Riley to lead business dev. in Central Region WSP | PB
He has over 27 years of experience managing and leading teams, in both the private and public sectors, in the infrastructure technical delivery environment.
James Riley has been appointed business development director for transportation and infrastructure in the Central region at WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global engineering and professional services organization. He will be based in the firm’s Cleveland office.
In his new position, Riley will develop and implement business development strategy for transportation and infrastructure projects in Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Oklahoma.
Some of the firm’s current projects in the Central U.S. include the Chicago O’Hare Modernization Program; the I-65 Clark County Added Travel Lanes project in Indiana; the reconstruction of a segment of I-75 in Monroe County, Mich.; two pedestrian bridges in Cleveland; and reconstruction of a runway at Topeka Regional Airport in Kansas.
Riley has over 27 years of experience managing and leading teams, in both the private and public sectors, in the infrastructure technical delivery environment. Prior to joining WSP | PB, he was managing director for infrastructure advisory services at KPMG. He previously served as deputy director, division of innovative delivery at the Ohio Department of Transportation, which is dedicated to fostering public-private partnerships within the state.
A licensed professional engineer in Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina and Illinois, Riley received a master of business administration degree from Baldwin Wallace University and a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Dayton.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
