Mellanie Bennett-Monclova
Portfolio Manager, NYC
Mellanie Bennett-Monclova is the New York City Portfolio Manager for Mott MacDonald, responsible for delivering innovative projects for our clients in the most populous city in the US.
She brings more than 20 years of transportation, construction, and business development experience. Before joining Mott MacDonald, she was with Hill International as vice president of business development for the Northeast, where she led strategic planning, directed market research, and identified new business opportunities such as partnerships, joint ventures, and collaborations. Prior to this, Mellanie held leadership roles with AECOM and URS Corporation in New York City.
Mellanie is a board member of the Construction Management Association of America’s New York/New Jersey Chapter and is actively involved in Professional Women in Construction, Women Builders Council, and Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS).
David Wright
Market Leader, Transit and Urban Mobility
David Wright is the Transit and Urban Mobility Market Leader for North America. In his role, he drives business growth in all parts of the transit and mobility space with a focus on bringing the best of Mott MacDonald to our clients.
David has over 25 years of experience in the design, management, and implementation of rail and transit projects in the UK and North America, and broader technical leadership experience supporting colleagues across the globe. He has executed projects from concept to detailed design, through construction and commissioning.
With a particular interest in procurement and alternative delivery, David’s leadership is exemplified by his role on major projects, such as the Ontario Line in Toronto – one of the largest transit projects in Canada. David oversaw the convergence of our broad range of capabilities in transit, including tunneling, built environment, rail systems, advisory, and digital delivery.
Reza Ghasemi
Area Development Manager, NYC
Reza Ghasemi is the New York City Area Development Manager for Mott MacDonald. In his role, he is responsible for identifying strategic opportunities, evaluating teaming options, and ensuring Mott MacDonald’s expertise is aligned with the evolving needs of our clients in the New York metropolitan area.
He brings a strong technical foundation to business development. His involvement in landmark projects – such as Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) Second Avenue Subway Phase 1, New York City Department of Environmental Protection's (NYCDEP) Gowanus Canal Revitalization, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) Green Line Extension, and Metrolinx’s Ontario Line – provides him with exceptional insight into client priorities and project challenges. This enables him to effectively position Mott MacDonald’s expertise to deliver successful outcomes.
Reza is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California, and has earned dual master’s degrees in underground engineering. He also serves as Chair of ACEC-NJ’s Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Committee, further strengthening his industry connections and reinforcing our commitment to collaborative partnerships.
Roxanna Thomas
Inclusion and Community Impact Manager
Roxanna Thomas is the Inclusion and Community Impact Manager for North America. In her role, she is responsible for translating the Mott MacDonald global strategy of fostering an inclusive work environment into a regional action plan. Roxanna has extensive experience in strategic planning, policy making, community engagement, small and local business engagement, and social impact initiatives. She develops results-oriented programs and oversees efforts to establish roadmaps on inclusion and equity programming, and education to improve related project delivery.
Roxanna also leads corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives for North America and manages the development of the global CSR framework, which focuses on Mott MacDonald’s legacy impact via community programming and intentional procurement of professional services from small and local businesses.
She has more than 15 years of experience in organizational policies and procedures related to equal employment opportunities, compliance, inclusion, and community engagement.
Frank Facciolo
Principal Project Manager, Facilities Upgrades
Frank Facciolo is a Senior Vice President and Principal Project Manager for Mott MacDonald in North America, where he oversees transit projects in the New York Metropolitan Area.
Frank joined Mott MacDonald in 2010 and has over 35 years of experience delivering major rail and transit projects. He oversees and is responsible for all Mott MacDonald transit projects at the MTA, which sees approximately 5 million riders per day.
His expertise spans the full project lifecycle – from planning and design to construction and support services – ensuring seamless execution of complex infrastructure programs for our partners and clients.
Zhenqi Cai
Principal Project Manager, Tunnels
Zhenqi Cai is a Senior Vice President and Principal Project Manager for tunnels at Mott MacDonald in North America. In his role, he oversees a team of engineers and specialists responsible for delivering multiple large-scale tunnel projects across the New York metropolitan area.
Having joined Mott MacDonald in 2005, Zhenqi has extensive experience in tunnel design, client relationship management, and business development. His skills have made him instrumental in delivering major projects across the region.
Zhenqi’s industry knowledge and technical capabilities make him a trusted advisor to key clients, including NYCDEP, Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA)/MTA, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). He has been called upon to review complex design concepts and provide valuable engineering services, strengthening Mott MacDonald’s reputation in tunnel engineering.
Frank Perrone
Group Leader, Tunnels
Frank Perrone is a Vice President and Group Tunnels Leader for Mott MacDonald in North America. In his role, he leads the Northeast Division’s Tunnel and Geotechnical Group, overseeing a team of nearly 50 specialist engineers and construction professionals.
Frank has over 23 years of experience in managing complex infrastructure projects in transportation, spanning risk and constructability analysis, contract formation, interface management, and the design and procurement process.
Throughout his career, Frank has contributed to many impactful projects across the region. For example, he helped to complete the intricate network of tunnels beneath Amtrak’s Sunnyside Yard and Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) Harold Interlocking for the East Side Access (ESA) project. He’s led projects delivering more than $1.5 billion in improvements for New York City’s passenger rail system, as well as spearheaded the procurement effort for a $700 million ESA cavern fit-out contract, which required coordination with Metro-North Railroad, Amtrak, and multiple stakeholders.
Ali Istchenko
Principal Project Manager, Aviation
Ali Istchenko is a Principal Project Manager of aviation for Mott MacDonald in North America. In her role, she oversees the development and delivery of projects in the Northeast region of the United States, ensuring strategic execution within the market.
Ali brings more than 17 years of experience leading major airport infrastructure programs. She has contributed to transformative projects at the most highly-rated airports from LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International to Austin-Bergstrom and Vancouver International Airport.
Combining her technical expertise, commercial insight, and stakeholder interests, she guides complex programs from vision to execution. In every role, she excels at bridging technical and operational needs to deliver infrastructure that works for both operators and passengers.
Jorge Pacas
Principal Project Manager, Water
Jorge Pacas is a Vice President and Principal Project Manager for water at Mott MacDonald in North America, where he leads the delivery of complex water infrastructure projects for municipal clients.
Since 2000, Jorge has played a key role in supporting projects for both private and municipal clients. With his expertise in water infrastructure, he has worked with the NYCDEP on a wide range of projects within the market, including wastewater treatment plants, pump stations, pipelines, and related facilities. His leadership spans both project engineering and project management roles, ensuring technical excellence and client satisfaction.
A licensed Professional Engineer in both New York and California, Jorge has spent more than 40 years in the industry. His career has taken him across the continent, with a decade in California, nine years in South America (including Argentina, Peru, and Chile), and over two decades in the New York and New Jersey area. engaged in projects for both private and municipal clients.
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