WTSEXPRESS
January/February 2011
In this issue...
2011 Chapter Recognition Award Winners
Welcome 2011 Board
Notes from WTS International
March Program Announcement - Legislative Audits
Member Spotlight: Andrea Arnoldi
Meet the ITSO Liaison, Xuan Di
New Members! 

WTS Minnesota welcomes the following members who joined in January and February:

Greta Alquist

Kristin Anderson

Ainsley Judge

Lori Redman

Cynthia Warzecha

 

 

Save the Date 

WTS Minnesota Program:

Legislative Audits

::  ::  ::

Tuesday, March 8, 11:30-1:00

 

Click here for more information

 

 

 ********************

 

WTS International
2011 Annual Conference  

Building Bridges
::   ::   ::
San Francisco, CA
May 18-20, 2011

Visit the
 WTS International website for more information 
Has your email address changed?

Please email Andrea Arnoldi with your new address and don't forget to update your email address with WTS International as well.

Join Our Mailing List
2011 WTS Minnesota
Board of Directors


President
Kristin Thompson

Vice President
Katie Roth

Secretary
Joy Miciano

Treasurer
Christina Miller

Past President
Amber Nord

Scholarships & Recognitions Director
Fay Cleaveland

Programs Director
Molly Stewart

Membership Director
Andrea Arnoldi
 
Marketing Director
HunWen Westman

::

2011 WTS Minnesota
Advisory Board


Donna Allan
WTS Past President

Laura Amundson
Parsons Brinkerhoff

Gina Baas
Center for Transportation Studies

Biz Colburn
WTS Past President

Sandy Cullen

University of Minnesota


Judy Hollander

Hennepin County


Ann Johnson

University of Minnesota


Connie Kozlak

Metropolitan Council


Jessica Laabs

Kimley-Horn & Associates


Stephanie Malinoff

Center for Transportation Studies


Laurie McGinnis

Center for Transportation Studies


Dan Meyers

URS


Sam O'Connell

Dakota County


Kristin Asher-Osberg

City of Richfield


Lisa Raduenz

Iteris


Kate Sanderson

URS


Dawn Spanhake

Center for Transportation Studies


Amy Vennewitz

Metropolitan Council


Charleen Zimmer

Zan Associates
 

 
Kristin Thompson

President's Column

Kristin Thompson 

 

Dear WTS Minnesota Members & Friends,

 

It's hard to believe I am already two months into my term as your chapter President. Having spent three years on the board as Scholarships & Recognitions Director and Vice President, it's exciting to have the opportunity to serve you in a new capacity!

 

After the successful completion of WTS Minnesota's scholarship fundraising campaign in 2010, the 2011 board is ready to take on new challenges. Some items on the "to-do" list include dipping our toes into social media (you can now follow us on Twitter!), revisiting the chapter's strategic plan, and developing a chapter operations handbook. All these initiatives are in the interest of serving you-our members-better. As a membership-driven organization, WTS thrives when its members thrive. If you have ideas for improving our chapter, please feel free to contact me or the other board members.

 

Speaking of membership, the WTS International membership campaign continues through the end of March. All new and lapsed members who join through March 31, 2011 will be entered into a drawing to win a complimentary registration to the 2011 Annual Conference in San Francisco. For more information, visit the WTS website. If you or someone you know is considering membership in WTS, now is a great time to join!

 

I look forward to getting to know more of you at WTS events throughout the year.

 

Best regards,

 

Kristin Thompson

President, WTS Minnesota

 

WTS Minnesota

2011 Scholarship and Recognition Award Winners

Fay Cleaveland


Gold RibbonEach year, WTS Minnesota recognizes members of the local community for their achievements in the transportation field.  Members and friends are invited to celebrate with our winners at the annual awards luncheon in April (date forthcoming).  WTS Minnesota is pleased to introduce this year's recipients:

 

 

Woman of the Year:

Laurie McGinnis

Center for Transportation Studies

 

Employer of the Year:

Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.

 

Innovative Transportation Solutions:

Nice Ride Minnesota and Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota 

 

Katherine F. Turnbull Undergraduate Leadership Award:

Kristi Anderson

University of Minnesota

 

Donna W. Allen Undergraduate Scholarship:

Ainsley Judge

Macalester College

 

WTS Minnesota Graduate Scholarship:

Rose Ryan

University of Minnesota, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs

 

Welcome 2011 Board! 
2011 Board
2011 Board Members: HunWen Westman, Joy Miciano, Kristin Thompson, Fay Cleaveland, Xuan Di, Molly Stewart, Katie Roth, Andrea Arnoldi, Amber Nord, Christina Miller

The election for the 2011 WTS Minnesota Board was finalized at the Holiday Party in December. Many 2010 Board members continue to serve this year: Kristin Thompson (President), Katie Roth (Vice- President), Joy Miciano (Secretary), Christina Miller (Treasurer), HunWen Westman (Marketing Director), and Molly Stewart (Programs Director). New faces on the board include Fay Cleaveland (Scholarships & Recognitions Director) and Andrea Arnoldi (Membership Director). The board also welcomed a new ITSO Student Liaison, Xuan Di, this past fall.

 

Thanks are due to our outgoing 2010 board members, Amber Nord and Angie Christo. Angie served for one year, and Amber for five-including two as President! Best of luck to both women in their next ventures.

 

 
WTS Logo
Notes from WTS International 
  

Membership Campaign

As noted above, WTS International's 2011 Membership Campaign is in full swing. The benefits of WTS membership are highlighted in a new membership brochure developed for the campaign. Many of us joined WTS because of encouragement from a friend or colleague. Do you know someone who would benefit from WTS membership? Take a moment today to encourage her or him to join.

