As Nelson\Nygaard’s Managing Director, Leah is the steward of the firm’s values and its commitment to putting people first. Her leadership and capacity to inspire others has resulted in visionary transportation initiatives in the communities in which she’s worked. As mobility changes, Leah guides Nelson\Nygaard to the forefront of innovation, driven and informed by the values of our firm, our communities, and our clients.

Leah joined Nelson\Nygaard after spending five years as the Director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation, where she launched transformative programs like Parking Kitty and BikeTown and made Portland a Vision Zero City. Through her leadership, PBOT grew its Safe Routes to School program, reinvented Sunday Parkways, and became the first city in the U.S. to adopt design standards requiring cycle tracks in new developments. Previously, Leah served in management roles for the Departments of Transportation in Chicago and Washington, D.C. and on the board of NACTO. In all of these roles, her work has been guided by her commitment to excellence, teamwork, and having fun.