Mackenzie Thiessen

Mackenzie’s professional career has substantially centered on grants administration and implementation. Starting as a Pathways Intern with US Department of Transportation, he then assumed the role of Program Manager for the Federal Transit Administration’s Workforce Development Program and National Transit Institute. Several years later, Mackenzie took a position with the Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging, serving as Grants Administrator and Principal Investigator for numerous federal formula and competitive grant awards. Most recently, he held the role of Bureau Chief of Transit Operations within the Illinois Department of Transportation, leading a state-wide team administering formula grants for urban and rural transit agencies. Mackenzie now serves as Deputy Budget Director for Cook County, and is responsible for centralized oversight of its capital and grant programing.