Accelerate Spring 2014

ACCELERATESPRING 2014

President’s LetterPAGE 2

COMTO National ActivitiesPAGE 3

Conference InformationPAGE 5

Registration InformationPAGE 6

Third Annual Celebrating Women Who Move the

Nation Awards Breakfast in Washington Honors Ten

Esteemed Industry LeadersPAGE 7

COMTO Volunteers Gather in Washington for a

View From the HillPAGE 8

COMTO USA PAGE 9

Diversity in MotionPAGE 11

Welcome New MembersPAGE 12

No Longer in the Back of the Bus

PAGE 13

TCRP AmbassadorPAGE 14

Chief Ready to Play Ball PAGE 15

The quarterly newsletter for the Conference Of Minority

Transportation Officials

The Movement Continues: Developing Leaders &

Building Historically Underutilized Businesses

Atlanta, Georgia

Greetings COMTO Family,

I hope everyone is enjoying all the promise spring brings us. There’s so much to look forward to in the coming months, especially for the COMTO family.

We’ve worked hard to place this issue of Accelerate in your hands. The lead article is all about COMTO’s 43rd National Meeting & Training Conference this summer in Atlanta. I urge each of you to make every effort to be with us.

The Conference Committee, quite ably chaired by Joseph Erves, COMTO Atlanta President, with the assistance of COMTO Atlanta members Jhonnita Williams and Rhonda Briggins, has left no stone unturned in developing a program of exceptional educational offerings paired with valuable networking opportunities, technical tours, spouse/guest tours, and other special events. You’ll want to bring a strong contingent from your agency or company.

You’ll also find a couple of inspiring articles in this issue about people who have forged extraordinary transportation careers from mea-ger beginnings. These stories make us admire the fortitude of those involved, but also make us proud of our industry — an industry that has led the charge for racial equality and racial justice.

Enjoy this issue of Accelerate, and please don’t forget to register for the conference before May 31 in order to take advantage of some steep early registration discounts. I look forward to seeing you in Atlanta.

My warm best regards,

Julie Cunningham President and Chief Executive Officer

How Are We Doing?COMTO’s Strategic Planning Committee needs your help, please. They have developed a very short MEMBERSHIP SURVEY they would like you to complete. The survey will be used to assess COMTO member services and to assess how well everyone in COMTO management is doing to earn your continued membership support.

Members will have a two week window in which to complete the survey using Survey Monkey. The open dates are May 1 – May 15, so please find some time during this period to complete the electronic questionnaire.

You can go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LNH9K29 to find the COMTO survey. Your participation is very much appreciated.

president’s letter

Spring 2014 | ACCELERATE 3

COMTO’s 43rd National Meeting & Training Conference Brimming with Educational Opportunities Innovative Mobile App will Keep Attendees Up to Date

Whether you’re just beginning your career in transportation, you’re an emerging leader or you’re a seasoned veteran, COMTO’s 43rd National Meeting & Training Conference July 12 – 15, 2014, at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta will provide you with an array of educational programs and networking opportunities that will serve you well as you continue to make your mark in our industry.

We’re excited to premiere our new mobile application, COMTOConnect, at the meeting. COMTOConnect will allow attendees to access up-to-the-minute conference information, speaker bios, and session descriptions and to connect with exhibitors and fellow attendees right from their smart phones or iPads!

Built around the theme, The Movement Continues: Developing Leaders & Building Historically Underutilized Businesses, the 2014 Conference Committee pulled out all the stops in developing a program of unparalleled professionalism.

Consider these educational highlights:

• A Planned Approach to Your Career, an interactive workshop for anyone interested in a systematic process to career building, conducted by Dr. Barbara Gannon, Principal, and Lindsey Robertson, Director, with Gannon Consult.

• Building Skills for Mid-Managers, to include two sessions… Diversity and Characteristics of Leadership and Time Management and Emotional Intelligence… conducted by Paul J. Larrouse, Director of the National Transit Institute.

• CEO Educational Series, a forum for chief executives and deputy directors of public sector agencies, including transit, state DOTs, airports and port authorities.

• Trustee Training, a professional development forum for trustees of public sector agencies focusing on best practices in governance and creating policy for public transportation systems.

• Emerging Leaders: Sustaining Balance and Maintaining the Success You Have Achieved, a session providing an opportunity for a younger (ages 25– 40) and more diverse workforce to prepare for becoming future industry leaders.

In keeping with the theme and COMTO’s mission to ensure a level playing field, special attention has been paid to Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs). On Tuesday, July 15, from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm, a session entitled, COMTO-APTA DBE Assembly, will focus on the procurement process and on various ways to build relationships between HUBs/DBEs and the primes and agencies looking for them.

There’s no better way to build a relationship than to meet one-on-one, face-to-face. To this end, we’ll be making use of the new COMTOConnect mobile application to allow HUBs/DBEs to create a detailed online profile of their products, services and capabilities. Prime contractors and agencies looking for qualified

Calendar

JULYSATURDAY, JULY 12 – TUESDAY, JULY 15

COMTO 43rd Annual National Meeting & Training ConferenceAtlanta Marriott Marquis Atlanta, Georgia

SEPTEMBERTHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

CBCF/COMTO 22nd Annual Transportation BraintrustWalter E. Washington Convention Center Washington, D.C.

For Local Events & Activities go to: www.comto.org

Continued...

