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Close-up of a smiling woman with wavy dark hair wearing a black blazer and a white top, against a white background.
Close-up of a smiling woman with wavy dark hair wearing a black blazer and a white top, against a white background.

Thet Htike, P.E.

Board President | Project Engineer, HNTB

Thet Htike is a Transportation Engineer at HNTB with over 7 years of experience. Throughout her career, Htike has worked on a variety of largescale transportation projects, including the California High Speed Rail project from City of Shafter to City of Bakersfield, the Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project, the 11-mile extension of the MTS Blue Line Trolley in San Diego, the UCSD Roundabout Project, the I-105 ExpressLanes freeway improvement project in Los Angeles, and the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry Project in San Diego. In addition to her project work, Htike serves as the Office Operations Manager at HNTB. In her free time, she enjoys running, yoga, hiking, camping, any and all outdoor/nature activities, and spending time with her two dogs.

A woman with medium-length black hair and hoop earrings, wearing a black blazer over a white blouse, standing outdoors in front of a city skyline at sunset.
A woman with medium-length black hair and hoop earrings, wearing a black blazer over a white blouse, standing outdoors in front of a city skyline at sunset.

Adrienne Johnson

Board 1st Vice President | Deputy Chief People Officer, NCTD

Adrienne’s belief is that transportation is not just about getting from point A to point B. However, it is about making sure everyone gets there and not leaving our communities behind. Her mission is to reassure that the COMTO San Diego Chapter will build the gap between public and private sectors, and between policy and people every single day. In a professional setting, Adrienne is also the Deputy Chief People Officer at North County Transit – San Diego Railroad.

Adrienne continues to champion workplaces where employees feel valued, engaged, and empowered to thrive. She is a Human Resources leader recognized for her deliberate and people-centered approach to organizational success. Guided by the principle of “treating others the way they want to be treated,” Adrienne has consistently and passionately driven HR transformation and organizational effectiveness and design. Her career spans through diverse industries, where she has led HR strategy across multi-state regions and has cultivated cultures of accountability, innovation, and growth. With a proven track record of aligning culture and human capital strategies to business objectives.

A woman with long black hair smiling, wearing a navy blazer and black top, standing against a plain background.
A woman with long black hair smiling, wearing a navy blazer and black top, standing against a plain background.

Vayakone Terry

Board 2nd Vice President | Vice President, Morgner

Vayakone “Vai” Terry brings more than 20 years of experience in market and business capture, strategic communications, and creative marketing, with a career rooted in advancing equity and visibility within the transportation industry. A longtime supporter of COMTO, she has been an active member of the COMTO SoCal Chapter since 2020 and previously served a full term as Secretary on the 2022–2024 Board. During her tenure, she helped organize the COMTO National 2022 Conference and led event planning and sponsorship outreach—raising more than $20,000 for COMTO’s first Asian Pacific Awards Dinner, along with supporting numerous industry events, golf tournaments, and member programs.

Professionally, Vai serves as Vice President of Operations at Morgner Construction Management, a woman- and minority-owned firm specializing in program and construction management, facilities condition assessments, quality inspections, environmental and engineering support services, and financial advisory services. She oversees all business operations at Morgner, supporting projects across California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington State, and Washington, D.C. Her leadership spans business development, marketing, project controls, and strategic partnerships, and has contributed to securing more than $1 billion in awarded construction projects and over $2 million in sponsorships and philanthropic funding.

A man in a black suit with a white shirt and a red tie, smiling in front of a plain wall.
A man in a black suit with a white shirt and a red tie, smiling in front of a plain wall.

Patrick Cola

Board Treasurer | Director of Operations, NCTD

Patrick Cola joins the San Diego COMTO board as it’s Treasurer bringing with him 23 years of transit service. His background started with Chicago and North Western Railroad building his career. He also worked for Union Pacific, Metra Rail, and now North County Transit – San Diego Railroad. Patrick got his start with rail in the mechanical field working his way to operations and now supporting NCT-SDR as the Director of Operations for their rail department. He now joins the San Diego COMTO board as their sitting Treasurer to help build the new chapter to support future transit leaders and foster continued growth in the San Diego transportation community.

A smiling woman with light brown hair, wearing a black blazer and a white shirt, against a white background.
A smiling woman with light brown hair, wearing a black blazer and a white shirt, against a white background.

Emily Luster, Esq., ENV SP

Board Secretary | President, Luster International

Emily Luster is the President and a third-generation owner of Luster National, Inc., a minority-owned small business specializing in strategic consulting and project and program management for large, complex infrastructure projects. Under her leadership, the firm advances innovative methods for their clients, ensuring Luster consistently delivers in an ever-changing environment.

Emily is committed to expanding opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses and strengthening pathways to equitable infrastructure delivery nationwide. She holds a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School and a BA in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara. She also holds certifications including ENV SP and OSHA-30, and is a licensed attorney in the state of California. She is involved in WTS, COMTO, CMAA, and ACEC.

A young woman with long dark hair smiling outdoors, wearing a navy blazer and striped shirt, with blurred trees and buildings in the background.
A young woman with long dark hair smiling outdoors, wearing a navy blazer and striped shirt, with blurred trees and buildings in the background.

Emily Turner

Membership Committee Chair

Emily is a senior transportation engineer/planner providing transportation consulting services to public and private sector clients throughout California and Hawaii. Her work focuses on systemic safety and active transportation planning, gender-responsive mobility planning, big data mobility analytics, geospatial analysis, and web app development. As an avid public transit user, Emily is driven by a commitment to reducing car dependence and ensuring that alternative modes of transportation are safe, reliable, and accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities.

Emily served on Fehr & Peers' Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Council, advising the firm's leadership on DEI goals, strategies, and initiatives to foster inclusivity and belonging in the workplace. She also assists with the firm's Environmental, Engineering, and Planning Internship and Charrette (EEPIC) Program, a collaboration between seven firms that aims to promote diversity within the fields of environmental science, design, and urban planning by creating opportunities for students from historically underrepresented communities through summer internships. Emily holds a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan.