Board of Directors Biographies
Principal Directors

Paul C. Smedberg, was elected Chairman of the Board in June 2019. He first joined the WMATA Board as an Alternate Director in January of 2016 representing the City of Alexandria and was appointed Principal Director in January 2019 representing the Commonwealth of Virginia. He served on Alexandria City Council from 2003 to 2018, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Operations Board from 2006 to 2018, serving as Chairman in 2013 and 2017, and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) from 2006 to 2018, serving as Chairman in 2014 and 2018. Professionally, he has served as a government affairs officer for numerous professional associations in the medical field. Mr. Smedberg earned degrees in economics and history from Allegheny College and is a Fellow, Sorenson Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia.

Lucinda Babers was confirmed by the District of Columbia (DC) City Council on May 4, 2021 as a principal member of the WMATA Board. She currently serves as the first Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure (DMOI) for District government. She previously served as the Director of the DC Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV). As the DC DMV Director, Lucinda led the agency in significant and innovative changes, including the closure and opening of three service centers, elimination of passenger vehicle safety inspections, creation of a more secure credential (along with central issuance), and implementation of REAL ID and Limited Purpose Credentials. Under her direction, DC DMV added numerous online services-and received several International Customer Service and Communication Awards from the American Association of Motor Vehicles Administrators (AAMVA), as well as several regional AAMVA awards.
Prior to being confirmed as DC DMV Director, Lucinda served as the Deputy Director for DC DMV from 2003 until 2006. As Deputy, she was responsible for the review and revision of customer service processes that led to the DC Federation of Citizens Association unanimously recognizing DC DMV for the Greatest Improvement in Public Service for 2006.
Before coming to DC DMV, Lucinda served in several senior management positions at Amtrak. She was the project manager for the company's service guarantee initiative. Additionally, Lucinda is no stranger to DC Government; she previously worked on management reform projects for the city manager during the Control Board era and served as an internal consultant and project manager for the city administrator and corrections.
Lucinda started her career as an officer in the military. She holds a Master of Science in Business from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.


Sarah Kline was appointed in September 2021 to serve as a Principal Director for the Federal Government. Ms. Kline has spent her career developing and advancing policies to improve transportation outcomes in cities, towns, and rural areas, with a specialty in public transit and transit-oriented development. She led policy development for two national nonprofit organizations, Transportation for America and Reconnecting America. She also served as Director of Policy and Government Relations here at WMATA.
Ms. Kline spent 8 years working at the U. S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs as counsel for transit policy, during which time she negotiated the transit provisions of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). She was a 2010 recipient of Mass Transit Magazine’s Top 40 under 40 Award. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in history from Harvard University and received her law degree from Stanford Law School.

Matt Letourneau joined the WMATA Board in January of 2019 as an Alternate Director, and was appointed a Principal Director representing the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) in March 2019. He was elected to represent the Dulles District on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in 2011 and re-elected in 2015 and 2019. Supervisor Letourneau serves as Chairman of the Loudoun Board's Finance, Government Operations and Economic Development Committee, which oversees county services, finances, and economic development efforts. He represents Loudoun on NVTC and served as Chairman in 2019, Vice-Chairman in 2018 and Secretary-Treasurer in 2017. He is the first Loudoun Supervisor to serve on the WMATA Board as an officer of NVTC. In 2018, he served as Chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, after serving as Vice Chairman in 2016 and 2017 and Corporate President in 2014.
Supervisor Letourneau is originally from central Massachusetts. He was a cum laude graduate of The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. In his professional capacity, he works for the United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington and was a senior aide in the United States Senate.