COMTO nATIONAL ACTIVITIES

4 COMTO | Moving the Nation

subcontractors can then search the COMTOConnect database quickly and easily to find subcontractors with which to meet. The COMTOConnect application will then help arrange live meetings between interested parties right at the conference!

Networking events include the Welcome Reception, the Red Carpet Exhibit Hall Lunch, the Red Carpet Exhibit Hall Reception and the COMTO Board Reception. The COMTO Atlanta Chapter is hosting a Golf Tournament on Saturday, July 12, at the Orchard Hills Golf Course. A Golf Pairing Party will be held the night before at the hotel.

Conference signature events drawing large crowds every year include the Legislative Breakfast on Monday, July 14, the National Scholarship Luncheon on Tuesday, July 15, and the Industry Awards Banquet on Tuesday, July 15.

Technical tours this year include the Armour Yard, the largest rail car maintenance and servicing facility in the South; the Atlanta Streetcar, a cooperative effort by the City of Atlanta, the business community and MARTA to connect the metro area with the greater region; and the Maynard Jackson International Terminal Tour, showcasing the state-of-the-art air travel terminal serving the needs of international passengers traveling through Atlanta.

Spouses and Guests will be kept busy with either a tour of the renowned Atlanta Botanical Gardens or an Inside CNN Studio Tour. Both of those are on Sunday, July 13.

Registration is now open!

Please go to www.comto.org for more details and to reserve your

place at this dynamic COMTO meeting.

Be sure to take advantage of early

registration rates by making your plans before May 31!


2014 National Meeting & Training Conference

Tentative Schedule of Events Visit www.comto.org for current schedule

FRIDAY, JULY 11, 20147:00 pm – 8:30 pm Golf Tournament Pairing Party

SATURDAY, JULY 12, 20147:00 am – 4:00 pm Registration Open

8:30 am – 2:00 pm COMTO Atlanta Golf Tournament

10:00 am – 2:00 pm Garrett A. Morgan Youth Symposium

SUNDAY, JULY 13, 20147:30 am – 5:00 pm Registration Open

7:15 am – 8:15 am Ecumenical Service

8:30 am – 10:00 am Council of Presidents Meeting

9:00 am – 11:00 am Technical Tour

10:00 am – 11:00 am Joint Leadership Meeting

10:00 am – 12:00 pm Technical Tour

11:15 am – 12:30 pm COMTO National Board of Directors Meeting

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Technical Tour

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Spouse/Guest Tours

2:00 pm – 4:15 pm COMTO Officers Training For All Chapter Officers

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm GannonConsult Workshop

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm National Transit Institute Workshop

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm National Committee, Sub-Committee & Advisory Council Meetings

7:00 pm – 11:00 pm Welcome Reception

MONDAY, JULY 14, 20147:00 am – 4:00 pm Registration Open

7:00 am – 8:30 am Legislative Breakfast

8:45 am – 10:45 am Opening Plenary

10:45 am – 5:00 pm Red Carpet Exhibit Hall Ribbon Cutting & Opening

MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014 (Continued)11:00 am – 12:15 pm Concurrent Workshops

12:15 pm – 1:30 pm Red Carpet Exhibit Hall Lunch

1:15 pm – 3:15 pm Emerging Leaders (Ticketed Event)

1:15 pm – 3:15 pm Leadership Summit (By Invitation Only)

1:15 pm – 4:00 pm Trustees Training (Including transit agencies, airports, state DOTs, port authorities, rail companies, metropolitan planning organizations and federal agencies)

2:00 pm – 2:45 pm New Member Orientation

3:00 pm – 4:15 pm Concurrent Workshops

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Red Carpet Exhibit Hall Reception

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Welcome Reception

TUESDAY, JULY 15, 20147:00 am – 4:30 pm Registration Open

7:00 am – 8:00 am General Membership Meeting

8:05 am – 9:00 am National Committee, Sub-Committee & Advisory Council Meetings

9:15 am – 10:45 am Plenary Session

10:00 am – 5:00 pm Red Carpet Exhibit Hall Open

11:00 am – 12:30 pm COMTO – APTA DBE Assembly

11:00 am – 12:15 pm Concurrent Workshops

12:45 pm – 3:00 pm National Scholarship Luncheon

3:00 pm – 4:15 pm Concurrent Workshops

4:30 pm – 5:00 pm Exhibit Hall Drawing

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Board Reception

7:00 pm – 11:00 pm Industry Awards Banquet


It pays to register early!Register by May 31, 2014 and Save!Important Deadlines

Early Hotel Reservation Deadline | June 20, 2014

Hotel Room Block Rate | $189 + taxes/night for single or double occupancyReserve your room today! COMTO’s hotel room block will fill up quickly.

Hotel and Travel InformationAtlanta Marriott Marquis

265 Peachtree Center Avenue | Atlanta, GA 30303 | (404) 521-0000http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/atlmq-atlanta-marriott-marquis/

ReservationsTo make room reservations online, visit https://aws.passkey.com/g/20836190 or call 1-866-469-5475.

Note: When making your reservation please let the reservation agent know you are with the “COMTO 2014” National Meeting and Training Conference group.

Check-In Time | 3:00 PMCheck-Out Time | 12:00 PMHotel Parking — Available: Contact hotel for rates and information.

Travel OptionsDirections from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Atlanta Marriott Marquis:

From the airport travel north onto Interstate 75/85 to exit 248C for Andrew Young International Boulevard. Turn left onto the boulevard then right onto Peachtree Center Avenue. The hotel is two blocks down on the right.