WTSF Staff Announcement

In late January, the WTS Foundation announced the appointment of Marcia Ferranto as Chief Executive Officer. She will now manage the functions of the WTS Foundation in addition to WTS International, which she has led since February 2010. 

2011 Conference

WTS International's Annual Conference will take place May 18-20 in San Francisco. Registration is now open, with early registration pricing available until April 18th. The program includes sessions in three topical tracks, a day-long professional development workshop, technical tours in the beautiful host city and the annual awards banquet. Complete information is available online. If you plan to attend, please contact Kristin Thompson.

Upcoming Program: Legislative Audits 

On Tuesday, March 8, join us as we learn about the Office of the Legislative Auditor, who they are, what they do and how programs are selected for evaluation. In addition, find out more about what they were asked to examine in their evaluation of the Governance of Transit in the Twin Cities region. Judy Randall from the Office of the Legislative Auditor will share key findings and recommendations.

 

                              OLA logo

 

When: Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 11:30AM - 1:00PM 

Where: Hoa Bien restaurant, 1105 University Ave West, St Paul

Price:  $20 - Members/Students, $30 Non-members

Click here for more information

 

Please RSVP by Tuesday, March 1, 2011 to Andrea Arnoldi. Include name and organization in RSVP. 

 

Do you work for a public agency and are not a member of WTS Minnesota?  As part of our membership drive, all public employees will be able to attend this program at the member price of $20.  Just mention this offer with your RSVP! 

 

member spotlight

Andrea Arnoldi

Title:  Landscape Architect
Company/Agency:  Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc.
WTS Member Since:  November, 2010

What do you do in your position on a daily basis, and what do you enjoy most about your job? 
  

Andrea Arnoldi

Every day is a little different with my position which makes it fun to go to work.  I am involved in a variety of project types so one moment I'm working on the design of a LRT platform and the next will be park design or a streetscape.  I get to explore both the creative side of a project through planning and design, and the technical side of a project as we work towards final construction documents.  There is something very special about watching a design on paper come to life in a space you can experience.

 

What I enjoy most about my work is the people I get to work with on a project.   I am able to learn from professionals that work in all different fields, and that diversity of experience and ideas is a wonderful combination for reaching success in a project. 

 

Fill in the blank:  Outside of work, you'd most likely find me...
On an adventure!  They don't have to be extravagant outings, I just like to explore new places and people.  So sometimes it's just a short trip to a new farmers market, and sometimes it's a big trip to a new country.  Either way I have my camera in hand and I'm experiencing something new.  
  
How have you been involved with WTS over the years? 

At first I just attended the occasional monthly program, but the more I experienced WTS, the more I saw the benefit in participating in the organization so I joined the programs committee in 2010.  This year I've joined the board as Membership Director, and the fun (and challenges!) just keep coming.

 

What has being a WTS member meant for you? 

I have met so many wonderful people in my time so far.  I went to school out of state and being relatively new in my career meant that I didn't know a lot of people in the industry.  I would go to functions and meetings and often not know anyone.  By getting involved in WTS I now almost always know someone, or I at least have a friendly familiar face at that meeting, and that has really helped me grow and be more comfortable in my career.

 

How did you learn about WTS and why did you decide to join? 

I learned about WTS when a co-worker invited me to attend a monthly program where Julie Campoli spoke.  That was my first experience with an organization that focused on bridging designers, planners, and engineers all together with a common interest and it got me excited.  As I became more involved, I realized WTS was exactly what I was looking for in a professional organization.  I get to interact with people in the industry that have a diversity of expertise and I learn so much more because of that.

February Program: Bridging the Generation Gap
Kristin Thompson
  

In early February, members and friends gathered for the annual WTS Minnesota professional development event. Lori Van Newkirk of Kimley-Horn and Associates presented information about the generations currently in the workplace and their communication preferences. She noted that we are often asked to consider personality types as we communicate, but less often think about generational differences. These differences develop because populations share common experiences in their teens and twenties, which create shared values and shape their outlook on life.

Lori Van Newkirk
Lori Van Newkirk leads the group in an exercise to practice being mindful of the perceptions of your audience.

Before leading the group through some hands-on exercises, Van Newkirk offered a few tips for handling generational differences in the office, including:

  • Be aware that the workforce is changing.
  • Get input from all generations.
  • Be aware of stereotypes and understand how they shape others' perceptions of you. 

With Baby Boomers, Gen X-ers, and Millenials all represented in the audience, the presentation sparked great dialogue. Many conversations among attendees lasted well beyond the program's end.

Inter-generational Communication
Group 2 strategizes on how to present to a Gen X client.

Meet the ITSO Liaison

Each year, a member of the Interdisciplinary Transportation Student Organization (ITSO) at the University of Minnesota provides WTS Minnesota with a direct connection and insight to students, helping the chapter to better serve the future members of our organization. We asked this year's ITSO liaison, Xuan Di, to tell us a little bit about herself and her role.  Welcome, Xuan! 

 

Xuan DiI am the ITSO treasurer in year 2010-2011.  My main tasks are to manage the ITSO account, draft a budget and assist ITSO board members affiliated to other transportation-related organizations in requesting sponsorship funds. At the same time, I am also a liaison to the WTS Minnesota chapter.  I have attended WTS board meetings and discussed how to enhance the interaction between WTS and ITSO. I am excited to work for ITSO and communicate with WTS. I will try my best to promote WTS programs among students on campus and also involve WTS in ITSO activities.

 

I am currently a 3rd year graduate student in the civil engineering department at the University of Minnesota. My main research field is to study and model driver route choice behavior and ultimately find out a good way of designing the road network, so that the road system can be both efficient and system optimal, while each driver is able to select his/her preferred route for commute. This topic originated from the I-35W bridge collapse. I think this is a very interesting research question and there are still a lot of unsolved problems that need to be explored.