Jon Makler

Experience

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  AmeriCorps

  Jan 1995 - Jun 1997

  Project Coordinator

  - Collaborated with community-based organizations to restore urban greenspace by leveraging college student labor. - Applied for grants.- Organized a student group.- Acquired county approvals.- Sustained relationships with local leaders. The work helped me develop my management abilities, including delegation and communication. The experience taught me how to be a leader and a supporter at the same time.

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  White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

  Jan 1997 - Jan 1997

  Research Intern

  - Gathered information for leadership briefings- Synthesized national and international research- Prepared infographics for executive and political audiences and supported task force events. The work helped me develop my communication skills, especially writing executive briefs; I also learned about facilitating advisory boards. I continue to feel connected to the international climate policy strategy because of this experience.

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  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Sept 1998 - Jun 2000

  Research Assistant

  - Co-authored memos, papers, articles and book chapters as part of a research team. - Interviewed transportation and air quality officials during two trips to Mexico City. The work introduced me to evidence-based policy development, interdisciplinary initiatives and regulatory analysis. The experience taught me how to assimilate myself into a supporting role in an ongoing initiative.

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  North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority

  Jun 2000 - Jun 2001

  Transportation Planner

  - Led an interagency air quality conformity team.- Managed a consultant, provided staff support to a technical committee.- Presented at community workshops and contributed to development of the agency’s regional transportation plan. The work helped me develop my facilitation skills and taught me how regional planning occurs within a framework of federal regulations. The experience taught me to invest in trusting relationships with my partners in other agencies, primarily by listening to them. Show less

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  Kennedy School of Government

  Oct 2001 - Apr 2004

  Research Project Manager

  - Interviewed dozens of specialized practitioners in cities across the country as the basis for co-authored articles in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international conferences. The work helped me transition to a nationally prominent role shaping the policies I had studied. I learned how to develop and sustain relationships at a new level. The experience taught me how to make the case for needed change in a policy or an organization, how to navigate the path to that change, how to acquire resources to make the change successful, and how to motivate stakeholders to be invested in the change. Show less

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  Independent Transportation Consultant

  Apr 2003 - Dec 2005

  Transportation Planner

  - Organized complex project schedules to facilitate essential stakeholder engagement in the development of plans and projects. - Contributed to and led business development efforts. - Commissioned, curated, edited, and co-convened a forum on transportation equity research on behalf of the Harvard Civil Rights Project and Brookings Institution. - Leveraged existing contracts for new business opportunities through strategic marketing. The work placed me in the role of project manager for several clients, giving me the opportunity to balance scope, schedule and budget. Certain projects showed me how to serve my clients by listening, synthesizing and reflecting. The experience taught me about the private sector perspective on engineering and policy contracts. The experience also introduced me to workplace differences in the consulting industry. Show less

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  City of Portland

  Dec 2005 - Jul 2008

  - Led a grant-funded change effort by building awareness and desire with an outreach campaign, supporting knowledge through a train-the-trainer model, successfully lobbying for resources to support increased abilities and institutionalizing commitment to sustain reinforcement. Having recently relocated, the work allowed me to build a new professional network while learning the institutional landscape in Portland and Oregon. The work also allowed me to leverage my skill for working with federal agency partners in a new realm. The experience taught me how to create the psychological safety for key stakeholders to become receptive to a new idea. Show less

  • Project Manager

    Jan 2008 - Jul 2008

  • Senior Transportation Planner

    Dec 2005 - Dec 2007
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  Oregon Environmental Council

  Aug 2008 - Dec 2008

  Consultant

  - Conceived, developed and facilitated a regional conference on behalf of a non-profit to motivate transportation specialists to address climate change. - Under the guidance of an advisory committee, recruited speakers, planned workshops and arranged logistics. The work introduced me to the strategic approach of a prominent advocacy organization and allowed me to hear and integrate the perspectives of many stakeholders. The experience taught me new lessons about facilitating a large audience while placing the spotlight on other contributors. Show less

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  Portland State University

  Jan 2009 - Dec 2015

  - Developed an updated syllabus for a graduate-level course on urban transportation planning. - Delivered the course one quarter per year for five years for an average of 20 students. - Advised students on career options in the profession. The work expanded my understanding of transportation history, especially with respect to transportation equity in the Portland region. The experience taught me how to adjust my lessons based on the audience in a new way and how to provide constructive feedback to facilitate professional and personal growth. Show less - Created lay-audience content based on grant-funded academic research to influence practitioners. - Supervised the Center’s Communications Director. - Launched an annual conference for transportation practitioners and academics to disseminate new research. - Participated in a national transportation workforce initiative. - Managed a regional transportation data portal. - Co-authored journal articles and conference presentations related to technology transfer and innovative applications of archived data. The work focused my communication skills, especially for the translation of technical information to non-technical audiences. The experience taught me about the forces that restrain innovation from achieving implementation. Show less

  • Adjunct Faculty

    Aug 2011 - Dec 2015

  • Education and Technology Transfer Program Manager

    Jan 2009 - May 2014
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  Oregon Department of Transportation

  Jun 2014 - Jul 2021

  - Supervised 10 represented employees and an annual budget of $1.5M with interim responsibility for as many as 25 employees at $10M. - Managed hiring, onboarding, discipline and professional development. - Led the cost- and risk-evaluation process for a triennial capital investment program. - Represented the State’s interests on regional committees regarding policy and investment decisions. - Contributed to the regional implementation of statewide policies and goals through relationship building and grant administration. The work gave me the opportunity to grow as a manager with the agency’s emphasis on cultural competency, emotional intelligence, context-sensitive coaching and workplace equity. The experience helped me refine a management style that nurtures emotional and professional growth for each individual despite the bureaucratic parameters. Show less - Served as project manager for a complex and controversial urban reconstruction project. - Executed procurement tasks including consultant selection, budget negotiation and contract administration. - Led negotiations with federal partners regarding a $10M TIGER grant, including expedited consultant procurement to earn additional grant funds. - Contributed to a statewide task force on connected and automated vehicles. The work gave me an accelerated orientation to ODOT’s standards of practice, especially regarding consultant management. The experience greatly expanded my understanding of project delivery and helped me form relationships across the agency’s business lines. Show less

  • Region 1 Planning Manager

    Jun 2015 - Jul 2021

  • Principal Transportation Planner

    Jun 2014 - Jun 2015
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  Oregon Department of Transportation

  Sept 2021 - Jun 2022

  Special Adviser, Tolling Policy

  - Advised ODOT’s Director of Tolling on compliance with Oregon’s statutes and administrative rules - Collaborated with Department of Justice on the development and implementation of legal strategy- Supported executive decision-making for ODOT’s Assistant Director for Revenue, Finance and Compliance. The work provided me with new knowledge regarding administrative rulemaking and the State Agency Coordination procedures, in particular. The experience helped me understand my work on equity, climate, and congestion through the perspective of the agency’s financial managers. Show less

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  Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

  Oct 2022 - now

  Northeast Emergency Food Program Manager

  NEFP is a food pantry located in the Cully Neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. As Program Manager, I supervise staff, coordinate a dedicated volunteer corps, support development efforts and oversee the collection and distribution of fresh and shelf-stable grocery products.