§334.065, Florida Statutes – Center for Urban Transportation Research
- There is established at the University of South Florida the Florida Center for Urban Transportation Research
- The center shall be a continuing resource for the Legislature, the Department of Transportation, local governments, the nation’s metropolitan regions, and the private sector in the area of urban transportation research
- An advisory board shall be created to periodically and objectively review and advise the center concerning its research program
CUTR Advisory Board Materials
The agendas and meeting materials are located here.
2021 CUTR Advisory Board

Thornton J. Williams
Biography
August 1998 to Present | Managing Partner, Williams Law Group, P.A.
Founder and managing partner of Thornton Williams and Associates, P.A., named changed to Williams Law Group, P. A. Responsible for the day to day operations of firm. The firm practices in the areas of administrative law, and civil and construction litigation with an emphasis in transportation law. |
October 1996
to July 1998 |
Partner, Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, P.A.
Practiced in the areas of administrative law, legislative lobbying, and civil litigation with an emphasis in transportation law. Negotiated settlement of Roster Claims Bill, $4.6 million, and Kelly Claims Bill, $1.6 million. Negotiated acquisition of road project for City of Ft. Lauderdale, $20 million. Represented various other interests before Florida Department of Transportation and transportation issues before the Florida Legislature. Legal representative for the SunPass project for Electronic Toll Collection. |
June 1990
to Sept. 1996 |
General Counsel
Florida Department of Transportation Provided legal advice to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation regarding major policy decisions. Supervised a staff of 51 employees which included 20 attorneys assigned to the areas of construction litigation, eminent domain, tort litigation and administrative law. Duties included administering a 4 million dollar annual budget, establishing policies for an additional 75 attorneys located in regional offices throughout the state, legislative lobbying and litigation of major cases. |
Jan. 1987
to June 1990 |
Deputy General Counsel
Florida Department of Business Regulation Responsible for supervising a staff of 15 employees, which included 7 attorneys. Duties also included litigating on behalf of the Division of Florida Land Sales, Condominiums and Mobile Homes. |
Dec.1984to Jan. 1987 | Staff Attorney
Florida Department of Business Regulation Litigated cases on behalf of the Division of Florida Land Sales, Condominiums and Mobile Homes, specifically in the areas of Time-Shares, Condominiums and Land Sales. Also assigned to assist in representing the Department in some civil jury trials. |
May 1983
to Dec. 1984 |
Assistant General Counsel
Governor of Florida Duties included preparing legal documents for the Governor’s signature, and preparing memoranda on legal issues. Also, an editor of a monthly publication, “The Florida Prosecutor,” which reported federal and state criminal law cases. |
Feb. 1982
to May 1983 |
Assistant State Attorney
State Attorney’s Office, Second Judicial Circuit Assigned primarily as a felony trial attorney, prosecuting over 20 jury trials. Also assigned as the juvenile backup attorney, prosecuting over 100 nonjury trials. |
Education
- Florida State University College of Law, June 1981
Juris Doctorate
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, June 1977
Bachelor of Science – Physics
State and National Memberships
- Member, National Transportation Research Board, Legal Resources Group 4 Council (1990 – 1998)
- Chair, National Transportation Research Board, Emerging Technologies Committee (1997)
- Former Member, Association for Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy
- Former Member, Florida Trucking Association, Inc.
- Member and past chair of Floridians for better Transportation
- Member; past chair- Center for Urban Transportation Research Advisory Board.
CUTR Advisory Board Ex-Officio Members
Thornton J. Williams
Biography
August 1998 to Present | Managing Partner, Williams Law Group, P.A.
Founder and managing partner of Thornton Williams and Associates, P.A., named changed to Williams Law Group, P. A. Responsible for the day to day operations of firm. The firm practices in the areas of administrative law, and civil and construction litigation with an emphasis in transportation law. |
October 1996
to July 1998 |
Partner, Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, P.A.
