President's Message: May/June 2021
Dear WTS-DC Chapter Members and Friends,
May has been a busy month for WTS-DC and for the transportation industry!
WTS International hosted its Annual Conference from May 10-14. The Annual Conference is the WTS International networking event of the year and typically attracts more than 500 industry leaders from all WTS chapters and beyond. This year’s conference was held entirely virtually and was hosted by the Central Virginia Chapter. We would like to extend our gratitude to Brennan Collier and Lorna Parkins who were the 2021 conference chairs. These women did a wonderful job organizing the virtual conference, which included technical sessions, professional development workshops, and virtual tours.
Last week we also recognized United for Infrastructure’s Infrastructure Week, which included several events hosted by United for Infrastructure and some by other organizations across the country. Sessions addressed a variety of topics, including sustainable and resilient infrastructure, investing in climate change, and equity opportunity.
Both conferences discussed innovation within the industry. With May being International Inventor’s Month, May is the perfect time to celebrate the innovators amongst us! I would like to specifically recognize the WTS-DC Innovative Transportation Solution Award Winners from 2020: the DDOT Open Streets Project led by Anne Chamberlin. Congratulations again, Anne, to you and your team!
We at WTS-DC are grateful to all those who invent new solutions and who continue to think innovatively about how to improve society’s infrastructure. These members of our communities seek to advance the transportation industry, which is a key component of the WTS-I mission. WTS-DC carries out this mission through the opportunities we provide to our local community. In the month of May, we are hosting events to provide guidance on information on the following topics:
- We have joined forces with COMTO-DC and ITE to discuss how the transportation industry can connect more with HBCUs: “Making the Connection Series: Transportation Industry & HBCUs - Fruits of the Vine: The Role and Importance of HBCU Alumni."
- We have invited our 2020 Recognition Award Winners to speak about how they have advanced in their careers and to share some guidance with us: “Many Paths, One Goal: WTS-DC 2020 Recognition Award Winners on Leadership.”
- We are hosting an event with panelists from WTS-I, ITS America, and The Ray to discuss their MobilityXX initiative, which seeks to elevate and empower women in transportation: “Empowering Women in Transportation."
As we celebrate those who are innovative within the industry, it is also the time where we look to the examples of excellence around us in the transportation industry to recognize. The WTS-DC Recognitions Awards acknowledge those who support our local WTS-DC Chapter and heighten awareness of the WTS mission and goals:
- WTS-DC Member of the Year
- WTS-DC Woman of the Year Award
- WTS-DC Honorable Ray LaHood Award
- WTS-DC Employer of the Year Award
- WTS-DC Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award
- WTS-DC Innovative Transportation Solutions Award
Our awardees will be recognized at our Annual Holiday Party on December 7. I encourage you to nominate someone you know for one of our awards and recognize them for their contributions to advancing our industry. Please be on the lookout for more information on our Recognition Awards nominations process soon!
We at WTS-DC are continuously striving to serve our community by providing opportunities for women to advance their careers within the transportation industry. If you have ideas about how else can do that that, please reach out to us!
We look forward to seeing you (virtually) soon!
Best,
Neela Babu, Ph.D.
President, WTS-DC Chapter
Contact Us!
If you or your organization are interested in contributing to WTS-DC and would like to know how you could do so, please contact us. You can reach us through any of our social media channels listed below, or you can email me at president.wts.dc@gmail.com.