Each year, WTS-KC honors exceptional women, members, employers, and diversity leaders who exemplify the WTS mission of equity and access for women in transportation. Save the date for the next  Scholarship + Awards Celebration which will be held on April 24, 2025.

Following are the categories for annual awards:

• Member of the Year: Recognizes a WTS Kansas City Chapter member who has made extraordinary contributions to the success of the organization.
• Woman of the Year: Honors a woman who is an outstanding role model and has contributed to the advancement of women and minorities in transportation.
• Employer of the Year: Recognizes a business or agency for its support of the goals and purpose of WTS.
• Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award: Honors an individual or organization that has made significant contributions in promoting diversity and cultural awareness within their organization, the transportation industry, or in a project activity that supports the goals and mission of WTS. 
• Honorable Ray LaHood Award: Nominees must be men who lead by example in advocating for women to compete for key positions. The nominee must contribute to the advancement of women and minorities through programs or opportunities and show outstanding contributions to the Transportation industry.
• Innovative Transportation Solutions Award: Nominations must illustrate the purpose of the initiative, solution, project or policy and the number of women involved. The nomination must exhibit key elements of the project and how the female project manager successfully implemented these elements. The application must also show how the female project manager successfully met and overcame challenges and how the project achieved its purpose.

Click here to download the award nomination forms.

Nominations for next year will be due in Fall 2025. To nominate a person or organization please review the selection criteria and tell us how that person or organization meets the criteria for the award. Please send questions and submit nominations to Heidi Thummel. 

All of the award winners and scholarship recipients are recognized at the Annual Awards Celebration. 

Meet our 2025 award winners below!

Member of the Year:  Claire Baker

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Claire has been actively involved in WTS since joining the transportation industry in 2018. She has attended events, participated in industry outreach, annual banquets, chapter leader training, and taken on leadership roles in both the Oklahoma and Kansas City chapters.

Claire dove into volunteering as a leader in the newly formed Oklahoma chapter. As Scholarship Committee Chair, she more than doubled the amount of scholarship submissions, going from seven applicants to 20 over two years. She contacted professors and traveled to both Oklahoma University and Oklahoma State University to present at student organization groups about the scholarship opportunities. She also was an active participant in planning, advertising, and growing attendance at the annual scholarship and awards banquet. 

Claire relocated to Kansas City and was elected as the Director at Large – Communications board position in 2024. She is adept at distributing emails, managing social media, and developing quarterly newsletters.  Events have been better attended and more clearly communicated thanks to Claire’s organization and leadership.

Beyond her work as a chapter leader for multiple chapters, Claire’s individual brand of leadership brings immeasurable value to our chapter. She is always uniquely herself and is never shy to help others. Claire is kind, welcoming, and too humble to take credit for all the incredible work she does for WTS.  

Woman of the Year: Beth Wright, City of Olathe 

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Beth is a distinguished leader in the field of transportation, with a career spanning over three decades of impactful contributions in the public sector across Kansas City and Missouri. Her expertise and dedication have left an indelible mark on transportation infrastructure and policy, benefiting communities throughout the region.

Beth holds Bachelor’s degrees in Civil Engineering and Geology from the University of Missouri, Columbia. She began her career as a Materials Inspector for MoDOT, progressing through a series of increasingly significant roles, including Traffic Studies Engineer, Senior Traffic Studies Engineer, Maintenance and Traffic Engineer, and ultimately serving as the District Engineer for MoDOT’s Kansas City region, overseeing nine counties. Following this, Beth took on the role of State Maintenance Engineer at MoDOT Headquarters in Jefferson City, managing statewide transportation initiatives.

Over her career, Beth has cultivated enduring relationships with cities, counties, neighboring states, the Mid-America Regional Council, and numerous other organizations, enabling her to achieve critical milestones and drive collaborative success. After retiring from MoDOT, Beth joined the City of Olathe, Kansas, where she began as Traffic Manager and now serves as Deputy Director of Infrastructure. In this role, she continues to lead with vision and purpose, mentoring others, driving innovation, and solidifying Olathe’s reputation as a regional transportation leader. Beth Wright’s leadership and contributions exemplify the highest standards of public service and transportation excellence. 

Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award: Sheila Shockey, Shockey Consulting

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Sheila’s career exemplifies the mission of organizations like WTS International, advancing inclusivity, women’s leadership, and equity in the transportation industry and beyond. Over 30 years, Sheila has developed innovative tools, resources, and professional networks to empower women, creating a workplace in her women-owned business that allows professional women to thrive without sacrificing career advancement. Her focus on mentorship and professional growth fosters pathways to leadership, particularly in transportation and related industries.

