Speakers and agenda
Tuesday June 3, 2025
Agenda is subject to change.
Concurrent session availability is on a first-come, first-served basis and is dependent on room capacity.
See walking tour opportunity below or on the registration page.
8:00 AM
Doors open & Check-in
A selection of light breakfast items and coffee will be available.
8:30 AM
Welcome & Introduction
Summit introduction and an overview of partners: Arkansas Highway Safety Office, Arkansas Department of Transportation, NWA-Regional Planning Commission
9:00 AM
The State of Vulnerable road user safety
Craig Wilson — Interim President and CEO of Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
Overview of vulnerable road user safety trends nationally, within the State of Arkansas, and in Northwest Arkansas
9:20 AM
introduction to Springfield Safe Across
Mandy Büttgen-Quinn — Program Manager, City of Springfield, MO
The Springfield Safe Across program is an award-winning program that is having a measurable impact in reducing non-motorist crashes within Springfield, MO. The program founder and manager, Mandy Büttgen-Quinn, will explore the program in greater detail, the impact it has had on the community, and ways that your community might consider implementing the program.
10:15 AM
Morning break
10:30 AM
VRU Safety in Northwest Arkansas
Molly Rawn — Mayor of the City of Fayetteville, AR
Doug Sprouse — Mayor of the City of Springdale, AR
Greg Hines — Mayor of the City of Rogers, AR
Stephanie Orman — Mayor of the City of Bentonville, AR
As NWA has grown, the region has also experienced an increase in residents and visitors walking and biking. In this panel discussion, mayors representing our region’s largest cities will discuss VRU conditions, highlight how these cities are approaching VRU safety, and share insights on how their cities are accommodating vulnerable road users, as well as programs or initiatives that are making a measurable impact on safety.
11:35 AM
Lunch
11:55 AM
Fireside Chat
Jessie Jones — Chief Engineer for Preconstruction (ARDOT)
Colonel Mike A. Hagar — Arkansas Public Safety Secretary & Arkansas State Police Director
This moderated discussion will highlight the Vulnerable Road User Safety work within ARDOT, the Arkansas Department of Public Safety, and the Arkansas Highway Safety Office.
12:45 PM
Break
1:00 PM
Concurrent sessions & Guided walking tour
SESSION 1A
Room: Event Center
Topic: NWA Vision Zero Plan: The NWA “Vision Zero” Comprehensive Safety Action Plan recognizes that one life lost within the region’s transportation network is one too many and something must change. Traditional safety strategies have not worked to decrease the number of life-altering crashes, highlighted by the increase of fatal crashes in recent years. The NWA Vision Zero Plan emphasizes a paradigm shift toward the prioritization of safe, accessible, and equitable mobility for all users, setting a target to eliminate fatal crashes by 2038 in Northwest Arkansas. The session will discuss collaborating effectively to apply for federal funding, including USDOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grants, which NWARPC, Fayetteville, Springdale have successfully been awarded to develop the NWA Regional “Vision Zero” Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP) and to implement priority safety infrastructure improvements across the region. The session will also provide an overview of advancing FHWA-endorsed proven safety countermeasures, the FHWA Safe System Approach, and the implementation of complete streets through adopted Hwy 112 regional Vision to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes for all roadway users.
Presenter: Tim Conklin-NWA Regional Planning Commission
SESSION 2A
Room: Ziegler Reception Room
Topic: Overview of the 2024 AASHTO Guide For The Development of Bicycle Facilities: An overview of the recently released AASHTO Bike Guide authored by Toole Design. This presentation will highlight content within the bike guide, compare it to historic best practices for design, and discuss components deemed “experimental” by FHWA.
Presenter: David Criswell-Toole Design
SESSION 3A
Room: Art & Movement Room
Topic: Walk and Roll By Design: This session will include insight from a landscape architect whose daughter navigates life from behind the controls of a power wheelchair. He will share how this life experience has changed his understanding of access, inclusion, and how universal design should go beyond the basic requirements. The presentation will also include urban design observations in select European and US cities.
Presenter: Dave Roberts-Crafton Tull
Site: Downtown Fayetteville-Meet at the Library Glade.
Presenters: Matt Mihalevich and Dane Eifling-City of Fayetteville
GUIDED WALKING TOUR
Guided walking tour attendance will be on a first-come, first-served basis at time of sign-up.
