Here you will find details of our committee.
Get in touch with the local committee: northeastandcumbria@ciht.org.uk
Grace Smith is an Associate Director at WSP and is a Chartered Civil Engineer with 24 years of experience delivering a wide range of development and transport schemes. She has an established record in conducting transport studies and assessments for both private and public sector clients. Grace leads WSP Liveable Places at the Newcastle office and is an experienced Project Manager and Project Director on multidisciplinary projects encompassing transport infrastructure, regeneration, masterplanning and energy.
Her expertise includes environmental assessments, site appraisals, feasibility studies, design optioneering, preliminary and detailed design to implementation. Her work spans public transportation, active travel, shared spaces, junction modelling and improvement schemes.
She has particular interests in future mobility and the role of transportation in addressing climate change, enhancing wellbeing, and supporting economic regeneration.
Grace holds an MSc in Transport Engineering and Operations from Newcastle University (2000), following a BEng in Civil Engineering. Her career includes significant contributions to highways, transport and regeneration projects at regional, national and international levels. Before joining WSP, she held positions at Wood, Mott MacDonald, Scott Wilson and JMP Consultants.
Paul is a Fellow of the CIHT and Chartered Director of Transport Network Connect Ltd based in Newcastle. He has over 18 years experience working in both the private and public sector. In addition to Project Managing various schemes ranging from Public Realm, Active Travel and Highway design, Paul is an experienced Road Safety Auditor.
Graduating from Newcastle University in 2004, he then continued his studies in Civil Engineering at Teesside University before returning to Newcastle in 2015 to complete his Masters Degree in Transport Planning and Business Management.
Joanne is a Chartered Engineer and has worked in the Local Authority Transportation Sector for 25 years. Joanne graduated from the University of Teesside with a BEng (Hons) Degree in Civil Engineering and has worked in the traffic engineering, transport planning and highway development control areas.
Joanne leads a team of Professionals working to support the economic growth agenda, linking into strategic transport projects that are of regional importance.
Joanne has been located in the North East region her whole career and has worked from Technician level up to being a Service Manager, and is currently an Area Manager at Waterman Aspen.
Joanne has been a Member of CIHT since 2003 and is an Associate Member of the Chartered Management Institute. Joanne has joined the CIHT North East region Committee in 2019 and is a STEM Ambassador promoting the Transportation career choice to young people.
See Joanne's description under the Honorary Secretary role.
Peter is an Associate Director at WSP, based in the Newcastle office and is Place Lead for the North East Development Team. Peter is a Chartered Transport Planning Professional (CTPP), Fellow of Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation (FCIHT), and Member of Transport Planning Society (MTPS).
Peter is an experienced project manager responsible for project management, delivery, planning assessments as well as design and construction of development infrastructure schemes. Peter has gained a broad range of experience from working in both the private and public sectors throughout his career. He is experienced in leading multi – disciplinary and infrastructure teams on a wide range of town centre, brownfield regeneration sites, education and employment schemes and working closely with design teams and stakeholders to ensure the success of the project.
Peter is experienced in the planning, design, assessment, procurement, construction supervision and implementation strategies. Peter expanded his technical knowledge base into practical examples by specialising in development infrastructure planning and appraisal, with a particular interest in the use and promotion of more sustainable designs and modes of transport through delivery of home zones and multi-modal surfaces but also has become a specialist in the delivery of walking and cycling schemes.
Peter has held a number of other roles on the Committee including Events and Programme Co-ordinator, Junior Vice Chair and Vice Chair before coming Chair in 2021.
Nicola is an Associate at Arup, based in the Tees Valley office. She has over 20 years transport planning experience and was Chair of CIHT North East & Cumbria 2019 – 2021. Nicola is a Chartered Transport Planning Professional (CTPP), a Fellow of CIHT, and a former Board Director of the Transport Planning Society.
Graduating from the University of Leeds with a Masters in Geography in 2003, Nicola joined JMP Consultants in Newcastle as a Transport Planner where she specialised in accessibility analysis and GIS.
In 2007 Nicola joined Arup working in the Tees Valley primarily on development planning projects for both private and public sector clients. She gained the Transport Planning Professional (TPP) qualification in 2015. Nicola spent seven years on the Transport Planning Society Board, serving the last three years as Secretary, and joined the North East & Cumbria Committee in 2014, assisting with operations in the south of the region.
See Paul's description under the Honorary Secretary role.
Michael started his career as a Transport Planning Technician Apprentice at Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) in 2020, and moved into a Transport Delivery Officer role in 2022. Michael is a qualified Engineering Technician and Associate Member of CIHT, as well as an Emerging Professional Member of the CIHT Council.
In his role at TVCA, Michael works on a range of sustainable transport projects as part of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) programme, including cycling and walking schemes, bus improvements and rail station enhancements.
Liam is a Transport Planner at Jacobs, based in the company's Newcastle office. He joined Jacobs as a graduate in 2022 having previously studied Geography at Newcastle University, where he focussed his studies on the links between regional economic geography and transport policy. Liam became a member of the CIHT North East and Cumbria Committee in 2024 before being appointed the Emerging Professional Co-Chair in May 2025.
