Derek Brown, PMP

Experience

• 

  Sierra Technologies Division of LTV Missiles and Electronics Group

  Nov 1983 - Nov 1995

  Program Manager

  Joined as a Parts Engineer in the Reliability Department preparing source and specification control documents for the LAMPS MK III shipborne datalink and supervising MID-STD-810 environmental testing of SKE for the USAF's C-130, C-141, and eventually C-17, aircraft.In 1986 I was promoted into the PMO starting as a Contracts Administrator and Financial Controls Analyst for the US Navy's ATMS AAM test telemetry platform placed on P-3C Orion aircraft at Pt. Mugu, CA, then as the Deputy Program Manager for the USFA's C-29A Facilities Checking platform where Hawker 125-800 business jets were converted into military service to test new ground-based landing and waypoint navigation aids, including service at Desert Shield and Desert Storm from austere airfields in Saudi Arabia. Then, in 1989 I served as Deputy PM to oversee the company's contract with the Royal Norwegian Air Force to outfit 1970s-era F-5A and F-5B tactical fighter aircraft from Northrup with the same HUD, MFDs, and computer systems from GEC Ferranti in England in use by their new NF-16A/B fighters.(Interesting anecdote: I had to quickly learn the ins-and-outs of State Dept. import/export rules in order to bring in the full battle-worthy aircraft into the U.S. while avoiding duties. Rather than have the RNoAF fly the aircraft to Buffalo Int'l Airport, we had them break down the aircraft and ship them to us in their C-130 cargo planes. Meeting the Customs agent on the tarmac at 2 a.m. to authorize the incoming shipment as "aircraft parts" with no duties rather than functioning airworthy aircraft - some with their 20mm cannon still mounted - was quite a satisfying experience.)Another young PMO-in-training and I were the only representatives from our division invited to attend LTV's Program Management seminar held at BNSF's headquarters in TX. I also was trained by LTV as a Total Quality Management (TQM) Facilitator in 1990 (as a precursor to ISO). Show less

• 

  Harris Corporation

  Nov 1995 - Aug 1999

  Sr. Program Manager

  Sr. Program Manager for Harris' new "FleetLynx" CAD/AVL suite implemented public transit agencies in: Buffalo, NY (NFTA); Cincinnati, OH (SORTA); Richmond, VA (GRTC); Charlotte, NC (CATS); and Memphis, TN (MATA). These implementations included new voice and mobile data radio communications infrastructures.Served as proposal lead for successful sales for new implementations for the above ITS projects and at RTC of Clark County (Las Vegas, NV).During my tenure, Harris Corporation had an excellent reputation for providing employee-centered and directed professional development. In my case, I was able to participate in Harris' week-long Leadership Effectiveness Workshop at the (former) "Dodgertown" spring baseball training camp facility in Vero Beach, FL). This was followed by participation in their more exclusive, week-long Advanced Leadership Workshop held at Greenlefe Resort in Haines City. (It's a crime we were never given enough free time to play its golf course!) Show less

• 

  Macro Corporation, A KEMA Company

  Aug 1999 - Apr 2013

  Manager, Transit ITS Practice / Project Manager: Statewide Public Safety Communications

  Macro was purchased from DNV-GL (formerly KEMA) in April 2013 by Ross & Baruzzini, Inc.First assignments were to author a comprehensive ITS technology strategic plan for the Port Authority Allegheny County (public transit provider for greater Pittsburgh, PA), while helping Metro Transit in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and the State of Connecticut's DOT implement new CAD/AVL systems and related LMR radio for mobile data carriage (cellular data wasn't nearly as cheap and ubiquitous, then.)Due to my extensive experience managing complex, large-scale, wide-area radio communication system, in 2001 Macro asked me to serve as the firm's project manager for its first-ever statewide public safety radio system project: the State of Illinois Police's new, $200 million, 270-site, "STARCOM21" 800 MHz APCO Project 25 voice communication system. Spring-boarding off of this hugely successful assignment, I then served as the firm's PMO for the State of Maine Police's statewide, 45-site, $70 million, VHF trunked voice radio system ("MSCommNET") while concurrently leading the firm's efforts to win similar statewide public safety radio projects in Vermont and Arizona.Upon completion of that assignment, in 2008 I reentered the public transit market as the firm's program manager overseeing its entire intelligent transportation system (ITS) portfolio for transit clients such as Walt Disney World, Santa Clara VTA, San Francisco MTA, San Diego MTS, Westchester County's (NY) Bee Line, Suffolk County (NY) Transit, Potomac and Rappahannock (VA) TC, Greater Bridgeport (CT) Transit Authority, ACTIONBus (Canberra, ACT, Aus), Calgary Transit (AB, Can.), New York City Transit, and many others too numerous to list.In 2009 I participated with other KEMA NV leaders in a worldwide Leadership Development team-building workshop provided by the Hubermont Space for Development nestled deep in the Ardennes, Belgium. Show less