2:00 pM
Break
2:10 PM
Concurrent sessions
SESSION 1B
Room: Event Center
Topic: From Citations to Solutions: Safer Streets Ahead-Pedestrian and bike safety is a shared effort. This workshop highlights how education, enforcement, and infrastructure must work together
Presenter(s): Panel discussion led by Tristan Traylor-Arkansas Highway Safety Office:
Panelists:
Lt. Jeff Whitlock Arkansas State Police Troop L
Joe Jacobs - Governor's Advisory Council on Cycling
Michele Paden -Families Against Distracted Driving
Suman Mitra-University of Arkansas
SESSION 2B
Room: Ziegler Reception Room
Topic: Pedestrian Accessibility from ADA to PROWAG: Beyond a Transition Plan- Discussing key changes to PROWAG that impact design projects.
Presenter: Becky Byford-Toole Design
SESSION 3B
Room: Art & Movement Room
Topic: Overview of NWA Complete Streets Design Guide: The guide encompasses design elements, strategies, and policies to implement for complete streets within the region. The presentation will focus on planning for safety.
Presenters: Nathan Boone-Toole Design and Luke Aitken-NWA Regional Planning Commission
3:10 pM
Break
3:20 PM
Concurrent sessions
SESSION 1C
Room: Event Center
Topic: Including Vulnerable Road Users in Roadway Infrastructure
Presenters:
Andrew Warren-Arkansas Department of Transportation
Kim Sanders-Arkansas Department of Transportation
Anthony Dao-Arkansas Department of Transportation
Bobby Cottam-Burns & McDonnell
Aaron Boehmler-Burns & McDonnell
SESSION 2C
Room: Ziegler Reception Room
Topic: Advocating for Safer Streets- Collaborative Strategies for Protecting Vulnerable Road Users in Bentonville: This panel discussion will feature a diverse group of stakeholders who will share insights and strategies on advocacy and community engagement related to vulnerable road user safety. This session will feature a collaborative discussion that empowers attendees to take actionable steps towards enhancing road safety in their communities.
Presenters: Panel discussion led by Jessica Pearson-Bentonville Moves Coalition:
Panelists:
Bret McCormick-Bentonville Moves Coalition Community Engagement Coordinator
Luke Powers-City of Bentonville Active Transportation Advisory Board Member
Jennifer Waymack-Standerfer - Bentonville School District Bike to School Week Champion
SESSION 3C
Room: Art & Movement Room
Topic: Implementation v. Enforcement-Building a Culture of Safety for VRUs: A presentation on how enforcement traditionally does not provide long-term safety benefit and how the Safe Streets and Roads for All program focuses on proactive implementation of safety countermeasures to address excessive vehicle speeds and infrastructure deficiencies, thus reducing the environment in which aggressive driving can occur. This, in turn, allows for enforcement to focus on assisting with education, post-crash care, and non-transportation-related events.
Presenter: JP Shaffer-Toole Design
4:40 pM
Final Remarks
Closing remarks on how to carry forward the momentum, insights, and shared commitment to vulnerable road user safety.
5:00 PM
adjourn summit
MEET the speakers
Jessie Jones
Chief Engineer for Preconstruction — ARDOT
SPEAKER BIO:
Jessie Jones holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She is a Registered Professional Engineer.
Jessie began her career with the Department in January 2002 as a Civil Engineer in the Bridge Division. She followed the engineering career path in the Bridge Division and the Planning and Research Division until obtaining the position of Consultant Coordinator in 2008.
She served as Assistant Division Head of Transportation Planning and Policy (now Planning and Research) starting in February 2011, and then as Division Head in October 2013. She transferred to the Program Management Division as Division Head in March 2020, and assumed the position of Assistant Chief Engineer – Planning in April 2023.
In January 2025, Jessie was appointed Chief Engineer for Preconstruction.
TOPIC:
VULNERABLE ROAD USER SAFETY WITHIN THE STATE
Colonel Mike A. Hagar Arkansas Public Safety Secretary & Arkansas State Police Director
SPEAKER BIO:
Colonel Mike Hagar was sworn in as the Secretary of Public Safety and Director of Arkansas State Police in January 2023. A lifelong Arkansan, Col. Hagar began his service with the Arkansas State Police in July 1996.
