WTSEXPRESS
January/February 2015
In this issue...
President's Column
Corporate Partner Spotlight: Stantec
Meet the 2015 Board
WTS MN Grant to Attend WTS Annual Conference
January Program Recap
Save the Date: Scholarships & Recognitions Luncheon
2014-2015 Scholarship Recipients
Transportation YOU Update
Members on the Move

New Members

 

WTS Minnesota welcomes the following new and returning members:

 

Zachary Bentzler

CH2M HILL

 

Mark Bishop

Kimley-Horn and Associates

 

Tim Burkhardt

HDR

 

Theresa Cain

Metro Transit

 

Tracy Fosmo

Kimley-Horn and Associates

 

Renae Kuehl

SRF Consulting Group

 

Caroline Miller

Metropolitan Council / Metro Transit

 

Sarah Shock

SEH, Inc.

 

Stephanie Smith

City of Chanhassen

 

Krista Stippelmans

Michael Baker International

 

Ann Wallenmeyer

Parsons Brinckerhoff

 

Valerie Wood

Braun Intertec 

Save the Dates for Upcoming Programs!
 
Flood 

Vulnerability

Tuesday, March 17th

Program at MnDOT with happy hour at Amsterdam to follow

 

Joint Fundraiser with ITS MN and NCITE

Monday, June 8th

Tin Whiskers Brewing Co.

Contact Kevin Peterson if you want to donate to the raffle.

 

St. Croix River Crossing Boat Tour

Wednesday, July 22nd

 

Keep an eye out for more details to come, or check our Events page.

Job Postings
  
WTS Minnesota posts job and internship opportunities on our website. Visit our Employment Opportunities page to view all current postings.  
 Help us spread the word about available positions by sending new posting information to Laura Eash.

 Corporate Partners   

 

Thank you to our 2015 corporate partners: 

 

 

Stantec

 

   

Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc.

 

  

 HDR, Inc.

  

 

 AECOM  

 

Bolton & Menk, Inc.

 

Braun Intertec

 

HR Green

 

SRF Consulting

 

SEH, Inc.

 

Parsons Brinckerhoff

 

WSB & Associates, Inc.

 

Pierce Pini & Associates, Inc.

 

Professional Engineering Services, Ltd.

 

Rani Engineering

 

Stonebrooke

 

See your name here, and support the advancement of women in transportation! For more information about becoming a corporate partner, visit our website.  

  
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Has your email address changed?

Please email Kathleen Mayell with your new address and don't forget to update your email address with WTS International as well.
 
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2014 WTS Minnesota
Board of Directors

President
Vice President

Secretary
Treasurer
Kelly Agosto
  
Past President

  Scholarships & Recognitions Director
 Lyssa Leitner

 Programs Co-Director
 Chelsey Armstrong
 
Programs Co-Director

 Membership Director
Kathleen Mayell

 Marketing Director
Laura Eash

 Transportation YOU Director

 

Development Director

Special Events Director
2014 WTS Minnesota
Advisory Board


Donna Allan
WTS Past President
 
 
Laura Amundson
Parsons Brinckerhoff 
 
Kristin Asher
City of Richfield
 
Gina Baas
Center for Transportation Studies

Debra Brisk
Hennepin County

Biz Colburn
WTS Past President

Sandy Cullen
University of Minnesota

Margaret Donahoe
Minnesota Transportation Alliance

Mary Gute

CH2M HILL


Judy Hollander

Hennepin County


Ann Johnson

P.E. Services
 
 Wanda Kirkpatrick
Metropolitan Council

 

Connie Kozlak
Metropolitan Council


Jessica Laabs

Kimley-Horn & Associates


Stephanie Malinoff

Center for Transportation Studies

Scott McBride
MnDOT
  
Laurie McGinnis
Center for Transportation Studies


Dan Meyers

URS


Amber Nord
Isthmus Engineering

Lisa Raduenz

Past President

Dawn Spanhake

Center for Transportation Studies


Amy Vennewitz

Metropolitan Council

Charleen Zimmer

Zan Associates
  

President's Column

 

Dear WTS Members and Friends,

With the invigoration of the new year's resolutions wearing off (long gone?), I'd like to share with you some inspiration.