• 

  Ross & Baruzzini

  Apr 2013 - Sept 2017

  Director - Rail & Transit (Macro division)

  Leading a team of systems engineers and consultants who design, and oversee the acquisition and implementation of, complex dispatch control and communications systems for public transit and public safety agencies throughout the USA, Canada, and Australia. Principal for strategic business growth, CRM, and business operations oversight for a staff of senior systems engineers and consultants drawn from major passenger rail and bus transit agencies, or the major system integrators who serve this market.A key adjunct to my corporate responsibilities is overseeing our team's execution of nearly 25 simultaneous system engineering and technical staff augmentation projects for SEPTA, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, and San Francisco MTA (a.k.a. "MUNI" for you old-timers like me.) Since 2013, in total this represents nearly $17 million in billings alone. Show less

• 

  Burns Engineering, Inc.

  Oct 2017 - Aug 2024

  Responsible for all design, engineering, system integration support, and project management oversight, for passenger rail and bus/rail transit operators in the DMV region: WMATA, VRE, Maryland MTA, Amtrak. Captured new major, landmark capital construction assignments for WMATA, such as...1. Yellow Line steel tunnel liner rehabilitation - design of phased SoGR modernization for new electrical, lighting, fiber/wireless communications, fire protection/control, subsystems from L'Enfant station south to tunnel portal/bridge transition. System Integration and commissioning plan and coordination with bridge rehabilitation project.2. Design support for new air-blown and conventional, 24/144/288 SMF for WAS, IFCC, and IT Ancillary applications, and supplemental ISP and OSP (duct banks, cable and snake trays, cable trench, etc.) in support of WMATA's new 28-site 700 MHz MARS radio infrastructure. System integration and test planning.3. Engineering support for provisioning additional energy from PEPCO and Dominion to support additional contact rail load supporting WMATA's new 8-car Metrorail consists.4. Updated MEP, fire protection, and communications, SCADA, and low-voltage system designs, for the new transfer mezzanine between WMATA's Bethesda Metrorail station and the new western terminal for the MTA Purple Line. System integration coordination.5. Design, factory test and site commissioning for, a new fiber optic ground based-network (GBN) supporting the MBTA's automatic train control (ATC) upgrade for all North Side lines. Upgrade and integration of AIM control center office connection onto NSATC network.6. Project lead for Burns RF engineering team for site assessment, RF coverage modeling, intermod study, and implementation design, to introduce the FDNY's interoperable VHF LMR channels 14 to 15 Amtrak's 110 year-old tunnels stretching from NYP station to the NJ escarpment, upper Manhattan, and Long Island. Show less Lead Burns' project responsibilities to design and support the installation of new communications infrastructure, traction power upgrades, and additional interlocking location, for WMATA's new Potomac Yard station on the Huntington (Yellow/Blue) line in Alexandria, VA. Burns Engineering is a key member of a multidisciplinary design-build team led by Potomac Yard Constructors (PYC) - JV between Halmar and Schiavone Construction companies - Mass Electric Construction and the lead design office, Arup. Burns is generating construction-ready design packages for: a new, robust, resilient fiber optic cabling and supporting infrastructure linking the new station to nearby National Airport and Braddock Rd stations; upgrading six (6) surrounding traction power substations and tie breaker locations to support eight (8) car consists; and integrating a new universal crossover into WMATA's legacy ATC/signaling systems. Design management and PM for work for Hitachi Rail STS to prepare new Book of Plans and application software packages for new "C11" Potomac Yard ATC location, modification of National Airport and Braddock Rd BoPs, test procedures and PPDS forms. System Integration management, and station testing and commissioning coordination. Show less Lead for planning, engineering, acquisition, and implementation oversight for wireless and landline communication systems for passenger rail and public transit operators. Project manager for SEPTA's (1) wholesale modernization of real-time passenger information systems for all lines and services, and (2) conversion of the Media-Sharon Hill Line to Communications Based-Train Control (CBTC), including new track, signals, and power/OCS. Serving on behalf of SEPTA's C&S department, led the development of requirements, specification, work statement, sourcing, contracting, and implementation of new PIS panels for rail transit lines. Show less

  • Regional Director

    Jan 2020 - Aug 2024

  • Project Manager, Manager of Operations - DC office

    Apr 2019 - Jan 2020

  • Project Manager III - Communications and Signals

    Oct 2017 - Apr 2019
• 

  Jacobs

  Nov 2024 - now

  Sr. Systems Program Manager

  Leveraging Jacobs global team to lead deliver innovative train control systems, passenger information, fiber optic and wireless communications solutions.