WTS-Boston Announces 2026 Emerging Professionals and Emerging Leaders
WTS-Boston welcomes this year’s Emerging Professionals and the third year class of Emerging Leaders, furthering our mission to attract, sustain, connect, and advance women’s careers to strengthen the transportation industry.
WTS-Boston recognizes the importance of continuous support to women in the transportation world and is announcing the selected candidates for the 2026 Emerging Professionals (EP) and Emerging Leaders (EL) Program.
The Emerging Leaders (EL) Program aims to provide a platform for women in the transportation industry with 5 to 10 years of experience to continue enhancing their leadership skills, expand their knowledge of the industry, and build a strong network of professional connections. This program will run in parallel with the Emerging Professionals Program.
The Emerging Professionals (EP) Program will continue to be tailored to women with 5 or less years of experience in the transportation industry.
We believe that supporting and empowering women in transportation is not only essential to the success of our organization, but also for the advancement of the industry as a whole. Through mentorship, speakers learning series, networking events, and career enrichment opportunities, both programs (EP and EL) will equip participants with the tools and resources they need to thrive in their careers and create connections in the transportation sector.
The WTS-Boston Emerging Leaders and Emerging Professionals provide annual awards to the WTS-Boston community. Eligible applicants must work in a transportation-related career and not be eligible to receive reimbursement from their employer for WTS membership expenses.
Selected participants of each program receive:
- Paid membership dues from January through December 2026.
- Opportunity to attend any virtual events and paid attendance to a variety of in-person events in 2026.
- Advisor commitment from a senior WTS-Boston board member or industry leader through December 2026.
For questions, please contact Mentoring Committee Co-Chairs Maria Firan or Rica Ueda at [email protected] and [email protected].
Emerging Leaders
Melissa Lenker joined the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Highway Division (MassDOT) in September 2018 and currently serves as the Wetlands and Water Resources Supervisor in the Environmental Services Section.
Prior to joining MassDOT, Melissa completed her Bachelor of Science at Cornell University and her Master of Science at McGill University. She started her career working in the private sector as an environmental consultant before transitioning to public service.
Melissa oversees wetlands and water resources permitting highway design for MassDOT’s construction advertisement program. She helps review projects for compliance with a wide range of regulations, including the Wetlands Protection Act, Sections 401 and 404 of the Clean Water Act, and other state and federal regulations.
Snigdha Kar is a transportation professional with over a decade of experience across public transit, technology, and consumer goods, bringing a global, cross-sector perspective to quality, safety, and operational improvement. She serves at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the Office of Quality, Compliance, and Oversight (QCO), where she leads initiatives advancing regulatory compliance, workforce readiness, safety policy development, and data-driven operational performance.
In her role, Snigdha leads cross-functional engagement across Operations, Human Resources, Capital Delivery, Maintenance, and Safety to execute Federal Transit Administration and Department of Public Utilities corrective action plans. She oversees a diverse portfolio of initiatives encompassing process improvement, workforce training, fatigue management policy development, and enterprise-scale digitization efforts that strengthen frontline inspection and compliance.
Prior to joining the public sector, she held leadership and technical roles in global organizations, delivering analytics-driven solutions across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
With a systems-thinking approach and a strong commitment to continuous improvement, Snigdha is passionate about advancing safety, equity, and efficiency in the transportation industry. She is honored to be selected for the WTS Emerging Leaders Program and looks forward to learning from and contributing to a network of professionals dedicated to shaping the future of transportation.
Anna Tayag was born and raised in Metro Manila, Philippines. After graduating with a degree in Management Engineering from Ateneo de Manila University, she worked in the Philippine Government’s Department of Transportation and was involved in railway network development and oversaw the finances of a $33.4 billion rail project portfolio.
Anna graduated in May 2025 with a joint MBA and Masters in Public Administration in International Development from Harvard University and interned with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. She currently works at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority as Deputy Director for Special Projects, helping modernize governance of operating rules to enhance accountability and efficiency.
Anna is passionate about sustainable urban development and committed to creating efficient, inclusive, and resilient transport systems.
Emerging Professionals
Mallory Bedford currently works as a Project Coordinator in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. In this role she works on a range of MBTA-wide initiatives, impacting both internal and external operations. She also serves as the Communications Chair for Young Professionals in Transportation Boston. Previously, Mallory was a COO’s Office Graduate Student Intern assigned to Ferry Operations.
In 2024, Mallory graduated from Brown University’s Watson School with a Master’s of Public Affairs with a capstone project on the impact of graduation requirements on immigrant newcomer high school students. Before Brown, she studied Theatre and Great Books at Pepperdine University.
Outside of work, Mallory can be found watching movies at the Brattle Theater, hosting friends for dinner, or trying to find the best $1 oyster in Boston.
Courtney King is a Civil Engineer at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), working in the Program Management group at MassDOT Headquarters. She previously interned with the team before transitioning to a full-time role in August 2025 while completing her Master’s in Environmental Engineering and Urban Policy and Planning at Tufts University.
Courtney’s work spans multiple areas within MassDOT, including pavement, resiliency, and bicycle and pedestrian projects. She also works with GIS and general data analysis and is currently leading a statewide culvert inventory effort.
Outside of her professional pursuits, Courtney loves music, art, games, and spending time with the people she cares about.
Georgia Klein is an Environmental Protection Specialist at the U.S. Department of Transportation Volpe Center where she supports air quality, sustainability, and resiliency projects through data analysis, software development, and research and technical writing.
She is a member of the International Aviation Civil Organization (ICAO) Committee for Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) where she supports the Modeling and Databases and Forecasting and Economic Analysis working groups.
Prior to joining Volpe, Georgia studied computer science at Harvey Mudd College and interned at the International Council on Clean Transportation.
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