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.

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.

Senior Transportation Planner
Alicia Hunter
Alicia Hunter joined WAMPO in May 2022 as a Senior Transportation Planner. She earned a Master’s in Regional and Community Planning from Kansas State University. Her focus and passion in transportation planning include safety, multi-modal systems, and transit. Alicia brings experience working in the private sector in Portland, OR, and the public sector in Savannah, GA. Alicia also has an Associate’s in Interior Design and uses her expertise to create visually appealing and easily understood content for people of all backgrounds and levels of comprehension.
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Accountant/HR Assistant
Donata Ball
Donata Ball has been working in the accounting field for over 30 years before joining the WAMPO team in May 2022. She has experience in a variety of industries which include law enforcement, healthcare, logistics, and automotive to name a few. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting degree from Friends University as a non-traditional student.

Public Outreach Coordinator
Emily Thon, MPA
Emily graduated with a Master of Public Administration from Wichita State University in 2022. With a background working in public service, program evaluation, and community initiatives, she uses those skills to make a more equitable and accessible environment for everyone.

Transportation Planner
Dora Gallo
Received her Master in Regional and Community Planning from Kstate. Experienced in Field Supervisor work, surveys, traffic modeling, data analytics, and managing. Skilled in Customer Service, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Leadership, and Microsoft Office.

Transportation Planning Intern
Cailyn Trevaskiss
Cailyn is working toward a 2nd master’s degree in Public Administration from Wichita State University. She has worked in several small government/ government-partnered positions, twice with Parks and Recreation departments and twice as an Archaeologist- with FEMA and a federal pipeline project. She hopes to use this opportunity to learn more about environmental planning and perhaps work in the non-profit sector.

Transportation Planning Intern
Eldon Taskinen
Eldon is a graduate student at Wichita State University working towards his Master degree in Earth, Environment, and Physical Science (EEPS) and has a BS in Geology. His previous work includes projects such as the KFIDNeaby app developed with the assistance of Wichita State, which monitors oil and gas-related seismicity in the state of Kansas. Much of his current work focuses on ArcGIS and using it to research and benefit urban environments.