 Buzzing in New York |
It was great to see many of you at our April Sustainability event on April 21st! In honor of Earth Day, we invited Kathryn Mallon, Deputy Commissioner of New York City's Department of Environmental Protection, and David Bragdon, Director of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability. As the Mayor unveiled the PlaNYC Update that morning, we were privy to their first talk on the plan! Stephanie Camay, Elizabeth Frederico, and the NY Programs Committee did a great job pulling together another interesting and timely event. Jointly sponsored by APA-NY, the event was eligible for 1.0 AICP credit, so please don't forget to claim your PDH go on to the APA site.
Now that the weather has finally turned, I doubt I am the only one looking forward to taking advantage of the new bike lanes, improved running paths along the waterfronts, and new open space that has sprouted since last year. The good weather has also allowed us to start planning some outdoor-ish events. Our Spring Fling, scheduled for June 16th at Battery Gardens will be a great opportunity to get together with WTS colleagues and take advantage of the outdoor space in Battery Park. For a bit of summertime fun, on August 10th we'll be heading to CitiField to watch the Mets take on the San Diego Padres. This will be a members only event, so make sure your membership is up to date! Keep an eye out for invitations for upcoming members-only tours of East Side Access (early June), the new tunnel that will provide access to Grand Central Terminal for the Long Island Railroad, and the Farley Building (early fall), the proposed site of Moynihan Station. Lastly, on May 11th, we'll be hosting a 1+1 Membership Event with Professor Li Shirong, who will be discussing China's Urban Growth and Transportation Progress.
The Annual International Conference in San Francisco is a few weeks away! This year the Board initiated scholarship awards to some of our members to enable them to attend the conference. The 2011 winners are Stephanie Camay (URS), Kimberly Patterson (Cambridge Systematics), Catherine Matera (NYC DOT), and Harry Tom (NYCT). Congratulations! They'll be joining a number of our Board members at the conference May 18-20th. We hope to see you there or at one of our upcoming May and June events!
Allison Davis, AICP
Vice President, NY
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We ♥ Volunteers
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Sara Olson - WTS Committee Member
 | | Sara Olson, WTS-GNY Committee Member |
By Emma Chapman
Chair, Membership Committee
Sara Olson has been an active member of WTS-GNY since 2008. She joined after hearing about WTS-GNY from a colleague and is actively involved in planning events for the chapter's membership committee. She is also championing the committee's outreach program to help increase our membership. The membership committee's first event will take place on May 11th and encourages members to bring a non-member and share a drink on us!
Sara has been a Transportation Planner for Stantec Consulting Services Inc. in New York City for the past four years. She has experience in several areas of transportation engineering, including capacity analyses, creating traffic simulation models, transportation engineering operations studies, and traffic forecasting on Toll Roads. Sara has a bachelor's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Villanova University, and when she isn't working or busy helping out with WTS events, she enjoys traveling, reading, and visiting museums.
Every edition of Community Buzz highlights a special volunteer. Do you know someone who goes above and beyond and stands out as a super-fantastic volunteer? Let us know!! We would love to feature their achievements in our next issue.
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Sponsor Highlight
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Proud Sponsor of WTS Greater New York Chapter
AKRF proudly supports the Greater New York Chapter of WTS and its mission to help women find opportunity and recognition in the transportation industry. AKRF women are active members of the WTS-GNY chapter; Anne Locke, AKRF's Chief Operating Officer, has served on the WTS-GNY Advisory Board since 2006.
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| | Anne Locke, Chief Operating Officer and WTS-GNY Chapter Advisory Board Member |
As a leading environmental, planning, and engineering firm with three offices in the greater New York area (plus offices in New Jersey, Maryland, and Connecticut), AKRF has contributed to some of the largest and most important transportation projects in the New York metropolitan region, including: the World Trade Center PATH Terminal; Route 9A Lower Manhattan to 59th Street Reconstruction; Second Avenue Subway; Long Island Rail Road East Side Access Project; the NJ Transit and Amtrak Portal Bridge Project; the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project; and the Empire Corridor High-Speed Rail Initiative. Our multidisciplinary staff and integrated approach provide the full range of capabilities in the environmental assessment, planning, engineering, construction monitoring, and permitting service areas that may be needed to evaluate alternatives, complete environmental review, and obtain permits for a wide variety of transportation initiatives and other projects in the region. AKRF also provides various traffic- and transportation-related services from pedestrian studies to traffic impact analyses.
Click here to learn more about AKRF.
Are you interested in becoming a Sponsor Highlight? This service is one of the many benefits we provide to our Corporate Partners. Email Kimberly Patterson at kpatterson@camsys.com for more details.
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Member Updates
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Leslie Mesnick-Uretsky: Guest Lecturer & GOALS Participant
WTS member Leslie Mesnick-Uretsky recently served as a Guest Lecturer at Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management. Her presentation to the class focused on the sustainability benefits of advancing commuter and freight rail projects. She also facilitated a discussion regarding the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) on major U.S. transportation initiatives.
Last summer, Ms. Mesnick-Uretsky was selected for participation in the Motorola Foundation's Camp GOALS at the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum. The program, which stands for Greater Opportunities Advancing Leadership and Science, strives to encourage middle-school girls to consider careers in science and engineering in part through presentations by women who serve as role models in a wide range of technical fields.
Lisa DiTaranti, P.E. joins Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Lisa DiTaranti, P.E. a 25-year veteran of the transportation industry, has joined VHB as its new Northeast Director of Transit & Rail. DiTaranti will lead the firm's growing transit and rail practice in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
"We're thrilled to have Lisa on board as we continue to expand our practice and tackle our growing list of projects along the east coast," said Michael McArdle, VHB's Director of Transit & Rail. "Our Transit and Rail practice will greatly benefit from Lisa's expertise, deep knowledge of transit, and her working relationships across the industry."
Leni Schwendinger Opens Louisville 2nd Street Bridge & Streetscape Project
Leni Schwendinger Light Projects LTD creates lighting environments for architectural and public spaces all over the world. This WBE/DBE firm opened the Louisville, KY 2nd Street Bridge and Streetscape project in October 2010. Please see the following link.
http://lenischwendinger.wordpress.com/2010/11/
Talent Search
Community Buzz will continue to feature profiles of candidates seeking career opportunities in the transportation industry. We will showcase candidates' professional backgrounds, interests, and career aspirations. To submit a candidate profile for the next Buzz, email wtsgny@gmail.com for more information.
Have you changed jobs? Received a promotion? Presented at a conference? Have you or your employer done something notable to advance women in transportation? Let us know! Email wtsgny@gmail.com with your story!
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Register for Upcoming Events
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