WTS

From the Leadership | Who We Are is What We Do

Deep breath and onward to 2024!

Welcome to a new year with WTS International. I know I speak for both myself and the WTS International Board of Directors when I say we are excited for what this new year will bring for our members, stakeholders, partners, thought leaders, and friends as WTS sustains our current and ongoing work, ushers in new projects, and works towards reprioritized goals.

Who We Are in 2024

We are starting 2024 in a time of reflection and recommitment to who we are at the core of our organization and what we do to support our members and raise our voices in the transportation industry.

Who we are in 2024 is both similar and very different from where we started almost 47 years ago. How we talk about ourselves and describe our work and our organizational priorities is of utmost importance to attract new members and expand our modal representation within the industry.

In the spirit of resetting and reflecting, we’ve added our new “What We Do” section to the WTS website – clarifying and distilling WTS priorities:

  1. We Advance Transportation through our members’ subject matter expertise and relationships with industry stakeholders.
  2. We support Professional and Workforce Development through original training, programs, and events.
  3. We advocate for increased Gender Equity by supporting and promoting family friendly work policies, equal pay, equitable hiring practices, and other specific legislation that supports the advancement of women.
  4. We maintain a formal set of Legislative and Regulatory Priorities, which includes backing equitable, sustainable, and safe transportation systems; small and disadvantaged businesses, and more.
  5. We are Building the Future of Transportation through scholarships and hands-on educational opportunities supported by the WTS Foundation.

What We’re Excited About

  • In 2024, WTS will strive to better engrain core ideas into our membership, strengthening our #OneWTS culture. This includes building a culture of Belonging, delivering an Exceptional Member Experience. expanding our Authority and Expertise and Building Capacity.
     
  • In 2024, our expanding benefits will provide more value to our members and partners. This includes an enhanced digital platform, upgrading our current MyWTS Communities to the new WTS Thrive. Thrive will offer a revamped WTS Speakers Bureau, mentoring and volunteer opportunities, and adding more content for better learning and virtual connecting. This includes more programming; incorporating your feedback as to what our members want to learn and the experts you want to hear from. This includes expanding our in-person events like our Annual Conference, bigger and better than ever. And this includes more support and engagement in state, local, and regional WTS activities. 
     
  • As noted, WTS International’s exceptional events and programming will continue this year, both in person and virtually. This includes the WTS Chair’s Reception, WTS Policy Symposium, 2024 WTS Annual Conference, WTS Capital Summit, Signature Leadership Training, Chapter Leader Development, and additional workshops, webinars, and guest speakers like our monthly Member Meetups that will be restarting in February and our Distinguished Speaker Series.

Why This Matters

Change can be scary. But scary things are oftentimes thrilling.

2024 will be one of the most important years in the WTS organization. We are at a tipping point: at almost 50 years old, we are faced with the chance to challenge ourselves and our roles in the sector, to elevate our voices in decisions that will affect our communities and workforce for years to come, and to better showcase ourselves and our own expertise.  Our voices matter in funding and policy decisions. Complicated issues of gender equity continue to be in the news, in our business, and in our judicial systems. We are stronger together, and times of change require an even greater need to unite as one.  Who we are is what we do. Working together, we can radically change the future of our industry for the better.

Happy New Year – I hope to celebrate with you in person at the January 7th WTS Chair’s Reception during the TRB Annual Meeting.

I can’t wait to get started.

Signature

 

 

 

Sara M. Stickler, CAE
President and CEO, WTS International