As I began my term as president, I thought about the amazing women I've had the fortune of serving under on the WTS Minnesota Board of Directors, each bringing her own brand of strength, leadership, passion, and commitment to the position:

  • Amber Nord set the bar high, valiantly serving two full terms as the receding economy was dragging membership, participation, and spirits down with it.
  • Kristin Thompson not only stepped up to relieve Amber, but dared to ask the ailing private sector for support of our mission, putting together the framework for the corporate partnerships from which we benefit today.
  • Katie Roth, unafraid of change, brought the organization into the era of online everything, updating the website and implementing the use of Google docs, social media, and online registration.
  • Fay Simer set lofty goals and checked them off - bringing triple digit attendance back into the realm of possibility, preparing a full year's curriculum for our new Transportation YOU high school mentoring program, and leading the Board to finally completing the daunting task of strategic planning.
  • And just last year, working alongside Molly Stewart, I witnessed a new level of commitment as she stepped in anywhere she was needed while already doing more than anyone... and planning a wedding.

These women are inspiration for what we can accomplish in our own roles, and for our continued dedication to WTS. They exemplify our organization's mission, each one transforming the organization in their own way - in an after-hours volunteer position - and each one a shining example of what the advancement of women can accomplish. 

 

The 2015 Board of Directors and I will be working this year to continue to provide quality programming and high value for your membership dollar, inspired by these women and by all of you, and how you might transform the transportation industry. We hope to excite you, provoke you, and inspire you to engage with us. And we look forward to the opportunity to work together with you on the advancement of women in transportation.

 

May the renewal of spring be soon upon us ~

 

HunWen Westman

President, WTS Minnesota

 

Corporate Partner Spotlight: Stantec

 

WTS Minnesota would like to thank Stantec for being a 2015 Advocate-Level Partner. Giving at WTS MN's highest partnership level, Stantec has contributed to the success of WTS programs, scholarships, and educational opportunities in 2015. Please take a minute to learn more about Stantec in Minnesota and why they support WTS MN.

 

 

 

Services Provided
Our transportation team provides services in planning, traffic engineering, roadway and bridge design, intelligent transportation systems, infrastructure and pavement management, and transit and rail design. Stantec has local offices in St. Paul, Rochester, and St. Cloud and we work closely with our partners at 250 other locations in the United States and Canada. 

 

Why Stantec Supports WTS MN

"Stantec engineers and planners are actively engaged with WTS at the international and local levels because we believe that mentorship and sponsorship are vital to the future of the profession," according to Steve Alm, Principal. "Mentorship helps to nurture women to be fully qualified to serve in both technical and business leadership roles. Sponsorship provides the opportunity to support strong female candidates with training and networking opportunities. Within Stantec's 2,000-person transportation practice, women serve in key leadership positions and are among our most actively engaged mentors and community leaders."

 

www.stantec.com 

 

Meet the 2015 WTS Minnesota Board of Directors


 


 

Back row: Rose Ryan, Lisa Rasmussen, Kathleen Mayell, Laura Eash, Hannah Pritchard, Molly Stewart

 

Front row: Kelly Agosto, Morgan Abbott, Chelsey Armstrong, Kristina Nesse, Lyssa Leitner, HunWen Westman 

 

Not pictured: Michelle Julius

 

WTS MN Grant to Attend WTS Annual Conference

  

Thanks to the generosity of our local corporate partners, WTS MN can offer more benefits to our members - including extraordinary experiences at reduced cost. The Annual Conference is an opportunity for members to connect with and learn from transportation professionals around the country, from the private and public sectors, across all modes and disciplines. The 2015 conference will take place in Chicago, IL, May 20-22. More information can be found here.

 

The financial contributions of our corporate partners allows us to defray the cost of travel and registration so more MN members can attend this great event. Dollar amount per attendee will be dependent on interest.

 

If you are interested, please contact HunWen Westman for a short application, due on March 10th

 

January Program Recap: "How to Fight the Power Point"

 


 

The January WTS program was a great start to the year, with a well-attended program on "How to Fight the Power Point." Todd Reubold, from the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota, gave an engaging talk about how to improve the design and delivery of presentations. Attendees were able to ask questions relevant to the transportation field or their specific firms and organizations. We can now look forward to more engaging and effective presentations from our members going forward!

 

Save the Date: Scholarships & Recognitions Luncheon

 

April 15th at the Science Museum of Minnesota

 

Please join us at this annual event to celebrate the accomplishments of our winners! Note that registration closes on April 3rd. Click here to register.

