July- September 2025 Program Recaps

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Contractors Round Table - Partners in Transportation  

On July 22nd, WTSCVA hosted an in-person event at Luck Stone Headquarters where four female leaders from major contractors shared their career paths, advice, insight, and more to a sold-out crowd. Mindy Colden (Chief Operating Officer at Faulconer Construction), Ellen Diekel, PE (Deputy Design-Build Project Manager at Wagman Heavy Civil), Jordan Stobbe (Project Manager at Allan Myers) and Heather Tanza (Director of Estimating at Branch Civil) spoke about the power of mentorship, overcoming challenges along their career paths, and crucial moments that changed their trajectory. It was one for the memory books! 

WTS Central VA and ASCE Virginia Inaugural Pickleball Tournament 

On August 22nd, WTSCVA and ASCE Virginia joined forces to host the Inaugural Pickleball Tournament at Performance Pickleball. The tournament raised about $1,400 total to be shared between each organization’s scholarship program, and attendees had a great time networking with their peers and opposing teams before and after each game. Shoutout to Eric Church and Mike Clements with Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. for winning the beginner division, and John Stuart with Clark Nexen and William Schooley with Baskervill for winning the standard division!

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WTS Central Virginia Recognition Awards

The WTSCVA Chapter hosted our annual Recognition Awards on September 25th at the Virginia War Memorial. This marquee event was an incredible event! We celebrated our award winners, looked back on our Chapter's success so far for the year, and offered networking for our attendees. Our complete 2025 Recognition Award Winners include:
- Employer of the Year - JMT
- Sponsor of the Year - Moffatt & Nichol 
- Member of the Year - Anna Settlemyer
- Innovative Transportation Solutions Award - I-64 Segment C, Schnabel Engineering
- Honorable Ray LaHood Award - Commissioner Stephen Brich, P.E.
- Woman of the Year - Marshall Herman 
- Inaugural Cathy McGhee Trailblazer in Transportation – Chief Deputy Commissioner Cathy McGhee, P.E.

It was a perfect evening honoring transportation industry professional at the top of their game and firms who support the overall mission of WTS! Marshall Herman our 2025 Woman of the Year had us laughing and reflecting with her speech. We also launched a new Chapter Award that honors the career legacy of Chief Deputy Commissioner Cathy McGhee, P.E. This award honors Chief Deputy Commissioner Cathy McGhee, P.E., whose career has been defined by her dedication to public service, her support of WTS, and her trailblazing leadership in the transportation industry. Each year, this award will recognize leaders who have forged new paths, led with dignity, and empowered others to succeed. We are thrilled to celebrate Chief Deputy McGhee as the award’s first recipient and namesake. A huge thank you to our event sponsors, Branch Civil, Dulles Geotechnical Materials Testing, HNTB and VTCA for their support of our Chapter! 

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Submit Nominations for the 2026 Central Virginia Board

Nominations for the following 2026 Board positions will be accepted through October 15th.

• President
• Vice President
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Director-at-Large (3 positions available)

For more information, please contact our Immediate Past President, Stephanie VanDyke, at [email protected]. 

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2026 Scholarship Applications are Open! 

The Central Virginia Chapter offers local scholarship awards in the amount of $500 - $1,500 for each of a number of scholarship categories for eligible recipients ranging from high school girls interested in undertaking careers in transportation; junior college scholarships for women pursuing transportation-related study at community and trade colleges; and scholarships for graduates and undergraduates pursuing degrees in transportation.

WTS’s vision is the transformation of the transportation industry through the global advancement of women. Our scholarship program is one way the Central Virginia Chapter supports this vision. Applications are OPEN NOW through November 21st, 2025, and can be found on the WTS Central Virginia website: WTS Central Virginia Scholarships.

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Upcoming Events

Keep an eye on your inbox for details on the following upcoming events:

• WTS Central Virginia and ACEC Virginia are partnering again for our Annual Give Thanks fundraising and volunteering event on November 7th. Click here to learn more about how you can volunteer time to pack supply kits for the YWCA Richmond's Sprout School and donate!  
• Our Annual Awards Membership Appreciation Event will be in December. More details will be shared soon! 

 

Thank you to our Sponsors

Each year, our Platinum and Benefactor sponsors go above and beyond to support not only our chapter, but also our local community and women across the transportation industry. We invite you to learn more about our sponsors by clicking here.

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Looking to Get more Involved?

Join a Committee

Make the most of your membership by joining one of our committees. Committees include communications, sponsorship, membership, programs, scholarship, and Transportation YOU. If you're interested in taking a more active role within the chapter, please contact our 2025 Chapter President, Alexa Overeem, at [email protected].

Transportation YOU Volunteers Needed

The Central VA Chapter will be partnering with the NextUp RVA and City of Richmond Public Schools to offer our Transportation YOU weekly after-school sessions for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year. For 2024, we worked with both Lucille M. Brown and Thomas Henderson Middle School to bring STEM to 15 young women. We plan on volunteering again during the Winter Session (January - March) of the 2025-2026 School Year. From September - December, Transportation YOU will be focusing on our Transportation YOU webinars, attending career fairs, and in-school presentations. Current members, in good standing, interested in volunteering their time should complete the volunteer form found here. Unable to volunteer your time, but still want to help out? Contact Savannah Amor Kappeler if your company is interested in sponsoring one of our weekly sessions.