|
New Members
WTS Minnesota welcomes the following new and returning members:
Simon Blenski
City of Minneapolis
Shannon Foss
MnDOT
Tracy Lindgren
City of Minneapolis
Natalie Westberg
Metro Transit
|
|
Save the Dates for Upcoming Programs!
Book Club
September 14th
George Latimer Central Library
September 16th
Humphrey School of Public Affairs
Transportation Trivia with WTSI Board Members
September 21st
Republic Minneapolis
Visit our Events page for more information including registration soon.
|
|
Job Postings
Help us spread the word about available positions by sending new posting information to Laura Eash.
|
|
Corporate Partners
Thank you to our 2016 corporate partners:
AECOM
HDR, Inc.
Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc.
 Stantec
WSB & Associates, Inc.
American Engineering Testing, Inc.
Bolton & Menk, Inc.
Braun Intertec
HR Green
KLJ
SEH, Inc.
SRF Consulting Group
TKDA
WSP-Parsons Brinckerhoff
Isthmus Engineering
Pierce Pini & Associates, Inc.
Professional Engineering Services, Ltd.
Rani Engineering
Stonebrooke
The MN Transportation Alliance
Zan Associates
See your name here, and support the advancement of women in transportation! For more information about becoming a corporate partner, visit our website.
|
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.
|  |
2016 WTS MinnesotaBoard of DirectorsPresident
Vice President
Secretary
Past President
Programs Co-Director
Co-Director
Development Director
Special Events Director
|
|
2016 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
Ann Johnson
University of MN
Wanda Kirkpatrick
Metropolitan Council
Connie Kozlak
Metropolitan Council
Jessica Laabs
Kimley-Horn & Associates
Scott McBride
MnDOT
Dan Meyers
AECOM
Amber Nord Isthmus Engineering
Lisa Raduenz
University of MN Parking and Transportation Services
Katie Roth
Metro Transit
Dawn Spanhake
Center for Transportation Studies
Kristin Thompson
Metro Transit
Amy Vennewitz
Metropolitan Council
Charleen Zimmer
Zan Associates
|
|
|
President's Column
Dear WTS Minnesota members and friends,
I hope this newsletter finds you enjoying the last few weeks of summer. Hopefully you get a chance to visit the State Fair, your cabin, a state park, or somewhere even more far flung. And if you're anything like me, you'll be overanalyzing your transportation experience on your way (and educating...or boring...your travel companions). My husband is always so patient while I pause on vacation to take a transportation photo. It might come in handy in a plan or proposal!
Despite summer vacations and exciting job changes, the business of WTS MN continues. Part of my role as chapter president is to be a liaison between the WTS Minnesota Chapter and WTS International (WTSI). WTSI is the international umbrella organization of WTS. WTSI links the 70 WTS chapters around the world, advancing the WTS mission at a high level and providing educational and networking opportunities such as the WTS Annual Conference and the Transportation YOU DC Summit. With some recent changes at WTSI, now is a great time to provide an update to the Minnesota Chapter.
Earlier in August, many of you received a notice that WTSI is in a leadership transition. Marcia Ferranto is no longer the WTSI Executive Director. An interim Executive Director, Julie Reynes, has joined WTSI from an association management firm. She will be a guide through the transition of WTSI leadership and is expected to be in this role for six months. Diane Jones, the chair of the WTSI Board of Directors, is working closely with Julie Reynes and will be appointing a committee to work with a recruiter to find a permanent Executive Director. From our chapter's perspective, the leadership transition has gone smoothly and it seems that WTSI is on a positive path forward.
The WTS MN Chapter will soon get an opportunity to more closely interact with the WTSI Board of Directors and the WTS Foundation (WTSF) Board. The WTSI and WTSF Boards will be meeting in downtown Minneapolis on September 21 and 22. It is a very exciting opportunity for our chapter to interact with high-profile national leaders in the transportation industry. We will be hosting a meet and greet with WTSI Board members as part of our September 21 Transportation Trivia event - stay tuned for an invite. Portions of the board meetings will also be open to the public. We'll send agendas and more details to chapter members as they become available.
On a more local note, the WTS Minnesota Chapter has begun to recruit candidates for the 2017 Board of Directors. If you are interested in learning more about leadership opportunities with WTS MN, please reach out to Vice President Morgan Abbott. I encourage you to consider getting more involved with WTS MN.