Before his appointment to his current role, he served as captain of Troop A, Highway Patrol Division – the largest field command in the state. Prior to commanding Troop A, Colonel Hagar served on the Executive Protection Detail for more than 14 years. For 10 years, he served concurrently on the ASP SWAT team.
During his administration, Col. Hagar has prioritized strengthening the State Police’s role as an assisting agency to communities across the state. Col. Hagar grew up in Batesville as part of a family that values public service and has strong ties to the Arkansas law enforcement community.
He resides in Conway.
TOPIC:
VULNERABLE ROAD USER SAFETY WITHIN THE STATE
Mandy Büttgen-Quinn
Traffic Safety Professional — Safe Across
SPEAKER BIO:
Mandy Buettgen-Quinn studied Transportation Engineering at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. She moved to the United States and began her work at the City of Springfield in 2006 in the traffic engineering department.
There she gained experience in construction management, crash remediation, traffic calming and other areas. Mandy created and manages Springfield's pedestrian safety program, SGF Yields, as well as its generic version, SafeAcross. In 2024, Mandy received the 2024 Public Service Award from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for her pedestrian safety efforts. Additionally, Mandy is working to get Springfield’s Vison Zero program implemented.
In her free time, Mandy likes to go backpacking and rock climbing with her family.
TOPIC:
INTRODUCTION TO SPRINGFIELD SAFE ACROSS
cRAIG WILSON
iNTERIM PRESIDENT AND CEO — ARKANSAS cENTER FOR HEALTH IMPROVEMENT
SPEAKER BIO:
Craig Wilson is the Interim President & CEO at the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI). He leads efforts to achieve ACHI’s access and quality goals and provides analysis of laws and policies that impact health and health care in Arkansas. His focus is on developing and sustaining initiatives to provide Arkansans with improved access to quality health care by eliminating financial, geographic, cultural, and language barriers.
During his tenure, ACHI has led health workforce strategic planning efforts to improve sufficient access to care for Arkansans statewide, resulting in the publication of the Arkansas Health Workforce Strategic Plan: A Roadmap to Change and a subsequent detailed analytical report entitled, Arkansas Health Care Workforce: A Guide for Policy Action. His work with private and public payers in Arkansas to obtain a consensus on an approach to patient-centered medical home development, including aligned quality measurement, led to Arkansas being selected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Innovation Center as one of seven markets to participate in the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative.
Most recently, Craig has worked with the Arkansas Insurance Department in the development of policies for the Health Insurance Marketplace (HIM), with a particular focus on aligning quality measurement and reinforcing ongoing quality initiatives in the state through the HIM. Additionally, he has focused on the development of a robust infrastructure and process for collection of data for health plan quality reporting. In the coming months, he and his organization will work to map and align evaluation of and reporting for statewide health system efforts.
Craig is a graduate of Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas. He is an attorney licensed to practice in Arkansas, having earned his juris doctorate from Georgia State University College of Law and a master of public administration from Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Policy Studies in Atlanta, Georgia.
TOPIC:
THE STATE OF VULNERABLE ROAD USER SAFETY
Molly rawn
mayor — city of fayetteville, ar
SPEAKER BIO:
Molly Rawn is the Mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansas. She brings a deep commitment to progress, innovation, and community-centered leadership. Sworn into office on January 2, 2025, she serves as the City's chief executive and the presiding officer of the Fayetteville City Council. In this role, she oversees day-to-day city operations, enforcement of ordinances and State laws, and strategic direction of municipal priorities.
Since taking office in January 2025, Rawn has prioritized strengthening internal relationships across City departments and with the City Council, emphasizing clear communication, alignment of goals, and trust in the expertise of City staff. An ongoing focus is to improve how residents engage in the work of City government. Early in her tenure, she streamlined meeting procedures and launched a review of key City policies and planning documents to align them with evolving needs around growth, housing, transportation, and environmental resilience.
Mayor Rawn loves Fayetteville's character, culture, and sense of community. For Rawn, public service is a natural extension of her values as a parent, neighbor, and engaged community member. Professionally, she is known for her ability to unite stakeholders around shared outcomes and ambitious project goals. She has a proven track record of fundraising success, cross-sector collaboration, and organizational leadership. With her strong ability to connect vision to action, Rawn brings both heart and expertise to her role, guiding Fayetteville toward a vibrant and inclusive future.
