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8a86da2bd0904417a84774219532067d 
 2015, Issue No. 2
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In This Issue 
  -Vice President's Message 
  -Announcements 
  -TransportationYOU Event Recap: 
     Amtrak's 30th St Station
  -Event Recap: Transportation and 
     Business Developments along
     the Delaware River
  -Professional Development Event
     Recap: Women Leaders Webinar


Upcoming Events
MARCH 12
March of Dimes 

MARCH 18
PennDOT District 5-0 Luncheon 

APRIL 22
WTS at TransAction: TransConOpps 

Job Postings
Jacobs: Traffic Operations/ITS Engineer

JMT: Civil/Highway Section Head

LTK Engineering Services: Junior Accountant


Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Megan Syrnick
Hill International

VICE PRESIDENT
Patti Gibson
Envision Consultants, Ltd.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
Elizabeth Hansmann
Jacobs

RECORDING SECRETARY
Elizabeth Smith
SEPTA

TREASURER
Erica Antoine
Burns Engineering, Inc.

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Carol Rose
STV Incorporated

COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR
Jasmine Narcisse
BREE & Associates, Inc.

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP CHAIR
Samantha Safara
Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson

DIVERSITY CHAIR
Apiramy Appulingam
RS&H

MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
Lindsey Graham
HNTB Corporation

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
CO-CHAIRS
Lee Wolfe
AECOM
and
Karen Hulshizer
Gilmore and Associates

PROGRAMS CO-CHAIRS
Irene Eells
Ammann & Whitney
and
Orla Pease
Urban Engineers

SCHOLARSHIP AND AWARDS
CO-CHAIRS
Jenna Oskowitz
HNTB Corporation
and
Linell Homentosky
AECOM

TRANSPORTATION YOU CO-CHAIRS
Jaclyn Raciti
Jacobs
and
Faye Majekodunmi
Amtrak

The Philadelphia Chapter of WTS was formed by twelve women on June 21, 1979. Since its formation, the Philadelphia Chapter has focused on promoting the development and advancement of women in the transportation industry.



 A Note From Our Chapter Vice President

Greetings, WTS PHILADELPHIA!

I was on Facebook the other day…a diversionary tactic for all of us, that in between cute cat videos and Kardashian news blurbs, sometimes yields interesting results. I clicked on an ad for Pottery Barn Kids. They were having a huge sale on bedroom sets, and what can I say, I have a weakness for those beds with the drawers underneath – a good way to maximize storage. I began browsing and discovered the Most Amazing Bedroom Ever for transportation people’s offspring! The ‘Brody’ bedding ensemble features a mixture of multi-modal vehicles – airplanes, buses, cars, boats, choo-choo trains, and trucks. You can even purchase coordinating art to tie the room together. Totally cool!

As a child of the 70s and 80s, my bedding options were confined to Holly Hobbie and Rainbow Sherbert ZigZag. CAREER PATH themes were simply NOT a part of the whole night-night, sheep-counting time. Imagine if they were. Would more girls pursue jobs in STEM-related fields? Would little minds percolate innovative solutions guaranteed to change the future? Would that Amtrak connection at the airport come to fruition faster if transportation was more relatable to those outside our industry?

The goal of WTS is to advance women in transportation – be it at the agency-level, within companies, as policymakers, etc. The Philadelphia Chapter is making strides to achieve this mission. We are about to launch the second phase of our mentoring program. Megan Syrnick, our President, has made college outreach a major focus of her administration, and the Membership Committee is working hard to bring it to fruition. Our Professional Development Committee hosted a webinar this past week on leadership styles. It sold out in one day! Our Scholarship and Awards Committee is plotting new fundraising strategies for June to ensure that our legacy of financial support continues. And in May…we golf…or try to golf! It’s exciting to be part of the movement.

What is the correlation between early childhood sheet selection and professional adult networking associations? Both plant the seeds for success. Well, that and playing with Day-to-Night Barbie…but that’s a story for another column. Think about it. 

Safe travels, 

Patti Gibson May
Vice President

P.S. 

Megan Syrnick, as you may know, is currently on maternity leave. She returns April 13, 2015. We are doing our best to hold down the fort while she bonds with Connor Christopher, born January 26, weighing in at almost seven pounds, and measuring 19.25 inches.

 


 WTS Announcements

MEMBERS MAKING TRACKS
- Congratulations to our chapter member Julie Green, P.E., who has been named Vice President, Revenue Systems & Technology at LTK Engineering Services! Julie is the first female VP at LTK!

GATEWAY MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM
This year, we are happy to select three deserving women for a one-year complimentary membership (with one extension year option) paid by the WTS Philadelphia Chapter. Applications are due no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, March 6, 2015. Click here to read more. 

NEW APPOINTMENT NOMINATIONS DATABASE
The Professional Development Committee is creating a members-only Appointment Nominations Database. With the completion of the database, we will be prepared to submit the information of interested members to boards and commissions in a timely fashion. Click here to read more.

SHARE A STORY OR JOB POSTING: Contact Jasmine Narcisse and Alyssa May
VOLUNTEER WITH WTS PHILADELPHIA:
Contact Patti Gibson
BECOME A WTS MEMBER: Contact Lindsey Graham


Event Recap: Transportation and Business Developments
along the Delaware River

Feb Event Recap Photo smOn Wednesday, February 12, 2015, WTS and ASCE partnered to sponsor a joint program: Transportation and Business Developments along the Delaware River. The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority's (PRPA), Nicholas Walsh, and Delaware River Stevedores', Robert Palaima, presented the planning, design, and implementation of their new international business venture coordinating shipments in and out of the Tioga Marine Terminal from Brazil. The duo discussed the Fibria funding process, landside and waterside improvements, project design constraints, and the future of the port. Click here to read more.


 TrYOU Event Recap: Amtrak's 30th Street Station

TrYou Photo to go with Article smIn January, WTS Philadelphia’s Transportation You program held their third event at Amtrak’s 30th Street Station. The event kicked-off with a tour led by Amtrak’s Senior Architect, Steve Smith, who provided a behind the scenes look at the historic station.

After the tour, Danielle Hunter presented about Philadelphia’s 30th Street District Plan. The presentation highlighted the number of passengers served by Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor, the current use of the station, and the future plans for the 30th Street Station Complex. The event wrapped up with a panel discussion featuring women at Amtrak who work in areas such as Engineering, Scheduling and Operations.

The mentees had a great experience with the personnel at Amtrak and are looking forward to their March event with the Schuylkill River Development Corporation. 
Click here to read more.


2015 Emerging Women Leaders Webinar Series - 
The Language of Leadership

PD Event Pic

Written by: Karen Hulshizer, WTS Philadelphia Member

A group of 24 women attended the first Emerging Women Leaders Webinar of 2015: “The Language of Leadership” on February 24, 2015. Jo Miller, the CEO of Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc. and founder of BeLeaderly.com, presented on 4 main topics: Leadership Presence, Managing Your Career, Influencing in Meetings, and Managing Others. 

During the webinar, Jo also coordinated a contest for best team selfie and best leadership quote. WTS Philadelphia won the best team selfie by submitting the picture below from its @WTSPhiladelphia twitter account! The best leadership quote, submitted by @thecorporatesis, was “under-promise, over-deliver, stay hungry”  
Click here to read more.


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