NEWS
COMTO Women’s History Month Spotlight: Ari Jolly
Arezou (Ari) Jolly, Chair, Jacksonville Transportation Authority Board of Directors How did you get your start in the transportation industry? I was appointed by Governor Scott (FL) to the JTA Board in 2015 and then reappointed by Governor DeSantis (FL). I came to the JTA Board with a longtime interest in transportation. Who are some women who’ve inspired you? I am inspired by women across every spectrum of profession, of every background and ethnicity, race, and origin. Any human that
COMTO Women’s History Month Spotlight: Latronia Durham
Latronia Durham, President, Durham Transport How did you get your start in the transportation industry? I started in the Oilfield Industry driving trucks. For four years, I stayed nights out from home, even weeks at a time. After so many broken promises from employers who claimed to give bonuses and all the other good incentives with signing on to their company, I decided that If I could work and fail for them, I could surely do the same for myself.
Submit Your Proposals! 2022 COMTO National Meeting and Training Conference—Call for Papers and Presentations
COMTO will host a hybrid National Meeting and Training Conference from July 9–11, 2022, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The event will be a premier in-person gathering of professionals in the transportation industry, attracting industry officials at all career levels seeking best practices, tools and solutions to workplace and industry challenges. Virtual tickets will be available to view live sessions. All presentations are required to be presented in person. For this hybrid conference, COMTO seeks fresh, innovative and cutting-edge proposals
Latinos in Transit Announces Full Board of Directors for 2022–2023
Latinos In Transit (LIT) has announced its board of directors for 2022-2023. The board approved three new directors and filled all officer positions during LIT’s monthly board meeting in January 2022. The three new board members include Rick Pulido, vice president of business development for National Express Transit Corporation; Mariela Garcia-Colberg, senior program manager of cooperative research programs for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) – National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; and Megan Perrero, associate editor for Mass Transit
Celebrating and Reflecting DEI’s Progress During Women’s History Month
Dear COMTO Members and Supporters, Much has changed as I reflect upon my career in engineering over the past 37 years. According to the U.S. census, in 1970, women made up 38% of all U.S. workers and 8% of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workers. By 2019, the STEM proportion had increased to 27%, a significant number by all accounts. One of four women engineers in a division of 350 employees and the only Black female engineer at the
New Flyer Signs Onto APTA’s Racial Equity Commitment Program
St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA – February 23, 2022: (TSX: NFI, OTC: NFYEF, TSX: NFI.DB) NFI Group Inc. (“NFI”), a leading independent bus and coach manufacturer and a leader in electric mass mobility solutions, today announced that its subsidiary New Flyer of America Inc. (“New Flyer”) has signed onto the American Public Transit Association’s (“APTA”) Racial Equity Commitment Program. The two-year pilot program, launched in late 2021, provides signatories with a tangible roadmap that advances racial equity through five core principles.
COMTO Boston Partners with MassDOT, University of New Hampshire and Others to Provide STEM Programming for Kids this Spring
COMTO Boston supplies the next generation of transportation leaders with resources and inspiration through mentorship and STEM programming. The T-STEM webinar series engages and educates 6th–12th graders with National Network for Transportation Workforce content. COMTO Boston appreciates the program sponsors!
The Road to Right: Accelerating Equity, Diversity and Inclusion In the Transportation Industry
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Toronto Transit Commission Is Proud to Recognize Lunar New Year and Black History Month
For the first time, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) recognized Lunar New Year organization-wide. TTC wrapped one streetcar and four buses in spectacular themed vehicle wraps. TTC also partnered with the City of Toronto’s StARToronto Program to showcase 16 unique art pieces and stories of eight artists representing Black communities in Toronto as part of Black History Month. Similar to last year, this campaign is featured in TTC workplaces alongside posters of TTC employees who speak about the significance of
Growing Diversity Leadership in Florida Transportation
By Clinton B. ForbesChair of the Florida Public Transportation Association (FPTA)Executive Director at Palm Tran Transportation is about movement and progress. For decades, progress in diversity in public transportation has been represented with a vast of women and men of all racial and ethnic backgrounds working as bus operators, mechanics and some administrative positions. Top transportation leadership roles have fallen short, struggling to mirror the diverse communities they serve. Change takes time. Just looking at the State of Florida, progress
ACCELERATE MAGAZINE
ACCELERATE is COMTO’s publication that shares COMTO members making national news, industry trends, events and member career advancement.
