Once again, WTS-DC was fortunate to have many deserving individuals, employers, and projects nominated for Recognition Awards in 2022. 

Each year, the WTS-DC Chapter honors achievements in the transportation industry with several coveted awards. These awards recognize individuals and organizations who have worked to further the WTS mission, impact transportation in our nation's capital, and support the development, growth, and advancement of women in transportation. A panel of WTS-DC Board Members selects the awardees from a pool of exceptional nominees submitted by WTS-DC members and the transportation community. The 2022 winners were drawn from an impressive group of individuals and organizations leading transportation in our region. 

The 2022 Holiday Party on December 6th provided the opportunity to honor the awardees in person. Randy Clarke, General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), presented the awards, and all of the recipients were able to join WTS-DC in person to accept them.

The Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award honors an individual who has made significant contributions in promoting diversity and cultural awareness within their organization, the transportation industry, or in a project or activity that supports the goals and mission of WTS. Mugdha Tipnis, Vice President – Local Business, Transportation, received this year’s award for her dedication to advancing women and minority professionals in her field and promoting diversity and multicultural awareness.

The Employer of the Year Award recognizes an organization that has excelled at recruiting, retaining, and advancing women. This year, WTS-DC recognized Dewberry for its efforts, as an employer, to prioritize inclusion and promote women to the highest levels of its organization. Dave Mahoney, Transportation Service Line Leader, and Shelley Wynne, Project Manager, accepted the award on behalf of Dewberry.

The Innovative Transportation Solution Award is presented to an innovative transportation project led by a woman.  The WTS-DC chapter gave this year’s award to the WMATA Equity Toolkit, a project that will inform WMATA’s priorities and make it easier to regularly and proactively incorporate equity into service development and evaluation. The award was accepted by Laura Moeni, the lead project manager, as well as Melissa Kim, who has been a major contributor to the project.

The Honorable Ray LaHood Award honors a leader and role model in the transportation industry who has advanced the reputation and credibility of women in transportation. The WTS-DC chapter was pleased to present this award to Stephen Gardner, Chief Executive Officer of Amtrak, who has improved the diversity and culture of Amtrak’s workforce, from frontline employees to the executive leadership team.

The Member of the Year Award recognizes a WTS-DC member who has made extraordinary contributions to the success of the organization. The 2022 WTS-DC Recognition Award went to Cerasela Cristei. Cerasela has been active on the WTS-DC board for almost 9 years as either chair or co-chair of the professional development committee, planning over 30 separate events that have allowed women to grow their network and better succeed in their careers.

The WTS-DC Woman of the Year award honors a woman who is an outstanding role model and has contributed to the advancement of women and minorities in transportation. The Chapter was honored to present this award to Monica Backmon, the Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. Monica is passionate about helping women to lead and succeed in the transportation community and has done an extraordinary job of elevating the voices and careers of those around her.

The six winners of the 2022 WTS-DC Recognition Awards have been nominated for the WTS International awards, and we wish them all the best! The WTS-DC Recognitions Committee looks forward to a busy 2023 and the opportunity to recognize a new slate of exceptional transportation professionals in the DC region.