Before being elected mayor, Rawn served as CEO of Experience Fayetteville, the City's destination marketing organization, and as executive director of the Fayetteville Advertising & Promotion Commission. From 2016 to 2024, she led efforts that significantly expanded Fayetteville's national profile, growing tourism revenue to record highs and spearheading major events, including the 2022 Walmart UCI Cyclo-cross World Championship - only the second time the race was held in the U.S. in more than 70 years.
Rawn's background also includes launching major regional institutions, such as the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, where she directed a $28.5 million capital campaign. She has held key development and communications roles at KUAF Public Radio, the Fulbright College at the University of Arkansas, and the Northwest Arkansas Women's Shelter.
Raised in the Arkansas Delta town of Paragould and Arkansas's capital, Little Rock, Rawn moved to Fayetteville to attend the University of Arkansas and has called Fayetteville home ever since. Molly and her husband, Jeremy, have three children: Collier, Miller, and Opal — her greatest points of pride on a long list of accolades and personal and professional accomplishments.
In 2025, Rawn made history as the first woman elected mayor of Fayetteville in a citywide race. Mayor Rawn is a champion for collaboration, transparency, and action. She is committed to ensuring Fayetteville continues to be one of the country's most vibrant, inclusive, and forward-looking cities.
TOPIC:
VULNERABLE ROAD USER SAFETY WITHIN NWA CITIES
Doug Sprouse
mayor — city of springdale, ar
SPEAKER BIO:
Doug Sprouse was born in Fort Smith and moved to Springdale with his family as a young boy. He attended Springdale schools, graduating from Springdale High School in 1975. He then went on to attend the University of Arkansas.
Doug and his father, Gene, started Sprouse Upholstery, Inc. in 1983. The business has been in Springdale for over 33 years and is now operated by his wife, Sandy. From 1999-2008, he served on the Springdale School Board. He served as president of the board from 2005 to 2007. In November of 2008, he was elected mayor of the City of Springdale, the fourth-largest city in Arkansas. He was re-elected in both 2012 and 2016 without opposition. He has previously served as the Chairman of the Regional Mobility Authority, and currently serves on the nine member State Street Aid Committee. He also represents Springdale as a member of the Arkansas Municipal League's Executive Committee. And earlier this year, he was elected as the League's First Vice-President. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Loving Choices.
TOPIC:
VULNERABLE ROAD USER SAFETY WITHIN NWA CITIES
Greg hines
mayor — city of rogers, ar
SPEAKER BIO:
Greg Hines was sworn in as the 40th Mayor of Rogers on January 1, 2011. Hines was reelected to his fourth term in January 2025. In his time as Mayor, he has successfully passed two bond elections totaling $375 million in new capital improvements for the city. In addition, when the 2006 Improvement Bond was paid off, Mayor Hines reduced the City millage rate by one mill and eliminated another.5 millage tax that was being added to an overfunded pension plan. Hines was instrumental in obtaining an ISO 1 rating for the fire department as well as accreditation for all public safety departments in the city. Mayor Hines has overseen the construction and renovation of dozens of projects, including parks, storm water, trails, and streets. During his tenure, downtown Rogers has been revitalized, with a strong emphasis on arts and culture.
As a fourth generation Arkansas native, Hines has deep roots in the community and attended Rogers Public Schools and the University of Arkansas. He was elected as the youngest member of the Rogers City Council in 1998, where he served for 12 years before becoming mayor. Greg previously worked in law enforcement for ten years before becoming the Director of Public Safety for Benton County.
Mayor Greg Hines is married to Lisa Brunner Hines and has two lovely daughters, Emily and Haley.
TOPIC:
VULNERABLE ROAD USER SAFETY WITHIN NWA CITIES
Stephanie orman
mayor — city of bentonville, ar
SPEAKER BIO:
Mayor Stephanie Orman has led Bentonville since 2018, combining more than 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, and public service with a clear vision for smart, community-driven growth. Her leadership has shaped initiatives like Plan Bentonville, Bentonville 311, the Great Neighborhoods Initiative, and the Spirit of Bentonville Award—each reflecting her commitment to transparency, service, and long-term livability. A former City Council member and media executive, Orman is known for turning strategy into action and setting a high standard for local government. She and her family have called Bentonville home for over two decades.
TOPIC:
Vulnerable Road User Safety within NWA Cities