Shari Tavaf is a registered professional engineer in California and has over three decades of experience managing the implementation of major infrastructure projects, including twenty years in the transportation industry. We are excited to have Shari join the Monterey Bay Drone, Automation & Robotics Technology (DART) team as a senior advisor / project manager, effective July, 2020. Shari brings a deep understanding of transportation challenges and opportunities as she has supported many transportation agencies as a liaison to the Federal, State and regional funding partners. Shari is currently the chair of the California Transportation and Development Committee for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and in this capacity, she closely monitors upcoming legislative activities related to the transportation industry.

Shari is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California at Berkeley (U C Berkeley ITS) and works with both students and faculty to advance
resilient, sustainable and equitable transportation solutions. She is an experienced project and program manager and is highly adept at utilizing innovative problem solving and leading-edge technical solutions to meet and surpass project goals. She is a motivational leader and is known for her collaborative and creative techniques to deliver unique solutions to infrastructure challenges.  She has served as senior management at public and private organizations delivering state of the art solutions to internal and external clients, leading the organizational changes necessary to support new initiatives, implementation and operations of transit and transportation projects, including the associated planning, design, delivery, programming and funding of mega projects.

Her years in local transportation have provided her with valuable relationships with many executives in both private and public entities as well as members of several Board of Directors and Commissions. Her work with the Federal, State, and regional funding agencies as well as transportation and transit providers has led to innovative business strategies and effective project delivery and funding solutions within the greater Bay Area as well as improved organizational improvement initiatives.

Shari is passionate about collaboration and building consensus among project stakeholders, bringing the best value for the use of project funds to serve the public.  Over the past three
decades, Shari has worked closely with local Community Based organizations to create opportunities for the disadvantaged youth to participate in training and skill building programs which she funded through her projects.

Education:
MS, Engineering, University of California at Berkeley.
Certification of Organizational Development, University of California at Berkeley.