TransNet Independent Taxpayer Oversight

The TransNet Independent Taxpayer Oversight Committee (ITOC) is a group of community members appointed by SANDAG to provide an enhanced level of accountability for expenditures of TransNet funds, as outlined in the TransNet Ordinance and Expenditure Plan. The committee helps ensure that all voter mandates are carried out as required and develops recommendations for improvements to the financial integrity and performance of the program. Every year, ITOC releases an annual report of the Committee’s milestones and accomplishments.

SANDAG invites the public to share your thoughts and ideas with ITOC, so that we can continue to maintain an open dialogue for the future of San Diego region’s transportation system. Please provide feedback on our comment form.

The ITOC meetings are generally held on the second Wednesday of every month for approximately two and a half hours.

Staff contact: Michelle Smith, 619.595.5608, michelle.smith@sandag.org.

ITOC Member Application

ITOC members should consist of seven professionals in a specified area of expertise, as characterized in the ITOC Bylaws. The committee's skills and experience play a valuable and constructive role in the ongoing improvement and enhancement of the TransNet program. Applications will be requested from individuals interested in serving on the ITOC through an open, publicly noticed solicitation process. If you would like to be notified of future vacancies on ITOC, please contact michael.terlep@sandag.org. For comments, questions, or suggestions for the committee, please contact itoc@sandag.org.

The ITOC is accepting applications from members of the public to fill the following vacancy:

A licensed architect, civil engineer or traffic engineer with demonstrated experience of ten years or more in the fields of transportation and/or urban design in government or the private sector.

Applications are due June 16, 2023. For more information, please see the Solicitation of Applications.

Membership

The ITOC is a voting body of seven community members with qualifying expertise, as defined in the TransNet Ordinance.

Members

Jonathan Frankel, ITOC Chair (Term expires May 2024)
Jonathan is serving in the ITOC position for a professional experienced in real estate and land economics. He is currently Principal Project Manager at Atlantis Group Land Use Consultants where he manages the processing of complex entitlements for residential, mixed use, commercial, and institutional development projects throughout San Diego County.

Pedro Orso-Delgado, ITOC Vice Chair (Term expires May 2025)
Pedro is serving in the ITOC position for a professional in the management of large-scale construction projects. Mr. Orso-Delgado is the principal of his own consulting firm, Under Construction. He served in the capacity of City Manager for the City of Santee from May 2014 to July 2015 and was named the City of Santee’s Deputy City Manager/Director of Development Services in August 2009.

Lorraine Ahlquist (Term expires May 2027)
Lorraine is serving in the ITOC position for a professional in biology or environmental science with demonstrated experience in environmental regulations and major project mitigation requirements and/or habitat acquisition and management. She is a Principal Environmental Scientist at Ninyo & Moore. Lorraine has more than 25 years of experience in environmental regulatory management, including coordinating reviews of technical studies for state and federal compliance and preparation of environmental documents.

Maryam Babaki (Term expires May 2027)
Maryam is serving in the ITOC position for a professional in the field of municipal/public finance and/or budgeting with a minimum of ten years in a relevant and senior decision-making position in the public or private sector. She is currently the Director of Planning and Development for Rancho Santa Fe Association. Maryam has over 30 years of experience in the field of public and private management, engineering, development, and budgeting.

Les Hopper (Term expires May 2024)
Les is serving in the ITOC position for a licensed engineer with appropriate credentials in the field of transportation project design or construction and a minimum of ten years of experience in a relevant and senior decision-making position in the government or private sector. Les is a Principal at Rick Engineering Company and leads the Transportation Infrastructure Practice. He has 40 years of hands-on experience in the management, planning, permitting, and design of both public and private projects from inception through construction.

Sunnie House (Term expires May 2025)
Sunnie is serving in the ITOC position for a chief executive officer or person in a similar senior-level decision-making position, of a major private sector employer with demonstrated experience in leading a large organization. She has over 23 years of experience in transportation planning, engineering, and program and construction management.