President's Message: November/December 2021
Dear WTS-DC Chapter Members and Friends,
The holidays are upon us!
Throughout the fall, WTS-DC hosted several events that we hope you were able to enjoy. On September 28, we held the "Unleash Your Potential: Communicating Effectively in Any Negotiation" professional development event. On October 5, we had a coffee chat with U.S. DOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Safety Policy Robin Hutcheson. A couple of weeks later, on October 20, we held a diversity and equity event featuring Tamika Butler co-hosted with the WTS Central Virginia, Hampton Roads, North Carolina-Triangle, and South Carolina Chapters. On November 15, we hosted "Building Back Better: A Conversation with Leading DOT Officials," where we heard their perspectives on Department of Transportation accomplishments during the first year of the Biden Administration as well as a look ahead to upcoming priorities and goals. Upcoming, on November 20, we will host a bike facilities tour of DC led by Mike Goodno, DDOT's Bicycle Program Specialist.
To cap off the year, we will be holding our Annual Holiday Party in person! Our premier annual event was held virtually last year, and this year we are returning to an in-person format. The event will take place on Tuesday, December 7, from 6-8:30 p.m.; you can still register online through November 22! During the party, both Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary at U.S. DOT, and Nuria Fernandez, FTA Administrator, will be guest speakers. We will also be celebrating our recognition award winners:
- Woman of the Year: Elizabeth Field, WMATA
- Honorable Ray LaHood: Matt Welbes, FTA
- Rosa Parks Diversity Award: Diana Mendes, HNTB
- Member of the Year: Adrienne Ameel, Kimley-Horn DC
- Employer of Year: Jacobs
- Innovative Transportation Solutions: Commonwealth Avenue Complete Streets Project, City of Alexandria
These awards will be presented by Paul Wiedefeld, WMATA GM and CEO. The party also celebrates our WTS-DC Scholarship recipients, and those awards will be presented by Renée Hamilton, CEO of Dulles Greenway. This year, we will give away $24,000 in scholarships to 12 deserving women in the DC area studying transportation-related fields. This is a record amount for WTS-DC. We are so grateful to the five organizations that sponsored named scholarships (Dewberry, HDR, Kimley-Horn, NATA, and WSP), our corporate members, and all those in our community who donate to the WTS-DC Scholarship Fund. If you are interested in learning more about our scholarship program and/or making a donation, please check the scholarship page on our website.
As 2021 draws to a close, so does my term as President of WTS-DC. It has been my honor and privilege to serve this organization for the past two years. I am incredibly grateful to our board, advisors, members, corporate members, and friends. You have graciously offered your support to this organization and me during two unusual years, and WTS-DC's accomplishments from the last two years were only possible because of you. I do hope you will be able to attend the Holiday Party so we can celebrate together!
I wish you a joyful holiday season and a blessed new year!
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.