Traveling South on Interstate 75/85, take exit 249A for Courtland Street. Proceed tot he third traffic light and turn right onto Andrew Young International Boulevard. Continue one block to Peachtree Center Avenue and turn right. The hotel is two blocks on the right.

Registration Information

Business attire is suggested.

Ways To Travel To and From Airport:

MARTA Bus Station | $16.50 ~ 6 miles N.E.

Peachtree Center MARTA Station (Subway) | $2.50 ~ 0.1 miles W

Taxi | $32 each way

Companies Offering Discounted Travel:

DeltaDiscounted flights are offered at www.delta.com or 1-800-328-1111 with the code NMHAN. These rates are available July 9–19, 2014.

UnitedDiscounted flights are offered at www.united.com or 1- 800-426-1122 with the code ZRD9-932525. These rates are available July 9–19, 2014.

AmtrakDiscounted travel is offered at www.amtrak.com or 1-800-872-7245 with the code X44R-984.

AVISDiscounted car rental may be made at www.avis.com or by calling 1-800-331-1600 with the code D510811. These rates are available July 5 – 23, 2014.

HertzDiscounted car rental reservations may be made at www.hertz.com or 1-800-654-2240 with the code CV 022Q6727. These rates are available July 5 – 23, 2014.

Register online at www.comto.org


Third Annual Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation Awards Breakfast in Washington Honors Ten Leaders

COMTO nATIONAL ACTIVITIES

More than 400 prominent transportation industry leaders and Washington, DC, dignitaries gathered at the J.W. Marriott on March 12 for COMTO’s Third Annual Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation Awards Breakfast, held each year at this time in observance of Women’s History Month. The crowd came to pay tribute to ten remarkable women from across the nation who have made lasting contributions to America’s transportation infrastructure.

Honorees included The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson, Congresswoman from Texas’s 30th District, and Susan Kurland, Assistant Secretary of Aviation and Internal Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation, who have both been staunch advocates for COMTO at the national level; and Catherine M. Hudgins, Chair of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Board of Directors, and Karen Rae, New York Governor Cuomo’s Deputy Secretary for Transportation, who have been vigilant supporters at the regional and local levels.

From the private sector, honorees included Barbara Gannon, PhD, Principal with GannonConsult, recognized for her work in Academia; Shelby Scales, Executive Director of the Airport Minority Advisory Council, recognized for her work in Advocacy; Andrella Kenner, President and CEO at CI2 Aviation, recognized for her work in Aviation; Diane Babineaux, General Vice President with the Association of Machinists & Aero-space Workers, recognized for her work with Labor; Jacqueline Hinman, incoming CEO at CH2M Hill, recognized for her work with Industry; and Tracey Bessellieu, Vice President at Parsons Brinckerhoff, who received COMTO’s coveted Shirley A. DeLibero Woman Who Moves the Nation Award.

MSNBC network host and political analyst Karen Finney served as Mistress of Ceremo-nies. A highly regarded political campaign veteran, Finney was the first African American spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, served as Deputy Press Secretary to First Lady Hillary Clinton and as Deputy Director of Presidential Scheduling for President Bill Clinton during the Clinton Administration.

Internationally acclaimed civil rights champion Reverend Jesse Jackson delivered the keynote address. Invoking the names of pioneering civil rights activists Harriett Tubman, Rosa Parks and Amelia Boynton, he lamented the fact that,

“We have globalized technology, but we have not globalized women’s rights.” And likening the job market in America to a sports field, he demanded that industry,

“Let women play!”

Turning his attention to legislative matters of particular importance to the COMTO audience, Jackson also threw his support behind a modern high speed rail system for America. He called such a system,

“cost effective, energy efficient and ripe with opportunities to create jobs.”

In his introduction of Reverend Jackson, COMTO National Chair Robert H. Prince, Jr. touched on Jackson’s decades-long fight to end racial and class divisions in America, his founding of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, his storied international forays into human rights conflicts and his acceptance of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000 from President Bill Clinton. The Medal of Freedom is the highest honor for civilians in the United States.

Jackson was a last-minute replacement for Dr. Maya Angelou, who had to cancel because of illness. COMTO President and CEO, Julie Cunningham, expressed her eternal gratitude to Jackson and called his address, “an inspiration to every American, not just to women. The COMTO family is so pleased that Reverend Jackson answered our call in time of need and could spend the morning with us. His willingness to become involved is a testament to the important work we’re doing across this country and a recognition that women play an incredibly important role in the ongoing development of this nation’s transportation infrastructure, from highways and transit systems to airports, rail systems and ports. This was a milestone event in the proud history of our organization.”

Reverend Jesse Jackson Delivers Stirring Keynote

COMTO National Chair Robert H. Prince, Jr., (sixth from left) and Board Advisor Shirley DeLibero (seventh from left) with the 2014 Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation honorees. (Left - Right) Cong. Johnson; C. Hudgins; J. Hinman; K. Rae; T. Besselieu; R. Prince; S. DeLibero; B. Gannon; S. Kurland; A. Kenner and S. Scales

Reverend Jesse Jackson


COMTO Volunteers Gather in Washington for A View From the Hill; Office Visits Follow Legislative BriefingDelegates Talk with Legislators About Vital Infrastructure Issues

More than 40 COMTO delegates from across the nation gathered on Capitol Hill Tuesday, March 11, to be briefed by administrative staff from the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-ture regarding transportation issues affecting every American. Following the briefing, the delegates dispersed to visit their respective Senate and House representatives in order to share COMTO’s views on transportation funding, Disadvantaged Busi-ness Programs (DBEs) and initiatives to attract and recruit the next generation of transportation professionals.