Sheila’s dedication to engaging diverse voices in public policy and planning ensures underrepresented groups have a seat at the table. By championing equitable workplace cultures and advocating for inclusive community engagement practices, she has influenced policies and projects that prioritize diversity, fostering sustainable and resilient transportation systems.

As a speaker, writer, and trainer, Sheila shares her lived experiences with leaders of national organizations, including WTS International. Beyond her professional contributions, Sheila uses her talent as an artist to illuminate societal inequities and injustices, blending creativity with advocacy. Her work reflects her lifelong commitment to fostering a more inclusive and equitable future, inspiring progress in the transportation industry and beyond.

Employer of the Year: HDR

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HDR exemplifies a culture of support and collaboration to foster an environment where female employees are empowered to succeed both personally and professionally. Through active engagement and participation, HDR supports WTS and its mission at both the local and national levels. The organization continues to demonstrate and invest in the advancement of women in the transportation industry.

Understanding and appreciating the key role women play in transportation and infrastructure projects, HDR prioritizes the development and professional needs of women within the organization. Through structured programs and strong peer-to-peer support, HDR seeks to define and create a culture of innovation, leadership, and technical excellence. The cornerstones of HDR’s award-winning culture are the intentional development of ownership, leadership and advocacy. 

HDR has been a longstanding strategic level partner of WTS on the international level and continues to sponsor WTS at the local Kansas City level. With women in executive and senior leadership roles, HDR underscores leadership and diversity through structured career programs, succession planning, and mentorship initiatives for women at all career levels.

Innovative Transportation Solution: KTA Comprehensive Safety Assessments 

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The Kansas Turnpike’s Comprehensive Safety Assessment illustrates their commitment to investing in the safety of their staff and customers and to helping Kansas reach their goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries across the state. Initiated before the Safe Streets and Roads for All program began funding safety action plan development around the country, this project was an early adopter of using quantitative safety analysis, broad and meaningful stakeholder engagement, multidisciplinary coordination, and results-oriented project prioritization in the development of a safety action plan.

The KTA selected Burns & McDonnell to lead the safety assessment. Jessica Hutton, PE, drafted the proposal and initially served as the project’s Deputy Project Manager. Soon, she advanced to manage the development and presentation of deliverables to the client and led the effort to win a second phase of work. She formally stepped into the role of project manager during the second phase, which led to a third phase.

The Turnpike recruited Kristina Eichkorn, PE, to join their engineering team shortly after project initiation. Kristi quickly took over as the Turnpike’s project manager for the Safety Assessment. She and Jessica brought new perspective to the project, incorporating a stronger focus on education, communication, partnership, and tracking performance over time.

The KTA’s safety assessment represented a new type of project for both the KTA and for Burns & McDonnell. For the KTA, the project has led to the identification of new strategies and prioritization of safety projects directly targeting a safer experience for KTA system users. For Burns & McDonnell, Jessica was able to provide staff development opportunities and expand the firm’s service offering, directly mentoring two female engineers for capacity building and their career growth in the safety space. 

Honorable Ray LaHood Award: Kip Strauss, HNTB

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Kip Strauss is vice president and project director at HNTB. His work spans multi-modal transportation studies, highway and arterial corridor studies, environmental studies, traffic impact evaluations, travel demand modeling, toll traffic and revenue studies, and transportation master plans. This breadth of experience highlights his comprehensive understanding of modern transportation systems. 

Kip's role as a planning commissioner in Overland Park, Kansas, underscores his commitment to public service and community development. His involvement in local planning initiatives ensures that emerging technologies and innovative solutions are integrated into the city's transportation infrastructure, benefiting residents and setting a standard for other communities. 

A recognized thought leader in the industry, he has contributed significantly to the body of knowledge through his numerous publications. His co-authored paper, "Kansas Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Planning Embraces a Collaborative Statewide Agency Approach," exemplifies his forward-thinking approach. Other notable works include "Emerging Technology Planning Guidance for Communities" and "Exploring the Potential Opportunities of ACES – Autonomous, Connected, Electric and Shared-Use Vehicles," which provide valuable insights into the future of transportation. Mr. Strauss's dedication to advancing transportation planning is also evident in his white papers for HNTB, such as "How Will Driverless Vehicles Steer Future Planning?" and "Congestion Management Solutions for Mid-size Metropolitan Areas." These publications reflect his ability to address contemporary challenges and propose practical solutions that enhance mobility and safety.

In addition to his professional achievements, Mr. Strauss has been a strong advocate for gender diversity in the workplace. He actively supports and encourages women to compete for key positions within the industry, fostering an inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives and talents. In summary, Kip Strauss's extensive experience, leadership in emerging technologies, advocacy for gender diversity, and significant contributions to transportation planning make him a deserving recipient of the Ray LaHood Award.