As we said goodbye to a difficult year in 2020, we began this year with ongoing challenges as our world continues to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and seeks to find unity amongst political discord. Despite these hurdles, we are motivated to renew our focus and commitment to advancing women in transportation and want to give you a preview of our initiatives for this year and recognize the progress being made.
WTS starts the year with tremendous optimism to accomplish our goals and objectives for the coming years. We’ve launched our 2021-2024 Strategic Planning Process, where we’ll unify WTS International, the WTS Foundation and our WTS Chapters under a One WTS vision of the future. We encourage you to stay up to date on our progress and provide your input at our WTS Strategic Planning website. Please visit our site early and often, and give us your feedback!
This year, WTS International will host its first-ever Virtual Annual Conference. We are excited to bring you engaging content and conversations, while taking key components of our conference: networking, professional development, and relationship building to a virtual platform. The 2021 Annual Conference will be held virtually from Richmond, Virginia. Mark your calendars for May 10-14th, 2021 for the WTS Annual Conference. Registration is opening mid-February.
This month, we also celebrate key appointments in the Biden-Harris Administration. We witnessed another glass-ceiling breaking, with Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the first female Vice President. We congratulate WTS Members: Polly Trottenberg, Nuria Fernandez, and Stephanie Pollack for their appointments within the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), as well as congratulate Industry Partner COMTO CEO Brad Mims for his appointment.
WTS International also welcomes a new staff member: Senior Manager, Marketing & Events, Jessica Crimi to WTS.
We look forward to a productive and successful 2021, take a look at the 2021 at a Glance Calendar and save the dates for key events!
Sincerely,
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WTS is eager for an eventful and impactful year ahead!
2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges and accomplishments for WTS and our community. We are looking forward to working with our Chapters and industry partners to further our mission this year. Save the dates for our biggest events of 2021!
Chapter Orientation Webinar - February 18, 2021 from 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EST
WTS Annual Conference (Virtual) - Week of May 10-14, 2021
Transportation YOU DC Summit (Virtual) - June 22-24, 2021
Signature Leadership Training (Washington, DC) - October 12-15, 2021
Chapter Leader Training (Kansas City, MO) - November 4-5, 2021
Save the Date for the WTS 2021 Annual Conference!
Save the date! The WTS 2021 Annual Conference: Our Future in Transportation will be held virtually that week of May 10-14, 2021. WTS is looking forward to bringing the networking and educational benefits of the Annual Conference to a virtual space.
WTS Commends Diversity of President Biden’s Transportation Appointments
WTS commends the diversity of the Biden Administration's transportation appointments, especially the nominations and appointments of Polly Trottenberg, Stephanie Pollack, Nuria Fernandez, and Bradley Mims to positions within the Department of Transportation.
Welcome Jessica Crimi to the WTS International Team!
WTS International welcomes Jessica Crimi! Jessica serves as Senior Manager of Marketing and Events, ensuring a high-quality event experience and managing marketing and brand presence for WTSI.
WTS has launched its 2021-2025 Strategic Planning Process.We greatly appreciate hearing from current, past, and potential WTS members to drive the future of the organization.
Support Graduate Research at Texas A&M University!
Masters of Engineering Technical Management Students at Texas A&M University are looking for transportation students and professionals for survey feedback.
Join WTS International Foundation, ITS America, and The Ray on February 23rd, 2021, at 11:00 AM EST, as we continue to expand the discussion on gender inequities within transportation.
Hear from speakers: Seleta Reynolds, General Manager, Los Angeles DOT, and Sarah M. Kaufman, NYU Rudin Center for Transportation.
Polly Trottenberg has been named Deputy Secretary of Transportation. An advocate for WTS and women in transportation, Trottenberg previously served in the Obama-Biden administration as the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and Under Secretary for Policy. Recently, Trottenberg has served as New York City’s Transportation Commissioner.
Nuria Fernandez has been appointed as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Fernandez previously served as General Manager and CEO of the Valley Transportation Authority in Santa Clara County, California. In 2020, Fernandez was the WTS International Woman of the Year.
Stephanie Pollack has been appointed as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration. Pollack will step down from her position as Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation, an office she has held since 2015.
The U.S. Navy has selected its first female commanding officer for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt. Bauernschmidt will take command of the supercarrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln. Previously, Bauernschmidt was the first woman to serve as the executive officer aboard an aircraft carrier from 2016 to 2019.
