Carol Wright Kenderdine
Assistant Vice President
Mobility & Transportation
(701) 490-1197
cwright@easterseals.com
Carol Wright Kenderdine is the Assistant Vice President for Transportation & Mobility for Easterseals and serves as Executive Director of Easterseals Project Action. She is a nationally recognized subject matter expert on public transportation, and she trains transit system personnel across the U.S. Prior to joining Easterseals, Ms. Kenderdine was the Associate Director of Outreach and Training at the Small Urban and Rural Transportation Center, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute at North Dakota State University for seven years, where she was responsible for developing and delivering national training and technical assistance on a broad breadth of transit topics. Previously, Ms. Kenderdine also served as Executive Director of James River Transit in Jamestown, N.D., a rural transit system serving three counties and over 4,000 square miles, and as Executive Director for all Title III Older American’s Act aging services programs for the Wells/Sheridan Transit & County Aging Council and James River Senior Citizen’s Center. Other professional experience includes directing long- term health care programs in North Dakota and teaching secondary English and Language Arts in both Texas and North Dakota. Ms. Kenderdine holds a Master of Science in Human Development and Education/Gerontology from North Dakota State University in Fargo and a Bachelor of Science in Speech/English/Education from NDSU.
Kristi McLaughlin
Consultant, Project Manager
(540) 907-3542
kmclaughlin@easterseals.com
Kristi McLaughlin is a consultant and project manager for Easterseals Project Action Kristi is an experienced trainer with extensive knowledge of the transportation provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, paratransit operations, and paratransit eligibility including best practices in physical and cognitive functional testing. Her background includes, but is not limited to, paratransit management, paratransit eligibility determinations, travel training, writing training curriculum effective for adult learners, providing training workshops for large and small groups and providing technical assistance on a wide variety of accessible transportation topics.
Kristi began her career in transportation as a scheduling clerk at Bloomington Transit in Bloomington, Indiana. She has since worked as manager of the paratransit system in Bloomington and as general manager of the Niles Dial-A-Ride in Niles, Michigan. For over a decade, Kristi led a number of training and technical assistance initiatives for Easterseals Project Action and assisted in the development of many resources on accessible transportation topics. Kristi has a B.A. in Philosophy and a M.S. in Applied Health Science.
Jeremy Johnson-Miller
Communications Manager
(515) 201-8516
jjohnsonmiller@easterseals.com
Jeremy Johnson-Miller is the Communications Manager at Easterseals Project Action and serves as team leader for its projects for state Departments of Transportation, community coalitions, also conducting training and group facilitation for transit agencies and state transit associations. Prior to joining Easterseals, Mr. Johnson-Miller worked for the Iowa DOT Public Transit Bureau for 6.5 years. As the Transit and Mobility Programs Administrator, he provided oversight of state and federally funded programs, as well as guidance on regional transit planning activities and programs. He developed and led the Mobility Management program for the state of Iowa, overseeing outreach and collaboration with communities and other state departments. Mr. Johnson-Miller previously also provided mobility management services and community outreach for both county and multi-county regional transit agencies. He holds a bachelors in Geography from the University of Iowa and is a Certified Public Manager from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
Chelcie Beadnell
Training and Technical Assistance Project Coordinator
(312) 718-2708
cbeadnell@easterseals.com
Chelcie Beadnell is a Training and Technical Assistance Project Coordinator. She supports the work of Easterseals Project Action by coordinating initiatives to promote the development, sustainability, inclusivity, and improvement of transportation programs across the country. Prior to joining the team at Easterseals, Ms. Beadnell was the Mobility Manager for the Union County Health Department in Ohio. Ms. Beadnell has significant experience with community organizing. She brings over 8 years of experience and expertise in coalition development, advocacy, strategic planning, and social determinants of health. Ms. Beadnell holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Kent State University and is a Certified ADA Coordinator and Certified Prevention Specialist.
Olivia Hook
Consultant, Training & Technical Assistance Specialist
projectaction@easterseals.com
Olivia Hook is a consultant and Training and Technical Assistance Specialist with the Easterseals Project Action, where she provides guidance on mobility management best practices and designs mobility improvement strategies. Olivia is also the Statewide Transportation Coordinator at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, where she is responsible for implementing the new statewide Oklahoma Mobility Management Program. Previously, she served as the statewide mobility coordinator at the Ohio Department of Transportation, leading the nationally recognized Ohio mobility management program. During her time with the State of Ohio, Ms. Hook empowered the mobility manager network to take accountability for their success in the state, allowing them to partner with ODOT to set the program’s long-term vision. This effective management of the program improved the ODOT-subrecipient relationship. Olivia’s expansive networking abilities allowed her to make connections with other national and state agencies, further promoting the importance of the Mobility Management program. Ms. Hook is knowledgeable in federal transportation funding options, coordinated planning, building upon existing services, and the importance of person-centered planning to meet the mobility needs of all people. Olivia Hook has a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio, and holds a Lean Six Sigma Certification.
Kenneth Thompson
Technical Assistance Director
kthompson@easterseals.com
Ken Thompson provides technical assistance, training and information to customers on a variety of issues including accessible transportation, the ADA, veterans’ issues, building partnerships, and service planning. His over twenty years’ experience working in human services includes managing a human service transportation system that followed a U.S. Navy stint working in aviation. He grew up in a career military family and attended military schools overseas. Ken holds a Masters in Public Affairs and B.A. from Hood College in Maryland. He has completed the ADA Coordinator’s Training Certification Program, University of Missouri College of Human Environmental Sciences and is a Certified Information & Referral Specialist from the Association of Information & Referral Systems (AIRS).