Greetings WTS Members and Friends:

This month, the WTS Minnesota board is launching two of this year's major initiatives: a strategic planning effort to set near-term priorities for our chapter and our 2014 corporate partnership campaign.

WTS Minnesota is committed to delivering value to our members and to the transportation community. Recognizing the limitations of our chapter's dollars and resources, our chapter board is revisiting our strategic plan to clarify our audiences and goals and ensure these resources are used with maximum impact. Charleen Zimmer has generously agreed to lead our chapter board to verify our mission and develop action plans for serving our audiences over the next three to five years. I encourage members and friends to share input on the future direction of our member-based chapter. Please contact me at fay.simer@state.mn.us if you are interested in contributing input at any of our three strategic planning sessions to be held during September and October.

Through our second major initiative this fall, we plan to build on the success of previous corporate partnership campaigns and expand our corporate partnership program. WTS Minnesota launched our corporate partnership program in 2011 and continues to enjoy a strong relationship with our inaugural corporate partner, Kimley-Horn and Associates. Over the next two months, we will be actively seeking corporate partners to join us for 2014, allowing us to expand benefits to members and continue our educational programs.

This is a busy time for WTS Minnesota! Both the strategic planning initiative and the corporate partnership campaign will provide future chapter leaders sound direction and fiscal resources as we sustain our mission to transform the transportation industry through the advancement of women and I am excited to kick off these efforts.

Sincerely,

Transportation YOU Summit Reviews

Transportation YOU student Ethel Banks and mentor Lisa Rasmussen had the opportunity to attend this year's Transportation YOU Summit in Washington, D.C. Both provided their insights and experiences about the things they learned and connections they made at the event.

Ethel Banks

This summer I had the opportunity to attend the TransportationYOU D.C. Youth Summit in Washington D.C. Transportation YOU provides young women like myself a chance to explore a career in the transportation industry. While at the summit I had the chance to experience how important transportation plays a role in society and the chance to create a brand and mission statement for myself.

Transportation YOU gave me the opportunity to see behind the scenes and understand how transportation affects an urban city through tours at the Reagan International Airport, Union station, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. At the USDOT, I got the chance to meet and get advice from high ranking women in the transportation and civil engineering field, and meet the former Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood. Transportation YOU gave me the chance to work with other mentees on a Challenge Project to reveal how transportation is affected by the advances in technology, security, and connectivity.

The Transportation YOU D.C. Youth Summit was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It has provided me the skills to create my unique brand that shows who I really am, a mission statement that reveals my goal and aspirations, but most importantly the D.C. Youth Summit provided me the opportunity to learn more about the transportation industry.

First of all, I want to highlight that my participation in the Transportation YOU DC Summit was truly an amazing experience - I came back from D.C. extremely excited for this upcoming year and can't wait to give someone else a chance to participate in the DC Summit event next year!! The DC Summit program is set up to help the mentees better understand the transportation industry and the many, many opportunities available within this industry. Each day, sun-up to sun-down, was jam packed with tours, events, speakers and group activities - there was never a dull moment!! As part of our USDOT tour, we were able to meet with several senior female professionals within the USDOT, as well as the former Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood. I was amazed and excited that all of those people were willing to take the time to meet with our group - multiple mentees identified that this was one of their favorite events!

While the Transportation YOU DC Summit is set up to be all about the mentees, I was amazed at how much I learned from the experience! There were many, many highlights from the trip, but I think that the top highlight for me was connecting with the other mentor/mentees that participated in the 5-day event, and getting to know my mentee, Ethel Banks (who is AMAZING!!), better. It was great to be able to connect with other mentors that share a passion for mentoring and getting young females interested in the transportation industry! The relationships that were created during this event, with the mentors and mentees, are hopefully relationships that will last a lifetime!

All in all, this was a great event and I am so thankful that WTS was willing to send myself and Ethel Banks to participate in the event - THANK YOU!!

Joy Miciano recently was promoted to Principal with Zan Associates. Congratulations Joy!