Now here is my sales pitch: Joining the WTS MN board has been one of the best decisions I've made in my career. I've gotten amazing opportunities to build leadership skills, grow my network through my board duties and all of our great events, and have formed some great friendships. When a colleague asks if I know someone, about 80% of the time I respond, "Yes! I know her through WTS."
Enjoy the rest of your summer and see you soon at one of our many upcoming programs and events!
Rose Ryan
President, WTS Minnesota
|
|
Corporate Partner Spotlight: Stantec
WTS Minnesota would like to thank Stantec for being a 2016 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 2016. Please take a minute to learn more about Stantec in Minnesota and why they support WTS MN.
MN Office Locations
Rochester, St. Cloud, St. Paul
Transportation Services Offered
Our transportation team provides services in planning, traffic engineering, roadway, parking and bridge design, intelligent transportation systems, asset, infrastructure and pavement management, aviation and transit and rail design.
Website
Why Stantec Supports WTS MN
The key to Stantec's success is its people. People, passion, and progress have made the firm what it is today, and created the foundation for what it will be tomorrow. Stantec strives to attract leaders, and partnering with WTS is a significant way they help advance women in transportation, locally, regionally, nationally and globally. Whether through leadership opportunities, connections to workforce programs, or recruiting talent, WTS offers crucial elements that assist in a professional's success.
|
|
|
Recap: The Future of Transportation Meets the Future of Public Involvement
On Tuesday, August 9th, over 40 WTS members and friends gathered at HDR's downtown Minneapolis office to hear from Katie Caskey (MnDOT), Kathleen Mayell (City of Minneapolis), Ashley Ver Burg, and the HDR Strategic Communications Team about the extensive, data-driven, responsive, and innovative public engagement efforts to-date for the MnDOT Statewide Multimodal Plan and the State Highway Investment Plan. A choose-your-own-adventure Prezi led the group to explore three topic areas, including the cost of traditional vs. new public engagement strategies and the feedback received from over 125 meetings.
Attendees left the event energized and inspired to implement strategies in their own work, including one major lesson-learned: continuous evaluation of engagement strategies is not only encouraged, but necessary. (Consultants, don't be afraid to re-scope your projects!) Afterwards, attendees gathered at City Works Restaurant and Bar for a WTS Happy Hour with MAASTO 2016 Conference Attendees. Cheers to an excellent evening of learning and relaxing!
Missed the event and want to know more? Check out the presentation here.
|
|
Events in September
Wednesday, September 14th OR Friday, September 16th: 2016 Book Club featuring Boots on the Ground, Flats in the Boardroom
WTS MN invites you to join us for our 2016 Book Club, featuring "Boots on the Ground, Flats in the Boardroom," which details the rise of eighteen pioneering women in transportation by telling their stories in their words.
If you are interested in this compelling conversation facilitated by distinguished professionals in the transportation industry, you have two options to join us:
- Wednesday, September 14th: Gathering and discussion at the George Latimer Central Library in St. Paul from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., facilitated by Jessica Treat (TLC) and Jessica Laabs (Kimley-Horn and Associates). Register for September 14th here.
- Friday, September 16th: Gathering and discussion at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs in Minneapolis from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., facilitated by Yingling Fan (UMN) and Ciara Schlichting (Toole Design Group). Register for September 16th here.
Interested? The book is available for purchase through all major booksellers, including Amazon.
Wednesday, September 21st: Transportation Trivia with WTSI Board Members at Republic Minneapolis
Join transportation leaders from public and private sector work throughout the country and celebrity host Scott McBride (MnDOT) for a fun evening of trivia about all modes of transportation near and far that is also a welcome reception for WTS International board members. Geography (and trivia) geeks, you won't want to miss this event!
Register here
|
|
 Congratulations to Rose Ryan, who is now a Senior Planner with Alta Planning + Design! Congratulations to Mackenzie Turner Bargen, who is now MnDOT Metro District's Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator!
Congratulations to Natalie Westberg, who is now an Associate Planner within the BRT Project Office at Metro Transit!
**********************************************************
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!
|
|
TYOU Update
The TYOU Program sent another mentor-mentee pair to Washington DC for the DC Summit this summer. Morgan Hoxsie and
Morgan Lease had a great time learning about the transportation system and WTS while exploring DC. Thank you to our corporate sponsors for funding this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
|
|
|
|
|