The COMTO delegates represented every region of the country, from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Georgia in the East to Illinois, Missouri and Michigan in the Heartland and to Colorado, California and Oregon in the West. The yearly visit to the Hill is in keeping with COMTO’s mission of ensuring a level playing field and maximum participation in the transportation industry for minority individuals, businesses and communities of color.

President and CEO Julie Cunningham called this annual View From the Hill event among the most important initiatives COMTO conducts each year.

“I can’t think of anything COMTO does that is more central to fulfilling our mission,” she said. “If you want to have an impact on legislation that can literally change the lives of the members your organization represents, you’d better have a strong pres-ence in Washington, DC, and on Capitol Hill. Believe it or not, your senators and representatives really do want to know what you think, they do pay attention to constituents.”

Asked to reply to cynics who contend that such visits to legislators are a waste of time and that the law makers are influ-enced only by financial contributions, COMTO National Chair Robert H. Prince, Jr., said those cynics’ views are misguided.

“The fact is,” Prince noted, “our senators and representatives — and their staffs — are isolated here in Washington. They’re not in touch with everyday America. It’s important for them to hear from those of us serving on the front lines so they know what the reality is. But we also have an obligation to get our customers — the American public — involved,” he continued. “Even though it’s important for COMTO to voice its opinion, the lawmakers often see that as self-serving. It’s self-serving, because they know our livelihoods are dependent on favorable legislation. But messages from the general public are different, because they’re seen as vot-ers. That means COMTO members need to urge their patrons to send messages to the Hill showing their support of infrastructure improvements. Those messages resonate.”

Memorial Day, originally called “Decoration Day,” this year falls on Monday, May 26. Most people have little idea that African Americans are the reason that Memorial Day even exists in the first place! According to Professor David Blight of Yale University, the event began in May of 1865 when a group of about 28 former slaves in Charleston, South Carolina, gave a proper burial to 257 Union soldiers who’d been put

DID YOU KNOW?into a mass grave. This was their “thank you” to the soldiers for having helped fight for their freedom. The black community of Charleston then consecrated their new cemetery with a parade of some 10,000 people, including 3,000 black school children, who started the celebration with the singing of “John Brown’s Body.” Share this wonderful story with others this Memorial Day.

During COMTO’s annual visit to Capitol Hill, COMTO Jacksonville President Terri Smith stopped by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s office, which at one time was the office of Barack Obama, who served as a Senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008.


Central Florida Chapter President Carla Williams (front, kneeling) and First Vice President Cheryl Hawkins (standing, far left) accompanied students to the Tampa International Airport.

CENTRAL FLORIDAMentors Students at Tampa Airport

COMTO Central Florida hosted its 2014 Garrett A. Morgan Shadow Day at Tampa International Airport on Wednesday, February 26. Some 30 students from Stewart Middle Magnet and Robles Park Middle schools were in attendance and learned a great deal about airport operations. A compre-hensive tour of the airport included the landside terminal, airfield facilities and the fire station. A presentation on African American aviation history was also included.

INDIANAChapter President Bids a Fond Farewell

COMTO Indiana Chapter President Juan Battle has resigned his post effec-tive April 25, 2014. He has been selected Deputy Director of Transportation for the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (Lynx). In leaving the chapter, he made a point to thank everyone for, as he puts it, “being such wonderful friends and colleagues. It has been an honor serving as the COMTO Indiana president and it has made me a better and stronger per-son both professionally and personally.”

COMTO Indiana Vice President Debra M. Simmons Wilson assumes the duties of chapter president.

JACKSONVILLEWillard Payne Honored

A dedicated member of the COMTO Jacksonville Chapter, Willard Payne was recently honored by Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown with the city’s Trailblazer Award. Actually, Payne was a pioneer on many fronts. In 1975, he became the first African American in the state of Florida to own a McDonald’s fran-chise. In 1979, he became the first African American appointed to the Jacksonville Port Authority. He was also appointed to

the Jacksonville International Airport Community Development Agency. And in 2003, Payne became the first African American President of the Downtown Jacksonville Rotary Club. He continues to be a mentor to many people throughout the city.

COLLABORATOR

© 2014 CH2M HILL TBG042114143014MKT CH2M HILL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Join us in engineering a brighter future at CH2MHILL.jobs

I collaborate with a team of professionals who engineer innovative solutions that move people around the world.

It’s not just about building infrastructure. We’re building a more sustainable future, fuelling economic growth and creating opportunities to commute, travel, and adventure.

Are you a collaborator, innovator, adventurer, pioneer, creator?

Continued...

COMTO usa


PHILADELPHIAHosts College Students Career Day

On Saturday, March 1, 2014, students from local colleges and uni-versities in the Philadelphia and surrounding areas participated in COMTO Philadelphia’s Garrett Morgan Career Skills Training Day in recognition of COMTO National’s Shadow Day Program. The event was held at Drexel University’s Bossone Atrium. Members of the Philadelphia Chapter participated in a panel discussion and spoke to students regarding the application of various skill sets to career opportunities in the transportation industry. In addition, the workshop allowed students to hone their networking, resume writ-ing, and interviewing skills while providing one-on-one mentoring for students with corporate representatives.