Member of the Year
Kristin Thompson, Metro Transit

Women of the Year
Tracy Hatch and Sue Mulvihill, MnDOT

Employer of the Year
Metropolitan Council

Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award
Pat Calder, Metropolitan Council

Innovative Transportation Solutions Award
Christine Beckwith, Deputy Program Director, METRO Green Line

Honorary Members
Councilmember Lisa Bender, City of Minneapolis
Kathy Lantry, City of Saint Paul

Scholarships - see below

If you have any questions about the event, contact Lyssa Leitner. 

 

2014-2015 Scholarship Recipients

 

Every year, through the help of our Corporate Sponsors, WTS-MN awards promising students with scholarships. Below are just a few highlights of each 2014-2015 winner. The recipients will be honored during the annual Scholarships and Recognitions Luncheon. 


 
Donna W. Allan Undergraduate Scholarship

 

Mandi Spradling


Mandi is currently a student at Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC), where she will earn a Math Associate degree later this year. She is planning to transfer to the University of Minnesota to pursue a degree in engineering. She is actively involved in the Engineering Club at MCTC, a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and recently volunteered for the Rail-volution Conference in Minneapolis. She is also an intern managing projects for Metro Transit's Engineering and Facilities department, and through this internship discovered her passion to make an impact on transportation. Mandi also recently received the Junior College Scholarship from the national chapter of WTS.

 

 


 
WTS Minnesota Graduate Scholarship

 

Chelsey Palmateer


Chelsey is currently enrolled in the Master of Civil Engineering program at the University of Minnesota. She hopes to continue on to earn a PH.D. in Civil Engineering, focusing on increasing the understanding of how equity factors into transit networks. She is currently the President of the Interdisciplinary Transportation Student Organization, and has been a volunteer for the Society of Women Engineers, Welcome Week at the U of M, Habitat for Humanity, and LeaderShape. Chelsey is a Research Assistant in the Accessibility Observatory and Teaching Assistant for the undergraduate Transportation Engineering course, and has also interned for the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Metro Transit.


 


 

 

Katherine F. Turnbull Leadership Award


Kristin Carlson


Kristin is currently a junior in the Civil Engineering program at the University of Minnesota. She is an active student member of Engineers Without Borders (where she was a project lead for the U of M's Uganda project), American Society of Civil Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, and the Interdisciplinary Transportation Student Organization. She is currently an intern at SRF Consulting Group, and has also interned for the Anoka County Highway Department. After continuing on to graduate school, Kristin plans to be a transportation engineer and work to design, prototype and implement the future of transportation technology.


 

 


WTS Minnesota Graduate Leadership Award


Anna Potter


Anna is currently in her final semester in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program at the University of Minnesota Humphrey School Of Public Affairs. She is currently an intern with Metro Transit in the BRT/Small Starts Office and a teaching assistant for a Land Use Planning graduate course. Anna has also interned with Washington County Regional Rail Authority and was a field engineer with Mortenson Construction prior to pursuing her graduate degree. She is an active member of APA Minnesota (and is on the Awards Committee), the Planning Student Organization, and participated on the University of Minnesota's team for the ULI Hines Competition in 2014.


 


 

 

Transportation YOU Update

 

The WTS Minnesota Chapter has been busy working with students at Blaine High School over the past couple of months! In December, WTS partnered with CTS to have a program focused on traffic safety and in January we focused on developing students "soft skills". The January program provided students an opportunity to learn how to introduce themselves when meeting someone new and watching a "Ted Talks" video focused on body language and public speaking. Upcoming events include a tour of the Blaine Airport and our end of the year program which will focus on bike planning and provide students an opportunity to use some of the many trails located in the Metro area! This year's program currently includes 8 high school students and 13 WTS mentors/volunteers.

 

We are excited to announce that WTS will once again be sending another mentor/mentee pair to the Transportation YOU DC Summit, which hosts several mentor/mentee pairs from around the country providing them an opportunity to see how transportation works in Washington D.C.!

 

transportationyou.org

 

  

Congratulations to Elizabeth Heyman, who joined the City of Bloomington as a Planner in January!
 

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Have member news to share? Send in snippets about job changes, life milestones, and other accomplishments to Laura Eash so we can keep track of and recognize our colleagues!