Current Year Winners
2025 – 2026 WTS Puget Sound Award Winners
Each year, the WTS Puget Sound Chapter honors achievement in the transportation industry with several coveted awards. The awards for the 2024-2025 year were presented at our annual gala on April 3, 2025. Check back soon for information about the 2025-2026 awards, which will be presented at this year's gala on April 2, 2026. Tickets for the 2026 Gala are on sale now.
Woman of the Year
Linneth Riley-Hall, Executive Project Director, Sound Transit
Linneth Riley-Hall is a respected transportation leader known for delivering complex infrastructure projects while championing opportunity, inclusion, and mentorship. As Executive Project Director for Sound Transit’s Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE), she led delivery of a $2.45 billion, 7.8-mile design-build project extending service from Angle Lake to Federal Way Downtown, guiding the program through pandemic disruptions and a landslide with steady, people-centered leadership. She is passionate about developing future leaders and advancing women in the industry while expanding equitable, reliable transit that strengthens communities. Linneth is now transitioning to the West Seattle Link Extension, where she looks forward to partnering with communities to deliver another transformative investment.
Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership
Award: Angela Song, Seattle City Light
Angela Song has made transformative contributions to advancing diversity, inclusion, and multicultural awareness in the transportation industry through her leadership as Seattle City Light’s Transportation Electrification Portfolio Manager. Angela led the development and update of the Transportation Electrification Strategic Investment Plan (TESIP), which prioritizes equity, sustainability, and operating the grid as a public good. She actively engaged marginalized communities and underrepresented groups to ensure their voices shaped TESIP design and implementation. By embedding these perspectives into policy and project design, Angela ensures that electrification solutions are accessible and beneficial to all, fostering a transportation system that reflects Seattle’s diverse population.
Member of the Year
Masha Podolsky Soroka, King County Metro
Masha Podolsky Soroka is the Acting Capital Planning and Portfolio Management Section Manager at King County Metro and has been an active WTS Puget Sound member since 2016. She joined the Puget Sound chapter shortly after relocating to the U.S. and has contributed through mentorship, professional development, and leadership roles. Since 2022, Masha has served on the chapter board and co-chaired both the Gala and Mentoring Committees. She played a pivotal role in modernizing the annual gala, including implementing a new registration platform and supporting its first venue change in over a decade. Known as a connector, Masha strengthens the WTS network across disciplines and organizations.
Innovative Transportation Solution
Federal Way Link Extension, Sound Transit
The Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE) added 7.8-miles to Sound Transit’s 1 line, extending service from Angle Lake Station to the Federal Way Downtown Station. Service launched on December 6, 2025, connecting South King County communities to education, employment, healthcare, services, and cultural destinations. FWLE surpassed Sound Transit’s diversity objectives with participation from disadvantaged and small businesses, including women-owned firms. More than 1,100 women and non-binary professionals contributed to FWLE, including 845 craft women and numerous leaders in critical roles such as Executive Project Director, project and construction management, architecture, safety, scheduling, and engagement.
Large Employer of the Year
Hill International
Celebrating its 50th year, Hill International delivers program, project, and construction management services for complex infrastructure programs worldwide. Hill supports public agencies in delivering transportation, transit, aviation, and civic infrastructure projects with strong project controls, cost management, scheduling, risk management, and construction oversight. In the PNW, Hill partners with agencies such as the Port of Seattle, King County, Sound Transit, and Washington State Ferries.
A long-time supporter of WTS through sponsorship, board and committee involvement, Hill invests in professional development that supports women at every stage of their careers while engaging women-owned businesses and advancing inclusion throughout the industry.
Small Employer of the Year
The Vida Agency
Founded in 2017 by CEO Amalia Martino, The Vida Agency is a women- and POC-owned firm redefining transportation engagement across Washington State. With 90% women staff and an entirely women-led leadership team, Vida has made a distinct mark through its unwavering commitment to equitable, culturally grounded, multilingual engagement. In 2025, Vida advanced some of the region’s most complex and high-visibility initiatives, including the Everett Link Extension, Washington State Rail Plan, Cascadia High-Speed Rail & I-5 Program, and Aurora Avenue Study. Vida doesn’t treat community voice as outreach—it elevates it as expertise shaping the region’s transportation future.
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