Since starting his transport planning career, Liam has completed a range of project work, with a particular focus on the appraisal and economic modelling of transport schemes. Liam has also worked directly with local and regional clients in the UK and Republic of Ireland, providing advice and guidance relating to the development of transport business cases. This experience has allowed clients to access a range of national and regional funding streams to enable the successful delivery of their projects. Alongside his technical work at Jacobs, Liam is currently completing a Masters Degree in Applied Economics part-time.
Kirsty is a Transport Planner at WSP, having joined the Newcastle office in 2022. She experienced in designing infrastructure for walking, wheeling and cycling in both urban and rural areas, having worked on projects across the North East and beyond. Kirsty is a graduate member of the Chartered Institute of Highways & Transport (GradCIHT) and has begun working towards engineering chartership.
Kirsty is enthusiastic to promote STEM subjects and careers to young people in the local community and has volunteered as the STEM Champion and Newcastle University engagement ambassador for the WSP Newcastle office. As Emerging Professional Co Chair for CIHT North East & Cumbria, Kirsty is hopes to support early-career professionals, promoting inclusive routes into the profession, and creating opportunities for learning, collaboration and engagement across the region.
Darran is an Associate Director at Milestone Transport Planning, based in Gateshead. Darren is a Fellow of CIHT and Chair of the Learned Society and Technical Stategy Board and is a member of the CIHT Council. He was also the Chair of the CIHT North East & Cumbria Committee from 2017 to 2019.
As part of his role, Darran offers transportation, highways and planning advice to both public and private sector clients, from project inception, through masterplanning and design, planning permission (and as an Expert Witness, if required), to completion of the scheme on site.
Graduating with a BEng (hons) in Civil & Environmental Engineering in 2001 from Leeds University, his experience includes six years as a Highway Engineer for Halcrow (now Jacobs) on the trunk road and motorway network, before moving to consultancy with Wardell Armstrong, Jacobs and latterly Fairhurst, before opening the Milestone office in 2015. Spending time seconded to York, Sunderland and Northumberland Councils, as well as his experience working in the private sector, Darran has experienced all aspects of the Highways & Transportation sector.
Phil is an Associate Director at WSP, based in the Newcastle office. He was elected as a Fellow of the CIHT in 2021 and was the inaugural Chairperson of the North East and Cumbria Region in 2015/16.
Phil heads WSP’s Active Travel and Sustainable Transport team across the Midlands, North and Scotland, leading a team of multi-disciplinary experts in planning, design, economics and appraisal.
He has been a CIHT committee member since 2009, holding a number of roles including Membership Officer, Chair of the Young Professionals committee and currently sites on CIHT’s Regions Panel.
Phil graduated from Newcastle University with an MSc in Transport Planning and Policy in 2006.
As Chief Executive of the CTA (Community Transport Association) Victoria is passionate about leading a thriving community transport movement in the UK and believes that everyone should be able to access transport which meets their needs.
Bio TBC
Rhys is Regional Director at Waterman Aspen, overseeing a multi-disc technical team across the North East. A proud Fellow of CIHT, and Principal Engineer with over 25 years’ experience successfully delivering infrastructure projects across the North East, North West and Scotland, in the disciplines of Highways, Bridges, Traffic and Transport.
Rhys is dedicated to fostering industry partnerships and developing career pathways within the region.
Matt is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the CIHT with over 30 years’ experience specialising in the delivery of sustainable highways and transport solutions for UK local authorities. Currently living in Grange-over-Sands and leading WSP’s Carlisle office supporting projects across Cumbria working with clients including Cumberland Council and Westmorland & Furness Council.
Tim has over 45 years’ experience and currently works in the field of pre-planning highways and transportation for developments. He was previously involved in the design and project management of Trunk Road and local highway schemes.
Since graduating in Civil Engineering at Loughborough University in 1977, Tim has worked for Tyne & Wear County Council, Gateshead Council, W A Fairhurst & Partners and WSP, the latter two as a Technical Director. In 2010 he set up his own successful business.
Tim has been active within the CIHT since 1997 when he joined the North Eastern Branch Committee, where he was Recruitment Officer 1998-2002, Branch Chairman 2003-2004 and a Member of that Branch Committee and latterly of the North East & Cumbria Region Committee since 1997. He has been a Member of Council 2001-2007, 2008-2014 and 2016-2019 and 2020-2022, and between 1998 and 2022 has served at some time on each of the Membership Board, the Member Services Board, the Appian Trading Board, the Audit Committee, the Membership Applications Panel and the Self-Assessment Panel. He was Chair of the Membership Board and a Member of the Board of Trustees 2005-2007.
Roger is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the CIHT. He has worked for local authorities, an international consultancy and as a Lecturer at Newcastle University. His professional interests are safety and sustainability in the design of transport infrastructure.
Roger is passionate about developing engineering and professional skills to equip future generations of transport professionals. He has a number of roles with CIHT and JBM to further these goals.
Bio TBC
Ernie is a Chartered Civil Engineer and retired Contracts Director with forty five years experience in construction including roadworks, structures, railways, highway maintenance, coastal protection, nuclear and building.
He is Fellow of ICE and CIHT and involved with CIHT for forty eight years and during his time on the Committee of the defunct Northern Branch had various roles including Chairman. He has previously served on Council and is currently on the Membership Application Panel.