Practiced in the areas of administrative law, legislative lobbying, and civil litigation with an emphasis in transportation law. Negotiated settlement of Roster Claims Bill, $4.6 million, and Kelly Claims Bill, $1.6 million. Negotiated acquisition of road project for City of Ft. Lauderdale, $20 million. Represented various other interests before Florida Department of Transportation and transportation issues before the Florida Legislature. Legal representative for the SunPass project for Electronic Toll Collection. |
June 1990
to Sept. 1996 |
General Counsel
Florida Department of Transportation Provided legal advice to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation regarding major policy decisions. Supervised a staff of 51 employees which included 20 attorneys assigned to the areas of construction litigation, eminent domain, tort litigation and administrative law. Duties included administering a 4 million dollar annual budget, establishing policies for an additional 75 attorneys located in regional offices throughout the state, legislative lobbying and litigation of major cases. |
Jan. 1987
to June 1990 |
Deputy General Counsel
Florida Department of Business Regulation Responsible for supervising a staff of 15 employees, which included 7 attorneys. Duties also included litigating on behalf of the Division of Florida Land Sales, Condominiums and Mobile Homes. |
Dec.1984to Jan. 1987 | Staff Attorney
Florida Department of Business Regulation Litigated cases on behalf of the Division of Florida Land Sales, Condominiums and Mobile Homes, specifically in the areas of Time-Shares, Condominiums and Land Sales. Also assigned to assist in representing the Department in some civil jury trials. |
May 1983
to Dec. 1984 |
Assistant General Counsel
Governor of Florida Duties included preparing legal documents for the Governor’s signature, and preparing memoranda on legal issues. Also, an editor of a monthly publication, “The Florida Prosecutor,” which reported federal and state criminal law cases. |
Feb. 1982
to May 1983 |
Assistant State Attorney
State Attorney’s Office, Second Judicial Circuit Assigned primarily as a felony trial attorney, prosecuting over 20 jury trials. Also assigned as the juvenile backup attorney, prosecuting over 100 nonjury trials. |
Education
- Florida State University College of Law, June 1981
Juris Doctorate
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, June 1977
Bachelor of Science – Physics
State and National Memberships
- Member, National Transportation Research Board, Legal Resources Group 4 Council (1990 – 1998)
- Chair, National Transportation Research Board, Emerging Technologies Committee (1997)
- Former Member, Association for Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy
- Former Member, Florida Trucking Association, Inc.
- Member and past chair of Floridians for better Transportation
- Member; past chair- Center for Urban Transportation Research Advisory Board.
Former CUTR Advisory Board Members
First | Last | Title | Agency |
Jose | Abreu | Secretary | Florida Department of Transportation |
Danny | Alvarez | Miami-Dade Transit | |
Thomas F. | Barry Jr | Secretary | Florida Department of Transportation |
John H. | Beck | Beck Barrios & Malaney | |
Michael | Blaylock | Jacksonville Transportation Authority | |
Jim | Boxold | Secretary | Florida Department of Transportation |
Roosevelt | Bradley | Miami-Dade Transit | |
Carol | Browner | Secretary | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Colleen | Castille | Secretary | Florida Department of Community Affairs; Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Thaddeus | Cohen | Secretary | Florida Department of Community Affairs |
Chester | Colby | Miami-Dade Transit | |
Don | Crane | Floridians for Better Transportation | |
Mike | Dew | Secretary | Florida Department of Transportation |
Dane | Eagle | Secretary | Florida Department of Economic Opportunity |
Ann | Fandozzi | vRide, Inc. | |
John | Forney | Raymond James & Associates Inc./United Insurance Holdings Company | |
Katherine | Frazier | Florida Transportation Commission | |
James T. | Hargrett | Senator | |
T. Wallace | Hawkes III | URS Corporation | |
James | Holton | Florida Transportation Commission | |
Sonny | Holtzman | The Holtzman Group | |
Arthur | Kennedy | Florida Transportation Commission/Floridians for Better Transportation | |
David | Kerr | Florida Transportation Commission | |
Stephanie | Kopelousos | Secretary | Florida Department of Transportation |
Ken | Lawson | Florida Department of Economic Opportunity | |
Norman | Mansour | Commercial Real Estate | |
Maracos | Marchena | Florida Transportation Commission | |
Jon | Martz | Enterprise Holdings | |
William H. | McDaniel | URS Corporation | |
Darrick | McGhee | Interim Executive Director | Florida Department of Economic Opportunity |
Gerhard | Meisels | Provost | University of South Florida |
James | Murley | Secretary | Florida Department of Community Affairs |
Bob | O'Malley | Vice President for Government Affairs | Brightline Trains |
Jesse | Panuccio | Executive Director | Florida Department of Economic Opportunity |
Thomas | Pelham | Secretary | Florida Department of Community Affairs |
Ananth | Prasad | Secretary | Florida Department of Transportation |
Cissy | Proctor | Executive Director | Florida Department of Economic Opportunity |
Manuel | Rose | Florida Transportation Commission | |
Teresa | Sarnoff | FTC | |
William | Sadowski | Secretary | Florida Department of Community Affairs |
Jim | Sebesta | Senator | Florida Transportation Commission |
Steve | Seibert | Secretary | Florida Department of Community Affairs |
Linda Loomis | Shelley | Secretary | Florida Department of Community Affairs |
William V. | Sheppard | LPA Group | |
Robert E. | Skinner Jr. | Transportation Research Board | |
Michael | Sole | Secretary | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
David | Stamps | Provost | University of South Florida |
Jon | Steverson | Secretary | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
David B. | Struhs | Secretary | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Denver | Stutler | Secretary | Florida Department of Transportation |
Thomas | Tighe | Provost | University of South Florida |
Kevin J. | Thibault | Secretary | Florida Department of Transportation |
Herschel T. | Vinyard | Secretary | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Joseph | Waggoner | Executive Director | Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority |
Ben | Watts | Secretary | Florida Department of Transportation |
Virginia | Wetherell | Secretary | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Jack | Wilson | The Wilson Company |