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Recognition Awards

2025 WTS-DC Recognition Award Winners

WTS-DC Recognition Awards

Nominations will open this Fall!

 

WTS-DC recognizes the area's leading women who have had a significant impact on transportation, as well as men and distinguished organizations in our nation's capital that support the development, growth and advancement of women in transportation. 

Recognitions are a great way to acknowledge those who support our local WTS-DC Chapter and heighten awareness of the WTS International mission and goals.

Nominate a deserving woman, man, colleague, employer, or transportation project for one of WTS-DC’s 2026 Recognition Awards. WTS-DC’s 2026 awardees will be honored at our chapter's most prominent and widely attended event, the WTS-DC Holiday Party on December 1st, 2026.

Nomination submissions should describe how the nominated person, people, project, or employer meets the selection criteria for the award. 

Read the Award Categories section for more information.

For 2026, the award categories are:

Award Categories

Member of the Year: Honors a WTS member who has made extraordinary contributions to the success of WTS. Selection shall be based on the following criteria:

  1. A member who has shown an extraordinary commitment to the goals and growth of WTS by working effectively in support of WTS goals. (Identify activities.)
  2. A member who has promoted the reputation of WTS within the transportation industry. (Include an explanation describing how and what was done.)
  3. A member who has worked effectively to strengthen communication between local and international WTS levels or between chapters.
  4. A member who has done an outstanding job of revitalizing or expanding a chapter or any of its functions.

NOTE: Members of the WTS-DC Executive Board and WTS International Board of Directors should not be considered for Member of the Year merely because they have made significant current contributions to their local chapters.

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. This award is intended to reach beyond WTS-DC membership. Selection shall be based on the following criteria:

  1. A woman who is a leader in transportation and has made an outstanding contribution to the transportation industry.
  2. A woman who has directly contributed toward the advancement of women and minorities through programs or opportunities in the transportation field.
  3. A woman who through her career achievements and support of women in the industry has advanced the reputation and credibility of women in transportation.

Honorable Ray LaHood Award: Honors a man who is a leader in the transportation industry and has contributed, directly and by example, to the advancement of women and minorities in the transportation field. Selection shall be based on the following criteria:

  1. A man who is a leader in transportation and has made an outstanding contribution to the transportation industry.
  2. A man who has directly contributed toward the advancement of women and minorities through programs or opportunities in the transportation field.
  3. A man who has led by example, seeking out opportunities to advance and advocate for women in his own organization, and who has actively ensured that women are able to compete for key positions of authority within that organization.
  4. A man who through his career achievements and support of women in the industry has advanced the reputation and credibility of women in transportation.

Employer of the Year: Honors an organization (company, non-profit, association, or government agency) for recruiting, retaining and advancing women in the transportation industry. Selection shall be based on the following criteria:

  1. An organization that includes women in executive and senior positions and leading major initiatives.
  2. An organization that has career development plans and succession programs in place for women to advance within the organization.
  3. An organization that provides continuing development for its female employees through:
    • Professional education
    • Professional organizations
    • Professional development opportunities
  4. An organization that encourages women students to enter the transportation field by providing internship opportunities.
  5. An organization that supports WTS through memberships, sponsorships, and employee involvement at the local and international levels.

Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award: Honors an individual(s) that has made significant contributions in promoting diversity and cultural awareness within their organization, the transportation industry, or in a project or activity that supports the goals and mission of WTS. Selection should be based on the following criteria:

  1. Exhibiting extraordinary efforts or initiatives in facilitating professional opportunities for women and minorities.
  2. Contributing significantly to promoting diversity, inclusion and multi-cultural awareness within his/her/the organization, the transportation industry, or in a project or activity that supports the goals and mission of WTS.

Innovative Transportation Solutions Award: This award salutes an innovative transportation project led by a woman. Only completed projects or studies between July 1st of the previous year through June 30th of the current year will be considered for the award. Selection shall be based on the following criteria:

  1. Describe the purpose of the transportation initiative, solution, project, or policy and the number of women involved from initiation to completion.
  2. Identify the key elements of the project and how the female project manager successfully implemented those elements.
  3. Illustrate how a female project manager successfully met and overcame challenges.
  4. Explain how the project achieved its purpose. 

Special Awards: It may be determined that an individual or entity that has not been nominated or selected for a Recognition Award, has contributed to the transportation industry and/or WTS in such a way that they are deserving of recognition outside of the WTS-DC Chapter Recognitions Awards categories. The WTS-DC Chapter Executive Board has the right to select an individual or entity for a special award to be presented at the WTS-DC Annual Holiday Party.

Nomination Statements

A. Previous recipients of this award category within the past five years are not eligible. Here is a list of past award recipients.

B. Self-Nomination is only acceptable for the Innovative Transportation Solutions Award and the Employer of the Year Award where a project staff member or employee can nominate their respective project or employer. For all other award categories, self-nominations will not be accepted.

C. Members of the WTS-DC Chapter Executive Board and the WTS International Board of Directors are ineligible for nomination for Member of the Year.

D. Nomination Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered for award.

E. Nominators (i.e. the person listed on the application who nominated the individual or group of individuals) and nominees selected for an award will be notified by the WTS-DC Chapter Recognitions Committee by email. Nominators will be notified by the WTS-DC Chapter Recognitions Committee if the individual or group of individuals is not selected for an award.

F. If a nominee declines an award, we will accept their decision and express gratitude for their contributions to the transportation industry. The WTS-DC Chapter and WTS-DC Recognitions Committee will discuss if the runner-up (by vote) for the award category should receive the award.

Nomination Evaluation and Selection of Awardees

A. Selection panel members should evaluate entries based solely on the provided rubrics and criteria for each award category.

B. Each selection panel member will receive 1 vote for each award category. The votes will be tallied by the Chair or Deputy Chair of the Recognitions Committee and the nominee with the highest number of votes will be selected as the winner. In the event of a tie there may be a discussion prior to a re-vote between the two highest voted nominees with each selection panel member Link: https://www.wtsinternational.org/chapters/washington-dc/recognition-awa… receiving 1 vote. If a tie still exists, then the WTS-DC Chapter President or their designee will select the award recipient.

C. If none of the nominees in an award category are deemed qualified to receive a recognition award, no recipient for that particular award will be selected for that year. The determination of qualification for a nominee will be discussed prior to the application evaluation period to determine if an application does not meet the evaluation criteria. The discussion will occur between the WTS-DC Chapter Executive Board and WTS-DC Chapter Recognitions Committee.

D. Selection panel members’ votes and evaluation discussions are strictly confidential and will not be shared publicly unless deemed appropriate by the WTS-DC Executive Board in the evaluation process.

Contact Information 

If you have any questions regarding the nomination process or award program, please contact WTS-DC Recognitions Committee Chair Edith Tapia or WTS-DC Chapter President Shelley Wynne.