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WTS-Boston is proud to announce that Francisca Heming, District 1 Highway Director at MassDOT, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Member of the Year Award. This prestigious honor recognizes a WTS member who demonstrates extraordinary commitment to the goals and growth of WTS by promoting the organization's reputation within the transportation industry and revitalizing or expanding a WTS Chapter or any of its functions. 

Francisca has been an active member of WTS-Boston for the last 7 years, and 2019-2023 served as Lead Liaison for Emerging Professional Program (EP), 2024-2025 Co-Chaired the Mentoring Committee, where she worked closely with the Board on the creation/launching of the Emerging Leaders Program (EL).

In this role, Francisca expanded the program, doubling the size of the program, and inspiring a new generation of public employees to learn about WTS and join the organization. Her impact is reflected on the number of EPs and ELs that are participating in the organization, co-chairing WTS-Boston leadership committees. Francisca uses every opportunity to mentor at work and out of work. She believes that having a good mentor is important, and should be an integral part of anyone’s career, early mentoring sets a good stage for long term employees’ performance and satisfaction that will help shape their future and success. She is also a member of the MassDOT Mentoring Advisory Council. Currently, Francisca is serving as Co-Chair of the Fundraising Committee.

Francisca’s leadership in her WTS committees has helped grow the overall programs and led to more MassDOT involvement which she is proud of. She recruited and encouraged MassDOT employees to join the programs she was working on at WTS and did it with grace by explaining how valuable joining a group outside of MassDOT would be for meeting other industry leaders and connecting with women around the Commonwealth.

Francisca is the true meaning of a mentor/advisor. She advocates for everyone around her and deeply cares about everyone’s well-being and career paths. She carves out time for mentees, her employees at the District, EPs and ELs, past mentees and employees all while working full time, aiming for her P.E., serving on numerous committees outside of work and cooking amazing foods for her friends and family.

As District 1 Highway Director, working with 56 municipalities that make up District One, Francisca oversees a $100 million construction program, monitoring $100 millions+ on projects under Design, and an active Maintenance program in her District providing safe and comfortable transportation options, in a District with 725 bridges, the maintenance of 272 state-owned bridges, and 882 miles of state highway, including 153 lane miles on Interstate 90.  Francisca oversees the management of near 200 District One staff engaged in the design, maintenance and construction of Highway Division projects and Facilities in her District.   She has worked for MassDOT for 30 years and held key positions such as District 2 Bridge Inspection Engineer, Assistant District Bridge Engineer, and District 1 Maintenance Engineer. She has been an integral team member with several technical working groups related to operation and maintenance, including inventory and asset data and business process improvements. Francisca was stakeholder in the core team for the conversion of I-90 All Electronic Tolling –Plaza Demolition project in her District. Francisca participated as member of the Berkshire Flyer Transportation Working group focusing on studying Railroad connections to the Berkshires for pilot connection between the Berkshires and NYC.  She also participated in the FHWA-EDC Innovation

initiatives, co-chairing FHWA EDC-5 -Every Day Counts initiative for Reducing Rural Roadway Departure, participating in Strategic Workforce Development and Nighttime Visibility for Safety.  Francisca is a big supporter of pilots’ program technology in her District, working with her team, UMass, MIT and MassDOT Bridge section on potential solutions for deteriorating steel bridges thru the application of 3D Printing technology and on May 14, 2025 District One piloted the first Cold Spray 3-D printing technique application on the Brown Bridge, Great Barrington.

Francisca holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering - Building and Structures - from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, an EIT and a Master in Civil Engineering from Norwich University, Vermont. She is also a volunteer for the Board of Health of the town of Lanesboro, MA where she resides with her family. She is fluent in English and Spanish.

WTS-Boston congratulates Francisca Heming on this well-deserved recognition and celebrates her invaluable contributions to the advancement of women in transportation and her exceptional contributions to WTS. 

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