Students represented the following institutions:

— Drexel University — LaSalle University— Temple University — University of Pennsylvania— Villanova University

Philadelphia area college students join COMTO Philadelphia members at Drexel University for Garrett A. Morgan Career Skills Training Day.

COMTO Philadelphia thanks the following firms for their sponsorship and participation:

— AECOM— Amtrak— Bree & Associates— BURNS Engineering— CH2M Hill— HDR, Inc.— Johnson, Mirmiran, & Thompson— LTK Engineering— Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin— Michael Baker Corporation— Milligan & Company, CPA— SEPTA— Urban Engineers— USSC Group— Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby, LLP

COMTO USA continued


Celia BlueCOMTO Boston Chapter president, Roma McKenzie-Campbell, applauds the recent appointment of chapter board member Celia Blue as MassDOT Registrar of Motor Vehicles.

“On behalf of COMTO Boston and members — Congratulations Celia,” she said. “This

is great news. Celia is a seasoned professional with vast experience in leadership positions in both the private and public sector, and her talents in strategic planning and innovation will be excellent resources in her new role as Registrar.”

Celia’s transportation experience extends from Commissioner of Massachusetts Aeronautics to Deputy Registrar of the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) to her most recent position as Assistant Secretary of Performance and Innovation at MassDOT. Over the past five years, she has been serving the public through improvements to customer service combined with a results-driven commitment to building a culture of performance excellence, accountability and transparency.

“Celia has spearheaded numerous successful innovation initiatives and led our efforts to make performance management more transparent and accountable to the public,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard Davey. “As a former Deputy Registrar with private sector experience, she is uniquely qualified to lead the RMV.”

John CatoeMV Transportation, Inc., the largest passenger transportation contracting firm in the United States, has announced that John Catoe has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Contract Manage-ment. Prior to joining MV, Catoe served as a consultant and transit subject matter expert to MV for more than three years.

Before that, Catoe built a distinguished career in the transit industry that spanned more than three decades. Career highlights include serving as General Manager for the Washington Metropol-itan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) from 2007 – 2010, as Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA MTA) from 2001 – 2007, as Director for the City of Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus system from 1995 – 2001, and as Director of Transit Services for the Orange County Trans-portation Authority (OCTA) from 1979 – 1995. Throughout his career, Catoe has worked to raise transit awareness, secure governmental funding for his agencies, and invest in local communities. In rec-ognition of his accomplishments, Catoe was named the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA’s) Manager of the Year in 2009.

diversity in motion

Clinton ForbesThe Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has announced the appointment of Clinton B. Forbes to the position of Vice President of Operations. Forbes comes to COTA with an impressive 25 years of service in the public sector, 10 of which have been spent serving at the senior management level at large public transit authorities. Most

recently, Forbes served as President, JAX Transit Management Corporation and Director of Mass Transit at the Jacksonville Trans-portation Authority (JTA)/JAX Transit Management Corp (JTM) in Jacksonville, Florida. In this capacity he directed the transit oper-ations of JTA, overseeing approximately 700 employees, and was responsible for the operations of JTA’s Fixed-Route service, Com-munity Shuttle service, Paratransit operations, Skyway Operations (Automated People Mover), Maintenance, Facilities, and Service Planning. Prior to JTA, he held senior executive positions in Miami-Dade County, Florida, including Senior Executive at Miami-Dade Transit; Executive Transportation Coordinator and Advisor to the Mayor, Miami-Dade County Office of the Mayor; Project and Public Involvement Manager for the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization; and Deputy Clerk of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. In 2013, Forbes was awarded COMTO’s prestigious Industry Innovation and Leadership Award for his lead-ership in implementing contactless smart card technology at two transit properties in Florida.

Cesar VergaraOn January 2, the Downtown Washington, DC Business Improvement District (BID) held a festive celebration of its annual Momentum Awards. Hundreds of business owners, developers, city officials and residents came together to honor the 2013 Momentum Award visionaries. Among those honored was Cesar Vergara, who was presented

the Vision Award for his exceptional work designing the newly emerging look for DC transit. Vergara has a notable career as an industrial designer, winning numerous national and international awards for his work primarily on rail transit design. His design for the exterior of the Circulator buses and bus stops captured the imagination of the city and began to create a sense of place through the city’s newly emerging transportation systems. His elements inspired the design of Capital Bikeshare and are now incorporated into the new taxi cab design and DC Streetcar. DC transportation systems are easily recognizable to residents and visitors alike for their bright and friendly Pantone red and gold and grey swooshes.


ARIZONAOgbonna AbarikwuAbhishek DayalJorge LlamasKenneth PrattJawuan PughCharlene Reynolds

ATLANTARobert ButtsRaymond C. ClarkSheila JordanEmmry KennedyRichard A. KrisakTamiko LaveretteWarren TaylorCorey ThomasStephon “Terry” ThompsonMia Tidwell

AT-LARGELaNica AllisonNicole H. BennettDebra Farrar-Dyke

AUSTINGerardo CastilloMelissa Foreman

BOSTONLouis A. ElisaRita HardimanCaughent S. Kelly

CENTRAL FLORIDAIranetta DennisMichelle Tatom

CHICAGOAshley ColquittBrenda DillardDerrick L. JamesJanice R. ThomasCedric Wright

CINCINNATIShawntay M. Rucker

COLORADO STATEJessica A. AcostaStephanie DreilingKevin HarringtonNate MaloneBobbie L. McGinnisAmanda R. MurrayZamy Silva

