Banco Popular de Puerto Rico

On July 17, 2009, Victor Mendez was sworn in as the Federal Highway Administrator - the 18th person to hold the position. In this role, he oversees the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) 2,900 employees in Washington and field offices across the country and provides executive guidance on strategic initiatives and policy.As FHWA Administrator, Mendez directed the Agency's implementation of President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which made $26.6 billion available for bridge and highway projects across the country, helped revitalize the Nation's infrastructure and created jobs through more than 13,000 projects. Under his watch, states met all milestones outlined in the Act, which were very ambitious. In addition to putting people back to work, these projects helped make communities safer, greener, more livable, less congested and economically stronger.Administrator Mendez parlayed his lifelong interest in innovation and technology into launching the Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative. He launched EDC early in his tenure - November 2009 - and identified three areas for initial focus: Shortening Project Delivery, Accelerating Technology and Innovation Deployment, and FHWA's Going Greener initiative, which is focused on how the Agency can improve the environment through internal operations. EDC gives states a range of tools to streamline construction projects and make them more cost effective - all while drawing upon new and established technologies and working within current legal requirements.Prior to joining FHWA, Mendez served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team.Previously, Mendez served as Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). He has more than 20 years of State DOT experience, having worked at ADOT since 1985. As Director, Mendez worked to improve the Agency's customer service in its highway and motor vehicle divisions. Under his leadership, ADOT built the Regional Freeway System in the Phoenix area six years ahead of schedule and consistently delivered statewide construction programs on time.In 2006, Mendez was elected president of the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, its national counterpart. He chaired its Standing Committee on Research, the Operations Council of the Standing Committee on Highways, and the oversight group for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Long-Term Pavement Performance program.Mendez earned a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso and later earned an MBA from Arizona State University.

A native of North Carolina, Mr. Simmons has lived and worked in the Tar Heel State from the mountains to the sea.His transportation credentials span design and operation of rural, small urban and regional transit systems to planning for high-speed rail development. He managed the State’s Rail Program from 1988 to 1992 and in 1994 was chosen to direct the newly formed Rail Division.He helped form the States for Passenger Rail Coalition, has provided testimony for the Congress on development of intercity and high speed rail, federal loan program administration and application of the National Environmental Policy Act. He is Chairman of the Transportation Research Board’s Committee on Passenger Equipment and Systems Integration.The Rail Division is best known for their nationally recognized innovations improving highway-railroad crossing safety, development of multi-modal stations and intercity passenger train operations. The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Rail Division also engineers railroad infrastructure improvements, acquires and manages rail properties, designs passenger facilities, plans for conventional and future high speed passenger rail services, is active in industrial development, marketing, and conducts safety inspections of rail freight and transit facilities.In 2007 the National Trust for Historic Preservation presented the John H. Chafee Trustees Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Policy to the Rail Division for their station improvement program.

Gavin Murphy is editor in chief at the Bond Buyer newspaper based in New York City. There he works with a team of journalists who cover the municipal bond market and trends in public finance. Murphy is a graduate of Georgia Southern University with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany with a B.A. in Rhetoric & Communication and a second field in Journalism.

Mario Espinoza is the Deputy Executive Director of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. He has oversight responsibilities of the engineering, operations, communications, community development and human resources divisions. Prior to his work with the Mobility Authority, he was a Manager in the External Affairs division of the Lower Colorado River Authority. He has also worked for the City of Austin for more than 11 years serving in various government relations positions as the City’s Deputy Governmental Relations Officer, and Vice President of Government Relations for Austin Energy, Austin’s community-owned electric utility. He earned his MBA and Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Austin and a BBA in Finance from Texas State University in San Marcos. He currently serves as Chair of the City of Austin’s Water and Wastewater Commission. He has served on numerous community boards. Mario is also a lecturer in Texas State University’s Certified Public Management Academy.

Mr. Ugarte has over 23 years of multinational experience in Project Finance, Business Development, Finance and Management. Since May 2006, Mr. Ugarte has been Cintra´s Director of Business Development for North America. Mr. Ugarte is responsible for the coordination of all internal and external resources effectively preparing and submitting bids for Cintra in this region. Some of the most notable bids led by Mr. Ugarte are North Tarrant Express (Fort Worth), I-635 LBJ (Dallas) and SH-121 Dallas (Dallas). From 1998 to March 2006, Mr. Ugarte was the CFO for Cintra Chile. Cintra Chile is currently the biggest infrastructure concessions holding in the country with investments over USD 1.5 billion and more than 800 miles of toll roads under concession. Mr. Ugarte was instrumental in the structuring of the initial project finance of Cintra´s concession in Chile which he successfully managed. During his tenure as CFO, Mr. Ugarte also designed, led and implemented the start-up of the Operational Holding Structure and the final business model used by Cintra Chile to operate and manage its consolidated concession investments. In addition, Mr. Ugarte has directed complex project financing transactions, some of which are cornerstone solutions for the Project Finance Industry worldwide. Among these is the Autopista del Maipo Project Finance (USD 421 million, UF 6 million and a Cross Currency Swap for USD 700 million) which has received two international awards (2004 Latin American Refinancing Deal from Project Finance Magazine and 2004 Best Project Finance Deal from Latin Finance Magazine). From 1994 to 1998, Mr. Ugarte was the CFO at Soquimich Nitratos S.A., a world leader of specialty chemicals and fertilizers where he managed more than 30 global subsidiaries and more than 200 people. From 1992 to 1994, Mr. Ugarte worked at Credit Lyonnais Securities New York as Vice President of Corporate Finance where he managed the structuring of debt (144A bonds) and equity transactions (ADRs) for Latin American corporations. From 1986 to 1989, Mr. Ugarte worked for the Chilean Ministry of Finance as a key member of the team responsible for leading economic reforms that later became the platform for the nation’s current economic success. One of Mr. Ugarte’s major accomplishments was as leader of the team that established Chile’s first PPP laws. As a result, today Chile’s Public Private Partnerships account for more than USD 20 billion, with most airports, ports and more than 50% of the main highway system of the country under PPP contracts. Mr. Ugarte holds a degree in Economics and Business from Universidad de Chile and a Masters in Business Administration majoring in International Business, as well as a Masters of Science and Business Administration majoring in Finance, both from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

Mark Foster is the Chief Financial Officer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. He oversees the development and execution of the department�s fiscal operations and statewide transportation planning. With more than 25 years of experience, Mark has directed finance, accounting, human resources and business services administration for several Fortune 500 companies and currently serves on several State and private boards and advisory committees.Mark holds a BBA from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Earl Mahfuz is currently Director of Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT’s) P3 Program. He has been in the Transportation field for 30 years. Prior to directing Georgia’s P3 efforts, he served as GDOT’s Treasurer for over eight years.Mr. Mahfuz attended University of Miami and received his undergraduate degree from Florida International University and a Master’s in Public Administration from Georgia State University. During his career, Earl had received numerous academic & professional awards and recognitions.

Dennis J. Enright has over 30 years experience in the structuring, marketing, sales and trading of New Jersey Municipal Bonds. NW Capital has underwritten New Jersey Bonds for 25 years and is the leading regional municipal investment bank in New Jersey. Mr. Enright has served as the financial architect for over $20 billion in municipal financings and earned 4 “Deal of the Year” awards for his clients. Mr Enright is also a leading expert on public private partnerships and transportation finance and has testified before the US Congress on these matters.