Paul J. Wiedefeld was appointed to the WMATA Board of Directors as a Principal in January 2023 representing the State of Maryland. He was also selected to be Governor Wes Moore’s nominee for Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) on January 2023, the latest achievement in a career spanning more than 40 years, including transportation posts in the public and private sectors.
As Acting Secretary, Mr. Wiedefeld oversees MDOT’s six agencies – the State Highway Administration, Maryland Transit Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration, Maryland Aviation Administration, Maryland Port Administration and Maryland Transportation Authority. He leads operations and maintenance of state highways, bridges, tollways, transit systems, motor vehicle licensing, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore. Upon confirmation he will serve as Chair of the MDTA Board, the Maryland Port Commission and the Maryland Aviation Commission; and a member of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Board.
Acting Secretary Wiedefeld most recently was Vice President with the international architectural and engineering firm HDR, where he served as the US Northeast Transportation Business Director. Prior to joining HDR, he was the General Manager/CEO of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) from 2015 to 2022. Metro is one of the nation’s largest transit systems, with more than 12,000 employees, an annual $2.2 billion operating budget, and a $2.5 billion capital program.
Prior to WMATA, Acting Secretary Wiedefeld was the CEO of the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport for 10 years. Working closely with numerous airlines during his tenure, the airport grew to become the leading passenger airport in the Washington metropolitan region. To support this growth, he managed the largest capital expansion in the airport's history, including the construction of a 26-gate terminal for Southwest airlines, an 8,400-space parking garage, and a modern consolidated rental car facility.
Acting Secretary Wiedefeld also served as the Administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration, managing day-to-day operations of what was then the nation’s 13th largest transit system, including commuter rail, subway, light rail, buses, and paratransit.
He was prepared for these executive level public sector challenges by holding various county, regional, and state level government positions during his career. Most notably, serving as the Director of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Office of System Planning and Evaluation. In this position he was responsible for preparing the state’s long-range transportation plan and management of the Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP). The CTP is the department’s capital budget consisting of aviation, port, highway, and transit projects across Maryland. He was responsible for working extensively with a broad range of stakeholders throughout the state to reach consensus on transportation planning and programming initiatives to serve the needs of their communities.
Additional private sector experience includes a decade as a consultant with the engineering firm, Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Acting Secretary Wiedefeld has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Towson University and a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University. A Baltimore native, he attended Mount St. Joseph High School.

Kamilah Martin-Proctor was appointed to in September 2021 as a Principal Director to represent the Federal Government. She also currently serves as 2021 Chair, Washington D.C. Commission on Persons with Disabilities (DCCPD). In addition, she also serves on the Board of the World Institute on Disability (WID), is a British-American Project Fellow and was the WDC 2020 United State of Women Ambassador. Martin-Proctor served as Vice-Chair on President Barack Obama‘s National Council on Disability and has worked with the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program at Howard University. She also worked as Staff Assistant and Legislative Correspondent for Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX) and as Executive Assistant to Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ). Martin Proctor received a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in Organizational and Cultural Communication from Howard University. She is a lifelong resident and fourth generation Washingtonian.
Alternate Directors

Canek Aguirre was appointed to WMATA Board of Directors in March 2020. He was appointed to the NVTC in January 2019 and is currently serving as vice-chair in 2020
Mr. Aguirre was elected in November 2018 to serve a three-year term on the Alexandria City Council. He is the first Latino elected to the City Council. Prior to his election, Mr. Aguirre served in leadership roles on numerous boards and commissions. He is a past chair of the Economic Opportunities Commission, past president of the Tenants and Workers United (TWU) Board of Directors, and past vice-chairman of the Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia (HSANV) Board of Directors. He also served on the Leadership Council for the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP) and the Steering Committee for the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria (PHA). In 2016, Mr. Aguirre was appointed to the Virginia Board of Social Work by Governor Terry McAuliffe.
He co-founded a parent group for Spanish-speaking families at George Washington Middle School and helped launch a citywide family and community engagement program. As a community advocate, he has fought to increase affordable housing in the city, improve equity in our schools, and built coalitions to promote government transparency and accountability. In his professional capacity, he works with underserved communities throughout Northern Virginia to increase access to care and improve health outcomes. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Thomas H. Graham was appointed to the Metro Board of Directors in May 2019. Mr. Graham has served as Vice President of People Strategy and Human Resources at Pepco Holdings Inc., a regional energy holding company that provides utility service to more than two million customers, since August 2013.
Mr. Graham currently serves on the board of the Center for Energy Workforce Development (Immediate Past Chair) and Maryland Chamber of Commerce (Immediate Past Chair). Mr. Graham is also on the boards for Heroes, Inc., Excellence in Education Foundation for Prince George’s County School System, Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable, Mid-Atlantic Plan Sponsors and Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation.