DALLASRenee Sanders

FT. LAUDERDALELisa Sanders

HOUSTONAsia BernardEnyu LiAshley SimienStephany SimienValorie Williams

JACKSONVILLEChaka HesterNixon Maitre

MARYLANDGeralyn M. BruceTrudy EdwardsToyin OgunfolajuJason A. PorterFestus ReynoldsBarrett E. SandersRyan A. StevensJasmin M. Todman

MIAMIMuhammad ChaudhryNatasha Wade

MICHIGANRussell R. HughesPoonam Rameshbabu

NEW JERSEYAngela M. BattleKokou B. KouayiRobert E. LongWilliam PiedraAlex RedcrossKim Samad-Speed

NEW YORKPeggy D. BosticPamela ElseyRaji KurienLydia Williams

NORTHERN CALIFORNIAClaudia GuadagneLaura LusterJesus M. Vargas

OREGON/SW WASHINGTONLisa ChowSusan EddyKimberly D. Mitchell-Phillips

PHILADELPHIACraig S. CampbellEric GerenaJacqua GinlettDavid JonesJazmine JonesAshlyn LancasterDolores Rocco KulpTrevor SmithTracy WynnThoa Vu

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAJon R. AlexanderMedford AugusteDeborah CastilloAnthony FloresNorth County Transit DistrictJarrett Wade

ST. LOUISSteve McCullar

WASHINGTON, DCNancy BrooksRico FleshmanLinda FordB. Moore GwynnLamont HintonFelicia HyattHarpal KapoorRobin P. RichardsWarren H. SessionMichelle SimmsCraig StarkDonald TappSonsyrea Tate MontgomeryBrittany A. WalkerJoslyn WilliamsGregory Woodlan

welcome new members


No Longer in the Back of the Bus: City’s First Black Drivers a Symbol of ChangeBy Matt Soergel, Times-Union, Jacksonville, Florida (Reprinted by permission, Times-Union, Jacksonville, Florida)

The little white girl bounded up the steps of the Murray Hill bus, hopping from one foot to the other with excitement. She beamed a gap-toothed smile up at bus driver Amos Ealey and cheerily greeted him: “Good morning, Mr. N----- Bus Driver!”

The girl’s mother, behind her, flushed red with embarrassment and quickly took a seat. At her stop, she took her daughter out the back bus door, rather than go by the driver again.

In 1960, Ealey was one of eight men hired to be Jacksonville’s first black bus drivers, and that kind of stuff came with the job. Ealey, 54 years later, laughs telling that story. That was mild, compared to some of the rude things he encountered. He wants to make this clear: Many white passengers, and most of the white bus drivers, were supportive, encouraging.

Still, in those days, some white passengers refused to get on his bus. Some black passengers, meanwhile, were skittish, fearing there would be trouble, and said they’d just as rather wait for the next bus. Some white drivers quit, he said, rather than work with black drivers. And some blacks questioned why Ealey and the others were trying to take those white men’s jobs.

And though it never came about, there were whispers and rumors of planned violence against them. Danger was in the air. So was change: A black man, moving from the back of the bus to its steering wheel, the man in charge — that was a powerful symbol in 1960 Jacksonville.

Not just any man could be chosen for that role.

The privately owned company that then operated the bus system decided to integrate its drivers quietly after the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott. They went to the black churches, looking for applicants, seeking men of “great character and resilience.” So says Faye Cummings, the widow of Thomas Cummings, one of the eight original black drivers, a Korean War veteran who died in October.

Ealey, Cummings, Rodney Christopher, Vander Lee James, Charles Jones, Charlie McRoy, Algernon Roundtree and Otis Lee Williams were chosen.

A REALLY GOOD JOBEaley is now 79. He and his wife, Shirley, met in church and have been married 53 years.

He said he wasn’t the type of man to march for civil rights, to demonstrate or sit in. Those people — the real heroes, he says

— were too controversial to be hired. “The ones who really did the fighting didn’t get in,” he said.

Ealey was non-confrontational, deferential. He cast his eyes down when speaking to white people. He stepped off the sidewalk into the street if a white woman was coming the other way. Some, he says, probably called him an “Uncle Tom.” It’s just the way

it was, he said. Still, he knew the importance of being one of the first black drivers. “You’re representing the company,” he said, “and your race.”

Ealey had just been laid off from Sears when his pastor told him about the bus job. He had to get references, go through interviews, then pass a 90-day probationary period. He made it, and ended up making a life of it, driving for 36 years. The buses then were manual shift, with no power steering, no air-conditioning. He got to know all corners of the city, got to know many of the regulars, which suited him fine — he’s always been a people person.

There were difficulties, some of the most mundane kind: What was a black driver

supposed to do if he was in a white part of town and had to go to the bathroom? Answer: You just had to hold it in. “But when you consider the average black guy laid bricks and pushed a wheelbarrow and was outside, this was a really good job.

“Really good,” Ealey said.

MAKING A DIFFERENCEHis father had been a sharecropper in Georgia; Ealey and his six siblings were orphaned after their parents died, two years apart, in the early 1940s. The children were separated, and he came to Jacksonville a few years later, brought there by a relative.

He had leg problems and had to wear braces on his legs as a child. Other kids called him “Clickety Click,” after the sound they made when he walked. By 1950, he was healed, though decades later the problems came back and he had both hips replaced.

