Our Team

DIRECTOR

Mariia Zimmerman

Mariia Zimmerman serves as the Director of Rail and Public Transportation for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She brings to this role her 30 years of transportation industry experience working in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Zimmerman most recently served as the Founder and Principal of MZ Strategies, LLC, a Richmond-based planning and policy firm, where she assisted dozens of states, regions and organizations across the country to adopt transit-oriented development policies and implement transportation projects and plans that improve transportation mobility and access. Over her career, she has been involved in a number of transportation planning projects across the Commonwealth.

Mariia previously held executive positions at the U.S. Department of Transportation where she was a senior member of Secretary Buttigieg’s leadership team overseeing implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. She served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and was a Co-Director of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Implementation Team. In these roles, she managed several major discretionary grant and technical assistance programs and oversaw policies and programs advanced by the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Railroad Administration to allocate historic federal funding to expand rail and public transportation service in urban and rural communities.

Prior to launching MZ Strategies and her time at USDOT, Mariia served as Deputy Director of Sustainable Housing and Communities at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and as Vice President for Policy with Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit Oriented Development. She co-founded the national non-profit, Transportation for America, and worked for several years on capitol hill for Congressman Earl Blumenauer. Mariia began her public service at the Federal Transit Administration during the Clinton Administration after working for transportation planning and engineering firms in her home state of Minnesota. She and her husband have raised their family in Virginia.

Mariia has served on numerous local and national boards and commissions including the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, the Arlington Transportation Commission, and the Shared Use Mobility Center, among others. She holds advanced degrees from PennState and the University of Minnesota and has been a Visiting Fellow with Virginia Tech’s Metropolitan Institute.

Jennifer Mayton

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Jennifer Mayton has served as the Deputy Director for the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) since December 2024. She provides day to day executive-level leadership to all areas of the agency and serves as the most senior advisor to the Director. Ms. Mayton previously served as the Chief Administrative Officer for DRPT since joining in 2021 to lead the agency’s newly reorganized administrative division.

Ms. Mayton previously served as the Agency Interim Director for the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD), a position she was appointed to in 2021. Ms. Mayton was SBSD’s Deputy Director and Chief of Staff from 2016 to 2021, where she provided executive-level leadership to agency personnel and managed the development of the agency’s strategic plan and performance goals. Prior, Ms. Mayton served as Operations Director for Community Health Services for the Virginia Department of Health and as Director of Administration for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Ms. Mayton holds a Bachelor of Science degree, with a major in finance, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is the recipient of the Governor’s SWaM (Small, Women-owned, and Minority-owned Business) Champion Award and is a graduate of the Virginia Executive Institute and of Leadership Metro Richmond Class of 2020. She holds Virginia Contracting Officer and Government Financial Manager Certifications and is a member of the Association of Government Accountants and Commonwealth Management Association.

Beth Levermore

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

Beth Levermore joined the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) in May 2025 as the Chief Administrative Officer. She oversees human resources, information technology, procurement, facilities, and emergency management functions for the agency as well as administrative support for the agency and the Director’s Office.

Beth Levermore previously served at the Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA) since January of 2021. During her tenure she provided leadership in several roles including the Deputy Chief of Strategy and Transformation, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and Director of Strategy and Transformation. She directly led business units responsible for strategic planning and special projects, transformation and business improvement, people change management and facilities. As Deputy CAO, she provided additional leadership to business units responsible for legal compliance, internal procurement, human resources, internal IT, and communications programs. Prior to VITA, Beth began her career at Virginia ABC in the early 2000s and served in a variety of areas, including transformation, special projects for the CEO, organizational change management, finance, real estate, and policy and planning. Beth has an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University, a BS from Virginia Tech, a Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate, several Prosci Change Management certifications, and is a graduate of the Virginia Executive Institute.

Deanna Oware

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Deanna Oware joined DRPT in June 2023 as the agency’s Chief Financial Officer. She oversees DRPT’s $1 billion budget composed of state, federal, and local resources that go toward improving rail and public transportation capacity and service across the Commonwealth. As CFO, Ms. Oware leads budget, financial programming, financial reporting, fiscal operations, and audits.

Ms. Oware previously served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. She had over 20 years of progressively responsible experience with the State of Indiana. Her previous roles include serving as the Deputy Budget Director and Budget Analyst for the Indiana State Budget Agency, Chief Budget Officer and Director of Grants for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and Community Development Director for what is now the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Ms. Oware has also served on numerous professional and community boards and commissions, including the Board of the Indiana Public Retirement System and Indiana’s Deferred Compensation Committee. The Indianapolis Business Journal recognized her as 2021 CFO of the Year for Governmental/Non-Profit Entities. She holds a bachelor’s degree in bioenvironmental science from Texas A&M University and a Master of Public Administration focused in public finance and urban management from Indiana University.

Emily Stock

CHIEF OF RAIL TRANSPORTATION

Emily Stock, AICP, serves as the Chief of Rail Transportation, providing leadership for freight and passenger rail planning and policy development as well as DRPT’s freight rail grant programs and initiatives. She collaborates with partner agencies, railroads, and neighboring states to develop programs with maximum benefit and a realistic implementation strategy. Ms. Stock serves as the Commonwealth’s representative on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Council on Rail Transportation and on the Technical Committee of the Southeast Rail Corridor Commission.

Ms. Stock has over 15 years with the Commonwealth between her previous role as DRPT’s Manager of Rail Planning and Business Development Manager for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, where she matched growing industries with the best locations in Virginia for manufacturing and logistics, including rail-served sites.

Ms. Stock has a Master of Planning degree from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Science in Geology from James Madison University.

Zach Trogdon

CHIEF OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Zach Trogdon serves as Chief of Public Transportation for DRPT, providing leadership in the evaluation, development, and execution of a $4.7 billion portfolio of public transportation, commuter assistance, and congestion management programs throughout the Commonwealth.

Mr. Trogdon joined DRPT in 2022 and has two decades of experience in the public sector. He served as the Executive Director of the Williamsburg Area Transit Authority. Prior to serving at the Williamsburg Area Transit Authority, Mr. Trogdon was the County Administrator in Charles City County and a Town Manager in North Carolina.

Mr. Trogdon is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington, holds a master’s degree in public administration from the College of Charleston and is a graduate of the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia.

Andrew Wright

CHIEF OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS & STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Andrew Wright serves as the Chief of External Affairs and Strategic Initiatives. Mr. Wright has been with DRPT since 2016. Mr. Wright’s responsibilities include overseeing the agency’s communication efforts, including internal and external communications, media outreach, and marketing for the Virginia Breeze and public transportation programs. He also manages the agency’s legislative agenda and serves as DRPT’s legislative liaison to the General Assembly and federal representatives.

Mr. Wright has nearly 20 years of experience working in legislative affairs and communications. Prior to his time at DPRT, he served as the chief of staff for former state senator R. Edward Houck from 2004 to 2011, and he was a hearing officer and legislative analyst for the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles between 2012 and 2016.

Mr. Wright received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg and his Master of Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.