Steering Committee

Greta Bonaparte is a Learning and Development Specialist for the Department of Public Works in the District of Columbia. She has over twenty years of experience in education administration and has held several positions in both public and private industries to include Academic Dean and Campus President. As a strong proponent of the tenets of adult education theory, in her current position, she researches, develops, and delivers Leadership and Management, and Professional Development workshops to Public Works employees that address all levels of learning style.

Demetria Harris joined the District of Columbia Department of Public Works (DPW) Safety and Security Administration (SSA) in July 2022 and has been employed by the District Government for 18 years. She began her career in the District with the Mayor's Office of Community Relations and Services. She has served in various capacities with DPW but is currently serving as a Training Specialist in the Training, Education and Development (TED) team at DPW. She manages the District Contract Plow Snow Program and other agency and stakeholder requests. She manages the Annual APWA Rodeo and Annual DC City Wide Truck Touch & EV Grand Prix with DOEE.

Ms. Harris attended Virginia Union University, is a Certified Public Manager and Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt from George Washington University and a graduate of the APWA Mid-Atlantic Public Works Leadership program.

Renée Lafollette, PE, is currently the Public Works and Capital Projects Director for the Town of Leesburg, Virginia. The department consists of eight divisions: Streets, Fleets, Buildings & Grounds, Stormwater, Transportation, Inspections, Trash & Recycling, and Capital Projects, with an annual operating budget of $22.5 million and an average annual capital budget of $38.5 million. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering from The Ohio State University. She started her career as a resident engineer with the Ohio Department of Transportation where she gained field experience on heavy highway construction projects. She moved to Virginia in late 1999 and worked for a geotechnical company prior to beginning her career with the Town of Leesburg in November of 2000 as a senior engineer in the Capital Projects division of Public Works. Since starting with the Town, she has gained field and leadership experience at the local government level and rose through the ranks to become the Director of Public Works and Capital Projects in July 2015.

Samantha McNeil is Outreach Coordinator for the York County Department of Public Works. In this role, Samantha works closely with divisions such as Waste Management, Engineering, Stormwater Management and Grounds Maintenance (among others) to communicate important information to the public. She is also the County liaison to the Beautification Committee, and is responsible for environmental education and improvement practices. Previously, Samantha has worked in both the public and private sector, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). She graduated from Christopher Newport University with a degree in Psychology, with an emphasis on Experimental Studies.

Larado Robinson is a seasoned professional engineer with over 30 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry. In addition to his engineering background, he serves as a corporate development leader as the founder and owner of Global Purposes (www.globalpurposes.com). He holds a master's degree in Organizational Leadership, focusing on leadership training, speaking, and coaching. While much of his career has been dedicated to consulting engineering, he currently serves as the Director of Water and Sewer for the City of Salem.

As the founder and owner of Global Purposes, Larado is dedicated to cultivating strong leaders and cohesive teams. His passion lies in inspiring individuals to grow both personally and professionally, empowering them to enhance their leadership abilities. He holds certifications in Working Genius Facilitation and DISC, and is a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team member. Committed to enhancing team productivity and morale, Larado thrives on helping individuals and organizations unlock their full potential.