Looking back over his life, he’s not sure when the turning point was, but eventually people started giving the first black drivers awards, praising them as heroes, putting them in parades.

“I told my wife: An insignificant job like a bus driver?” Still, he figures he made a difference over the years.

Consider his story about the gap-toothed girl who called him a name. He wasn’t really offended: She was just parroting what she heard, as children do, and he figures her mother had probably just used that word as she saw him pulling up to the curb. “Hate is not inherent,” Ealey said. “Hate is just taught.”

The girl’s mother, he said, later called the bus company to apologize to him. And on his bus, he saw her numerous times over the years; early on, she apologized in person as well. She told him: It’s just the way I was raised. He accepted the apology. They had no problems after that.

Amos Ealey


March madness is always loads of fun. For the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system, however, it also meant loads of cleanup time during and after the NCAA Final Four and Championship basketball games. DART’s dunks were strictly limited to hitting the trash cans, laughs Monica Ellington, Manager of DART’s Transportation Operations Services. She also serves as an Ambassador for the Transit Cooperative Research Program, otherwise known as TCRP.

Ambassadors help their industry peers understand the full scope of TCRP sponsored research, which provides the latest developments in advanced technologies, innovative management techniques and best operating practices for free. To fulfill their mission, Ambassadors travel across the country attending various national, regional, state, and local conferences. Ellington is one of 16 TCRP Ambassadors.

“I have used TCRP research for years,” says Ellington, who formerly managed one of three bus operating divisions for DART. Now, she manages the flow and order of its information, ensuring that the quality of information being shared is on par with system standards. She heads up a new initiative to keep

DART’s information and records in good order, which includes updating or creating new operating procedures. TCRP reports and best practices have played a vital role, she says. “There are studies coming out all the time concerning budgeting, sustainability, and best practices.”

Ellington became an Ambassador because she saw it as “an opportunity to get a first hand view of transportation research. But I also saw it as an opportunity to share. I have a teaching background.”

Not everyone can do their own research, especially in today’s tight economic times, she says, which makes her appreciate TCRP research products all the more.

TCRP is a joint effort between the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Conference Of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). COMTO manages the Ambassador Program.

TCRP research products, such as reports, syntheses and legal research digests, are available online as well as in hard copy. There is no cost to download reports. Search and download at: http://www.tcrponline.org/

Monica Ellington

Tcrp ambassador

www.aecom.com

CREATE.ENHANCE.SUSTAIN.

Ranked #1 in Transportation by Engineering News-Record, AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural, and social environments.

Ambassadors help their industry peers understand the full scope

of TCRP sponsored research, which provides the latest

developments in advanced technologies, innovative

management techniques and best operating practices for free!

CAREER CENTERNew Search Features for Our MembersIf you haven’t been to the Career Center lately, here are some of the latest features that are now available:

— Members have the ability to search through all postings, as well as all resumes, listed on the website.

— Members can subscribe to postings so they receive an update anytime there is a change to that posting.

— Members and non-members can post job listings for 30 days. FREE to COMTO organization members. (Cost: $350.00 for non-members).

— Members can search using several different criteria, including department, salary, location, and position.

To view the most recent listings, please visit: https://comto.site-ym.com/networking/


Chief Ready to Play BallNew VTA Manager Plans to Tackle Challenges of Moving 49ers FansBy Gary Richards, [email protected](Copyright© San Jose Mercury News. Reprinted with permission.)

The new boss at the Valley Transportation Authority says she has become a big fan of the San Francisco 49ers. Which seems appropriate, since how well the VTA moves fans in and out of Levi’s Stadium this summer and fall will be the first major test for general manager Nuria Fernandez.

“Levi’s Stadium clearly brings an opportunity for us,” said Fernandez, who succeeded Michael Burns as leader of Santa Clara County’s transportation

agency in mid-December. “We want people to think of us as their first choice to go to the games and not as an afterthought.”

In her first interview with this newspaper, Fernandez spoke of the challenges ahead for a transit agency that has rebounded from being $50 million in the red seven years ago to having balanced its last four budgets. Extending BART to downtown San Jose and expanding the successful network of express buses are two of her priorities.

But getting more rider feedback, luring more passengers onto buses and trolleys, and overcoming the images of slow and partially filled trains are other hurdles to overcome.

First is that new football stadium. How well the VTA can move fans to and from 49ers football games and other events at the Santa Clara stadium will be closely scrutinized. The $1.3 billion stadium is set to debut in August.

A light-rail stop on Tasman Drive is just a few blocks away from the 50-yard line, and longer trains will be put into use. Buses will be rerouted to connect with Caltrain and BART to move fans to the game and back home. And the VTA will build a light-rail pocket track on Tasman to help with storing trains for football crowds.

“People come to events like this at different times, but they all leave at the same time,” Fernandez said. “We’re spending a lot of time to make sure light rail and our bus system and Caltrain and BART will work together.”

She knows light-rail trains often run too slow, and she intends to be a strong advocate of running more express buses across the valley. Ridership on those buses has jumped more than 20 percent over the past year. And Fernandez will likely be making numerous trips to the nation’s capital to press federal transit officials for funds to tunnel BART under downtown San Jose.

She is the first woman and the first Latina to head the VTA, which oversees transit operations and most highway construction in Santa Clara County.

Fernandez spoke repeatedly about connecting better with riders.

“The community has some concerns and good ideas to share with us and that is what we need to do,” she said. “This cannot happen in a vacuum.”

