Resume and Letters of Recomendation

I am actively exploring my next step. The Workgroup on the Reorganization of the Maryland Transit Administration has recommended a governance change. This change could dissolve the Baltimore Regional Transit Commission. It would also dissolve my current role as of the fall of 2026. To avoid waiting until the last minute, I am planning for a career transition. I will consider roles with meaningful work and compensation at or above my current level.

In my next role, I want to keep building on my experience in transportation planning, policy, and geospatial analysis. I also want to work in places that match my values and how I live. I do not own a car and plan to keep it that way. Therefore, a work location that is realistically accessible by transit and active transportation is essential.

I am prioritizing opportunities that:

• Keep me in the same general job market, ideally Baltimore or Washington, DC, with some interest in Philadelphia
• Are in other regions only if the role is economically feasible and located in a culturally vibrant, politically progressive urban center
• Are based in the public sector at the local, regional, or state level, although I will consider private sector roles if the compensation, responsibilities, and mission are a good fit
• Offer a genuine mix of work so that I can use my strengths as an analyst alongside my growing skills in communications, project management, and stakeholder collaboration

The best way to reach me is via email at jakeschutt@gmail.com or message me on LinkedIn. From there I’m glad to set up a phone call, video chat, or formal interview to discuss career opportunities.

My resume and letters of recommendation below speak to how I work and what I can bring to a team serious about improving transportation and land-use outcomes.

PDF Resume

Letter of Recommendation from Don Halligan (Senior Planner for the Baltimore Regional Transit Commission)

Letter of Recommendation from Tod Sherman (Planning Director at the Minnesota Department of Transportation)

Jake Schutt

Transportation Planner and Geographer

Experience

Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) | Baltimore, Maryland

Transit Planner & Policy Analyst, Baltimore Regional Transit Commission (BRTC) | Dec 2023 to Present

• Lead major transit policy and performance analyses, including a Maryland Transit Administration staffing assessment and a 10-year peer benchmarking study of bus, light rail, and heavy rail trends
• Produce reports, charts, and presentations that turn complex transit operations, hiring, and performance issues into clear findings and recommendations
• Lead the BRTC monthly newsletter, writing and designing content, building workflows, and coordinating with staff and regional partners
• Develop advocacy and public engagement materials, including the 2026 Transit Funding Priorities campaign, to support legislative outreach and coalition building
• Manage consultant work and support transit feasibility efforts using Remix, including route simulations and route change evaluation methods

Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Metro District | Roseville, Minnesota

Principal Planner, Metro Planning Office | Jan 2022 to Nov 2023

• Scoped, procured, and managed the $950,000 Highway 169 Corridor Study, overseeing consultants, public engagement, and key planning deliverables
• Built and led technical and community advisory groups involving local agencies, partner organizations, and historically marginalized communities
• Designed a public engagement process that generated 1,500 valid responses and helped shape corridor study findings
• Reviewed development proposals affecting the Twin Cities state highway system and prepared technical documentation to support compliance
• Created internal GIS tools and web maps that improved coordination, searchability, and retention of corridor study and development review information

Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Central Office | Saint Paul, Minnesota

Multimodal Planner & Data Analyst, Office of Transit & Active Transportation | Jun 2020 to Jul 2021

• Designed a GIS-based data standard and statewide database for rural mobility services, supporting later development of a public-facing mobility app
• Built tracking and reporting tools for $40 million in federal CARES transit funding, improving oversight during the COVID period
• Served as production lead for MnDOT’s 2020 Annual Transit Report, coordinating data collection, visualizations, authorship, and quality control
• Produced GIS analysis and mapping for MnDOT’s Title VI Transit Program Report
• Supported research on improved bike and pedestrian metrics

Senior Transit Planner, Office of Transit & Active Transportation | Jul 2019 to Jun 2020

• Managed completion and early implementation of 30+ five-year rural transit system plans, coordinating six consultant teams across multiple regions
• Managed a $150,000 rural transit marketing pilot across seven providers, helping lay groundwork for later statewide expansion
• Scoped and drafted the RFP for the Greater Minnesota Transit Investment Plan, including study design, engagement structure, and advisory framework
• Launched and co-led MnDOT’s Multimodal Research Council, organizing meetings and advancing research ideas toward funded studies

Intermediate Aeronautics Planner, Office of Aeronautics | Dec 2018 to Jul 2019

• Delivered an environmental justice analysis of Minnesota’s statewide aviation system, creating a methodology later replicated in the State Aviation System Plan
• Built and analyzed a statewide demographic database to identify airports with elevated social vulnerability and recommend more tailored outreach
• Researched aviation funding models across 30+ states and produced a report and legislative presentation to inform policy discussion
• Conducted policy, historical, and spatial analyses to support airport zoning enforcement and prototype GIS-based risk analysis methods
• Designed and analyzed a stakeholder survey and presented findings to assess Airports Needs Meetings

Multimodal Transportation Intern, Office of Transit & Active Transportation | May 2018 to Dec 2018

• Created a GIS-based social and economic vulnerability index to strengthen equity context for 30+ rural transit system plans across Minnesota
• Built statewide demographic and transportation datasets and produced maps used by consultants to inform rural transit planning decisions
• Installed and analyzed metrics from active transportation counters and identified six priority locations for new permanent counters
• Built a tracking system for nearly 1,000 comments on the MnDOT Bikeways Facility Design Manual, improving organization and response management

Career Narrative

2023: Accepted a role with the Baltimore Regional Transit Commission

2018: Hired by MnDOT as an intern, advancing to the role of principal planner in four years

2018: Earned my master’s in urban & regional planning, focused on land use and transportation

2015: Earned a GIS capstone certificate

2010: Earned my bachelor’s in geography and urban studies

2001: Hired by a consultant, leading to a 14-year career in aerial mapping, promoted to roles of
increasing responsibility

1999: Began studying geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Degrees

Master’s, Urban & Regional Planning, University of Minnesota Twin Cities (Dec 2018)

GIS Certificate, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Jun 2015)

B.S. Geography, Minor Urban Studies, University of Minnesota Twin Cities (Dec 2010)