialist, and holding certifications such as A+ and Server+, this team member serves as a GIS & Transportation Data Analyst and is proficient in Spanish.

Intern- Engineering and Data Analyst
Dylan Cossaart
Dylan joined WAMPO as an Engineering and data analyst intern as of May 2023. He is currently working towards a bachelor’s degree in computer science at Wichita State University, starting his education in August of 2022. He has a passion for programming and data analysis, wanting to dive deeper into the subjects. He plans to play a major role WAMPO while he continues to further his education.
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Intern- Transportation Planning
Julian Pando
Julian joined WAMPO as a transportation planning intern in May of 2023 after graduating from Wichita State University with a Bachelor's in Spanish. Julian has a passion for improving public transportation and safety through public engagement and outreach.
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Intern- Transportation Planning
Jaksyn Smith
Jaksyn joined WAMPO in September 2023 after having relocated from Montana in January. He has chaired several non-profit organizations and achieved recognition in politics and community engagement at the state level. As a non-profit chair, Jaksyn taught civic engagement classes to middle and high school students and trained community members on drafting letters to state representatives. He recently graduated high school as Salutatorian at Linderman Education Center in 2022, Jaksyn also was a dual-enrollment student at Flathead Valley Community College where he majored in Political Science and History. While having yet to complete a degree, Jaksyn intends on pursuing his education in a bachelor's degree at a local university within the next year. He is looking forward to working with WAMPO to support initiatives that drive positive change in Wichita.

Intern- Engineering and Data Analyst
Srilekha Dodda
Srilekha Joined WAMPO as an Engineer and Data Analyst at WAMPO as of June 2023. She holds a Master's degree in Computer Science from Wichita State University and completed her Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at Jawaharlal Technological University, in 2021. Her passion lies in leveraging data to drive meaningful insights and innovation in her role at WAMPO.