Fernandez knows the biggest concern: Those slow trains going under 15 mph through downtown and into Mountain View. Plans to bypass some stations to quicken the trip can only do so much.

“Decisions made years ago have impacted our ability to speed up trips,” she acknowledged. “We just can’t pick up the tracks and move them somewhere else.”

Stuart Cohen, executive director of the statewide transit watchdog group TransForm, said the challenges Fernandez faces are not easy.

The $2.3 billion extension of BART to San Jose’s Berryessa area — the most expensive public works project in South Bay history — will open in four years. But digging under downtown San Jose to extend the line to Santa Clara would cost another $4 billion, and only half of that money is guaranteed.

“It will be a challenge to get BART beyond Berryessa,” Cohen said. “It will take yet more fundraising, and voters have already pitched in twice.”

Another formidable challenge will be the proposal to remove two traffic lanes on El Camino Real, reserving them for buses only.

“Getting cities on board with bus rapid transit, and making sure it supports local businesses, will be critical,” Cohen said.

Fernandez’s goal is to increase transit ridership by 10 percent. More than 3.5 million trips are taken each month on VTA, with buses and trolleys carrying 143,791 riders each weekday, up from 141,846 a year ago.

Fernandez takes over an agency in much better financial shape than the one Burns inherited in 2005, when budget deficits ran into the millions, and lines were being cut and fares increased.

Now, there’s money in the coffers, overall ridership is increasing and light rail has helped spur major development along North First Street.

Yet VTA remains among the most expensive transit agencies to operate in the nation, with taxpayers subsidizing 85 percent of the service. That’s the second-worst rate in the U.S. in an area known for sprawling suburbs and lacking a high-employment downtown like San Francisco’s.

So with the eyes of many South Bay residents focused on the 49ers and the VTA beginning in August, the agency already has plans to post dozens of employees at stations to help riders get on board.

So let the games begin, said Fernandez, who issued this promise:

“We will manage this very well.”

Fernandez, 54, is no rookie.

She brings more than 30 years of experience at transportation agencies in New York,

Washington, D.C., and Chicago. She spent the past two years as chief operating officer of

New York state’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the largest transit agency in the country.

Nuria Fernandez

COMTO NATIONAL LEADERSNATIONAL CHAIRRobert H. Prince, Jr.Transit Business Development DirectorVice President, AECOMBoston, MA

1ST VICE CHAIRWarren MontagueManager of Mobility, Compliance & StandardsDetroit Department of TransportationDetroit, MI

2ND VICE CHAIRLester Woods, Jr.External Civil Rights DirectorMissouri Department of Transportation (MODOT)Jefferson City, MO

SECRETARY/TREASURERFrank T. MartinOrlando, FL

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Roosevelt BradleyPresident and CEOUnited Brake & Clutch Service, LLCMiami Lakes, FL

BOARD MEMBERS AT-LARGE Mary Ann CollierDirector of OperationsSwayzer Engineering, Inc.Dallas, TX

Freddie Fuller, IIRegional Sales ManagerCubic Transportation Systems, Inc.Arlington, VA

John M. LewisChief Executive OfficerCentral Florida Regional Transportation AuthorityOrlando, FL

Dianne T. Mendoza, PhDDBE Officer/Director of EqualEmployment & Business OpportunityProgramsVIA Metropolitan TransitSan Antonio, TX

Adiele Nwankwo, PhDSenior Vice PresidentParsons Brinckerhoff Americas, Inc.Atlanta, GA

COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS REPRESENTATIVES

Renee EdwardsTechnical Services AdministratorDallas Area Rapid TransitDallas, TX

Emille WilliamsManager of EngineeringSoutheastern Pennsylvania Transportation AuthorityPhiladelphia, PA

COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS REPRESENTATIVE ALTERNATEMr. Joseph ErvesDirector of Rail MaintenanceMetropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit AuthorityLithonia, GA

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERJulie A. CunninghamWashington, DC

FOUNDER AND HONORARY CHAIRMAN EMERITUSThe Rev. Jerry MooreWashington, DC

BOARD ADVISORSDebra F. CarterManaging Director The Dynasty Consulting Group, LLC Bowie, MD

Shirley DeLiberoDeLibero Transportation Strategies, LLCMilton, MA

A. Bradley MimsThe Ravens GroupLanham, MD

Accelerate is a quarterly newsletter published by the Conference Of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO)

1875 I Street, NW, Suite 500Washington, DC 20006

Administrative Office12100 Sunset Hills Road, Suite 130 Reston, VA 20190 703.234.4072 [email protected] | www.comto.org

Articles may not be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission.

Publisher: Julie A. Cunningham Editor: Bill Carney

© 2014 All Rights Reserved

COMTO Vision StatementTo see the diverse faces of America equally reflected in all levels of the transportation industry.

COMTO Mission StatementTo ensure a level playing field and maximum participation in the transportation industry for minority individuals, businesses, and communities of color through advocacy, information sharing, training, educational, and professional development.

COMTO Objectives— Membership Growth and Retention— Training, Education and Professional Development— Advocacy and Public Awareness— Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs)

ACCELERATE

Mother’s Day— In 1968 Coretta Scott King,

wife of Martin Luther King Jr., used Mother’s Day to host

a march in support of underprivileged women and children.

In the 1970s women’s groups also used the holiday as a time

to highlight the need for equal rights and access to childcare.

Accelerate Spring 2014

Documents

Transcript of Accelerate Spring 2014