April Rai was appointed as an Alternate Director representing the federal government in December 2022. She was appointed President & CEO of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) in December 2021. In this role, April works to build upon COMTO’s 50-year history of ensuring equitable opportunities and maximum participation for minority individuals, veterans, people with disabilities and minority, women and disadvantaged business enterprises (MWDBEs). With over 15 years of experience managing private, public sector and non-profit organizations, April’s career focus has centered on strategic partnership development, coalition building, people, and project management. Under the direction of the COMTO Board of Directors, April provides strategic leadership, guidance and ensures COMTO operates effectively to further the mission.
Previously, April served as Deputy Executive Director for the Women’s Transportation Seminar International (WTS), partnering with the Executive Director to achieve the WTS mission and vision. In that role, April focused on the management of operations including serving as Chief of Staff, lead on project planning and execution ensuring deliverability on time and within budget. April managed several board-level committees, strategic initiatives and worked to implement growth and retention strategies for membership, chapters, public and private partners as well as build relationships with advocacy organizations, local, state and federal stakeholders.
Prior to joining WTS, April served as the CEO for the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), a coalition of over 100 organizations and agencies dedicated to youth health and safety education. In this role, April engaged with transportation stakeholders on road safety programs, injury prevention education and workforce development initiatives. April previously served as Manager & Affairs Analyst in the Office of the Dean at the University of Maryland, School of Nursing, directing government affairs and communications. In this role, April was responsible for managing the State of Maryland, Action Coalition, an initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Walter L. Alcorn was appointed to the Board in January 2020 as an alternate Director representing Fairfax County when he began his first term as the Hunter Mill District Supervisor on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Walter’s focus is on transit-oriented development, pedestrian/bicyclist mobility and safety, affordable housing and diversifying the local economy. Previously, Walter served on the county’s Planning Commission for 16 years and also served on the Park Authority Board. Professionally, he has worked on environmental issues in the tech industry and is a nationally-recognized expert on electronics recycling systems.
Walter is a graduate of the University of Virginia and resides in Reston with his family.

Michael Goldman was appointed to the Board as an Alternate Director on December 2022 representing Montgomery County. Mr. Goldman has practiced in the areas of international, antitrust and transportation law since 1972. He previously served as a Principal Director on the WMATA Board from 2013 – 2021. During his time as a Principal Director, Mr. Goldman served as the Board’s Second Vice Chair and the Chair of its Safety and Operations Committee. Mr. Goldman is currently an active member of the District of Columbia Bar, the American Bar Association sections on antitrust and administrative law, and the Forum on Air & Space Law.

Dr. Bryna Helfer was appointed in September 2021 to serve as Alternate Director for the Federal Government. She has a long career in public service with a wide range of experiences in the transportation industry including former positions as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Engagement at the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), Senior Advisor on Accessible Transportation and Workforce Development at USDOT, Senior Advisor for the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility, and the Director of Easter Seals Project ACTION.
Dr. Helfer currently serves as the Assistant County Manager in Arlington County, Virginia where she leads government wide communications and public engagement strategy.
She has received the USDOT Inspiring Leaders Award, the USDOT Secretary of Transportation's Gold Medal and Meritorious Awards, the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials for "Women Moving the Nation", and the WTS-DC Chapter Rosa Parks Award.
She holds a bachelor's degree from Ohio University, a master's degree from George Mason University, and a doctorate from The George Washington University.