Chapter Awards

WTS Columbus Annual Recognition Awards

The WTS Columbus 2026 Recognition Awards nominations are currently closed. Please come back for 2027 Nominations!

Each year the Columbus Chapter honors professionals in our industry with six awards. Refer to the descriptions below for additional details about each award as well as a link to the nomination form!

Congratulations to our 2026 award winners!

Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award

Congratulations to ms consultants’ msWN and msEPN initiatives, our 2026 WTS Columbus Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award Recipient!

msWN, the Women’s Network, connects women across ms consultants through mentorship, leadership development, professional networking, wellness, and career-building opportunities. msWN provides supportive communities for working mothers, caregivers, women navigating life transitions, and women pursuing leadership development.

msEPN, the Emerging Professionals Network, provides workshops and development opportunities focused on leadership, career development, diversity and inclusion, project management, financial literacy, presentation skills, and networking.

These initiatives broaden opportunities and support employees throughout different stages of their careers.

Innovative Transportation Solutions Award

Congratulations to the Park Road Sidepath project, our 2026 WTS Columbus Innovative Transportation Solutions Award Recipient!

Led by Mariel Colman of Toole Design, the Park Road Sidepath project closes a critical gap between the existing trail network, advancing the vision of a continuous Alum Creek to Olentangy River Trail.

Significant design challenges included limited space, a sensitive stream corridor, complex stormwater requirements, and coordinating with five different jurisdictions. Through innovation, the project incorporated a terraced subsurface bioretention system, a top-down soldier pile retaining wall, and a modified guardrail designed to eliminate a pedal-strike hazard for cyclists.

The final product provides a safer multimodal connection, where in the previous alternative, users had to walk along the shoulder of a 35-mph roadway or take a 45 minute longer route to their destination.

Honorable Ray LaHood

Celebrating Matt Selhorst – our 2026 WTS Columbus Honorable Ray LaHood Award Recipient!

Matt has demonstrated that leadership is not only about technical expertise or project success, but also about creating opportunities for others to grow, lead, and succeed.

He has championed mentorship, professional development, and meaningful opportunities for women and emerging professionals, and has encouraged women to take on challenging assignments, lead projects, build professional networks, and pursue positions of greater responsibility. Through his involvement with professional organizations, staff development, student outreach, and other programs, he has contributed to building a more diverse transportation industry.

Colleagues describe Matt as a truster mentor, collaborative leader, and tireless advocate for opportunity. Matt’s influence can be seen not only on projects he has helped deliver, but in the careers he has helped shape.

Woman of the Year

Celebrating Reneé Whittenberger – our 2026 Columbus Woman of the Year!

Through her technical excellence and intentional mentorship, Renee demonstrates her commitment to advancing the transportation industry.

While focusing on safety and active transportation throughout her career, she has contributed to major safety initiatives, ODOT task orders, multimillion-dollar transportation projects, and has become a renowned industry speaker.

Renee has impacted others in their careers through mentoring staff, organizing women’s professional gatherings, and placing women in leadership and client-facing roles. She thrives in helping to give women the voice, visibility, and experience to advance.

Employer of the Year

Congratulations to EMH&T – our 2026 WTS Columbus Employer of the Year!

As EMH&T celebrates its 100th anniversary this year with a woman president, 1/3 of their shareholders being women, and 25 women holding senior and executive leadership positions across the country, women are playing an increasingly significant role in the company’s future.

EMH&T invests internally and externally in mentorship, leadership development, continuing education, professional licensure, industry involvement and career advancement, and is a big supporter of WTS. EMH&T is strongly committed to developing the next generation of transportation professionals.

Member of the Year

Celebrating Becky Swora – our 2026 Columbus Member of the Year!

As our secretary, Becky brings exceptional consistency, attention to detail, and dedication to keeping our members connected. She makes WTS a priority while balancing her workload, and has even attended WTS meetings while on PTO. That kind of dedication says a lot about how much WTS and our members mean to her.

Outside of WTS, Becky manages a team of 20 professionals and approximately $1 million in annual design projects in her role at OHM. She is passionate about mentoring and helping the next generation of engineers succeed.

Member of the Year

Acknowledges a WTS Columbus member who has made extraordinary contributions to the success of the organization.