PWE Board Officers

Chairman

David B. Openshaw, PE, MBA is Board Chair of The Public Works Experience, dedicated to inspiring community engagement and STEM learning through hands-on exploration of essential infrastructure systems. With over 42 years of experience in public utilities, highways, and civil works construction, David recently retired as President and CEO of Ligon & Ligon, a fourth-generation Baltimore-based heavy utility contractor. His leadership helped grow the firm’s revenue fivefold, serving major public and institutional clients across the Baltimore–Washington region. A licensed professional engineer and U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps veteran, David holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Virginia Military Institute and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. He has served The Public Works Experience since 2018 in key governance roles, including Facilities Committee Chair and Secretary, and now leads the board in advancing its mission to showcase the value of public works and infrastructure to communities and future generations.

Treasurer

Howard S. Stevens is a top-rated attorney selected to Super Lawyers for 2010 – 2024. He works at Pascale Stevens, LLC, located in Baltimore, Maryland, and provides legal services for issues involving Construction Litigation, Business Professional Liability, Defense and Business Litigation, and Business/ Corporate support to the surrounding community. 

Mr. Stevens completed legal studies at The University of Maryland School of Law and graduated with the class of 1997. He passed the bar in 1998. 

Only a few attorneys from each state are selected to Luper Lawyers designation for any given year. The multi-factor selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and evaluations, as well as professional achievement in legal practice. 

Secretary

Cristel is a native Marylander, that has had a chance to live and work all over the nation. After studying at Dillard University, Cristel found her passion for music, food, and entrepreneurship. You can usually find her in the kitchen. While jamming to anything from Rush to Rapsody, she may be reviewing performance data for clients or soaking new recipes. With the encouragement of friends and colleagues, Cristel started Everyday Consulting in 2012. Everyday Consulting is a boutique management consulting firm that specializes, strategic planning, business development growth, and expansion. Ms. Sias helps business owners maximize the data and optimize their people and processes.  Cristel currently serves as Secretary of the PWE Board of Directors and is essential to our organization as we move forward with our vision to lead the nation in infrastructure education, training and advocacy for the betterment of our community.

Patrick Mahoney is a business leader with a track record of building and scaling organizations across industries. He currently leads Monumental, a Baltimore-based general contractor specializing in civil infrastructure. Previously, he held senior roles at Stripe and Warby Parker, where he led strategy, operations, and growth during periods of rapid expansion. He holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Margaret Byars Martin, PE (retired), formerly Deputy Director of Field Operations at the Maryland State Highway Administration, now serves on The Public Works Experience Board of Directors as Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee.  Prior to her work at SHA, Ms. Martin served in a ground-breaking role as the first female Public Works Director for the Maryland State Capital City, Annapolis.   She contributes decades of public infrastructure planning and engineering leadership to support PWE’s mission to educate and engage communities about essential public works systems.

Mr. Martino has over 20 years of professional experience in project management. He has worked across North America and Caribbean. He has led complex transactions from point of origination to successful execution. He demonstrates a balance of leadership, innovation, creativity and decisiveness with a proven ability to manage teams, including external parties (legal counsel, regulators, builders and investors). He has demonstrated an ability to excel in high-paced environments and deliver competitive results and keen to continue developing his career in portfolio management and business development. He is an entrepreneur unafraid of big risks and bold investments in the DC, Maryland and Virginia region. He is family man and loves being involved with his kids in youth sports. He currently plays recreational soccer and softball.

Lily Openshaw is a registered professional civil engineer with a BSCE from the Georgia Institute of Technology (high honors) and a master’s in Environmental Science and Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. A decorated veteran of the U.S. Navy’s elite Civil Engineer Corps, she served three tours of duty, including as Public Works Director at Naval Air Facility Washington D.C.—where her department was recognized as “Best of Type” by the Naval Reserve Inspector General—and as Acting Director of the Navy’s first hazardous waste remediation unit at NEESA. In her civilian career, Lily has led infrastructure and environmental design projects for both private firms and the City of Annapolis, where her award-winning efforts include the restoration of the Southgate Memorial Fountain, the transformation of Historic Hanover Street, and the development of Little Gott’s Court—recognized as the Best Urban Stormwater Management Project by the Chesapeake Water Environment Association. As President of Chesapeake Blue and Green since 2012, she most recently oversaw the design/build of the City’s largest capital project to date: a $30 million LEED Silver-certified Water Treatment Plant, honored by the U.S. Green Building Council. A passionate civic leader, Lily is past President of the Bay Ridge Civic Association and sits on the boards of the Public Works Experience, Scenic Rivers Land Trust, and Four Rivers Heritage Association. She has also held leadership roles with Leadership Anne Arundel, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, St. Mary’s Pastoral Council, and the Chesapeake Children’s Museum, and has been honored as a Capital Woman of the Year and a YWCA TWIN Award recipient. Lily and her husband, David, have four children, and she finds joy in her longtime book club, USTA league tennis, and Master Gardening.

Rick Stinson is the Client Service Manager at BETA Group, where he applies decades of experience in municipal operations and public works leadership to support clients from project funding through construction. He served as Director of Public Works in Wakefield, MA, for 18 years, overseeing 11 divisions and managing a $20 million annual budget. Prior roles included Business Manager in Wakefield and Operations Director in Danvers. Rick holds a BBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a certificate in administration and management from Harvard Extension. A committed member of APWA New England, he has served as Chapter President, National Delegate, and Region 1 Director. His expertise includes capital program development, strategic planning, and public infrastructure management.

Denise’s passion is designing spaces that provide beauty, durability, and utility. She has extensive experience working with clients in the public and private realm enhancing new design and preserving architectural history. From commercial office space and multi-family housing to transit and public works projects, Denise has expertise in infrastructure, historic preservation, spatial programming, building envelope design, life safety code compliance, accessibility, and sustainable building solutions. She has

extensive experience in providing architectural services for Public Works, Transit and Transportation and Recreation and Parks projects, including planning and design services for agencies such as MTA (Maryland Transit Administration), WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority), MPA (Maryland Port Authority), Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT), Baltimore City Department of Public Works (BCDPW) and the State of Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Department of General Services (DGS).  She is an adjunct professor in architectural design at the Maryland Institute College of Art.  In addition to her community work with the Public Works Experience, Denise also serves on the Governor’s Green Building Council, the Pikesville Armory Redevelopment Advisory Committee, and the Neighborhood Design Center.