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Api Appulingam, PE, AAE
President, WTS Philadelphia
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President's Message
I was not supposed to be in that room. The room where a meeting with the Deputy Mayor of Transportation and Utilities was taking place. But a consequential taxi ride after a WTS event changed that. The shared ride was with Rina Cutler. I had just moved to Philadelphia and didn’t know who she was other than her very impressive title. As we headed towards our destinations, I began telling her about my work and an upcoming meeting she was having with my organization’s leadership. She asked one simple question – are you attending the meeting? My answer was no, to which she quickly responded – tell them I asked you to join the meeting. That’s how I ended up in that room.
Maya Angelou famously said, “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. Rina made me feel seen. We didn’t speak often but I knew she was keeping an eye on me. She shared encouraging messages as I achieved significant milestones in my career. And every time I saw her, I reminded her of the impact she had on me during our first meeting in the taxi ride. I was saddened by her recent passing but know that her legacy lives on in many of us. Please join me to honor and celebrate the life of Rina Cutler by sharing a message or your memory of her here.
The end of the year is always a time to reflect. I am grateful to all those who coach, sponsor, advocate, and mentor individuals to help shape their future. We don’t succeed alone, and we have the responsibility to pass on what we’ve learned and encourage those around us.
Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!
Onward & upward,
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As we come to a close on 2023, we are grateful for the support of our sponsors, members, and volunteers!
We are very proud of all that we have accomplished together, and Api highlighted some of our achievements at our Snowball Awards Soirée. Check out the video!
Thank you for being an important part of our organization and helping us create positive change in the world. And we sincerely hope that you will continue being a part of our future successes as we embark into a new horizon in our 45th year!
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Oh, What a Night! The Story of the Snowball Soirée | |
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On Thursday, November 30th, we hosted our annual awards gala - the Snowball Awards Soirée - at the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue, to honor our 2023 award winners. It was an exciting night of recognition, celebration and a whole lot of fun. Click here for a list of award winners and to see photos from the event!
Photos courtesy of Stokes Creative Group
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Mentors & Mentees Discover Personality Types Together | |
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This month the Professional Development committee hosted the Mentoring Program’s first group session at Burns Engineering, entitled Discovering Your Personality Type. This session was facilitated by Shakeyia Kersey, Director at Moore College of Art and Design and MBTI Certified Professional.
Click here to read more and see photos!
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Breaking Barriers for Women in Aviation | |
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Our final event of the year passed our expectations with FLYING colors! On December 5th, over 120 people from across the country tuned into this virtual presentation on the Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB)'s 2022 report and a compelling panel discussion with accomplished aviation professionals, shedding light on their remarkable careers and the efforts they are making to inspire underrepresented individuals in the field.
Click here to read more, access the WIAAB's report, view a recording of the presentation, and check out photos!
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On Thursday, December 14th, our Board met to celebrate our hard work, each other and the year's successes! Thank you to everyone who worked hard this year to make WTS Philadelphia a standout organization! | |
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JOINT DINNER MEETING WITH ASHE & ASCE
January 17, 2024
King of Prussia Crowne Plaza Philadelphia
Speaker:
PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll.
Details to follow!
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REBUILDING I-95: THE DESIGN PERSPECTIVE FROM EMERGENCY TO RE-OPENING
January 24, 2024
Bethlehem, PA
Held in conjunction with ASCE Lehigh Valley Section. Event details and RSVP here!
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Diversity and inclusion have always been at the core of WTS with the vision for full equity and access for women in transportation. The WTS Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee sets strategic goals and actionable solutions to attain equity and access. This column will highlight how our partner organizations are focusing on and celebrating EDI - a great learning opportunity and way to share resources with our members. | |
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As December 3rd was the International Persons with Disabilities Day, we wanted to take a look at a few of the initiatives and ways infrastructure stakeholders throughout the city have been taking steps to increase accessibility to all Philadelphians.
Click here to learn more!
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Our Student Outreach program has two sides:
Transportation YOU: a STEM Outreach program for girls ages 13 - 18
Student Chapter: a college-based community that focuses on preparing regional
students to be active & successful members of the transportation industry
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Professional Development Panel | |
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On Thursday, December 7th, the Student Chapter hosted a professional development panel to prepare students for the vast opportunities after completing higher education.
This event showcased various paths that professionals in our industry have taken to reach their current position.
Click here to read more!
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Congratulations to our 2023 Scholarship Recipients! | |
This month, WTS Philadelphia awarded 11 undergraduate and graduate scholarships to students who exhibited significant academic achievement and dedication to the STEM and transportation industry through their involvement in professional societies and/or career advancement. Click here to learn more about the scholarship recipients and our program and here to see photos from the Emerging Leaders and Scholarship Reception! | | |
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HDR: Lessons Not Taught in the Classroom
Jennifer Walsh, PE
Traffic & Planning Section Manager
Relationships are important – with family, friends, coworkers, or anyone you meet.
Relationships don’t happen overnight, they require time, effort, and trust… Read more!
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Since 2018, JBC has been providing CM/CI Services to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in their efforts to convert their toll system to Open Road Tolling (ORT). Open Road Tolling is a cashless, free-flowing mode of collecting tolls without traditional toll plazas or tollbooths. ORT is better for the environment, reduces accidents, allows new access points to be more easily added and helps save the Turnpike more than $75 million a year. Click here to read more! | |
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Susquehanna Civil is a majority woman-owned certified DBE firm celebrating 15 years with a new look. Our commitment remains, with the same DBE certifications, services, and dedication to "Engineering the Road Ahead!"
As we embark on the upcoming year with our new look, we eagerly anticipate advancing projects with our clients and embracing exciting advancements in our field. Click here to read more!
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Every year, the Central Penn Business Journal examines companies’ practices, programs, benefits, and most importantly, their staffs’ opinions, to be considered one of the Best Places To Work in PA.
Although TPD has been featured on this list 17 times since 2003, this year we proudly advanced in the rankings joining the Large Employer category, making it a true accomplishment on many levels for us. Click here to see the full list of winners, and congratulations to the other WTS Philadelphia supporters with whom we share this prestigious award!
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Abbey Gancz, PE, LEED AP, Project Manager, and Mike Mastaglio, PE, PTOE, Associate Vice President, Transportation, Planning, Design & Multimodal Ventures, along with Kelley Yemen, AICP, Director of Complete Streets, and Adam Smith, PE, PTOE, Complete Streets District Manager, presented the innovative "Reinventing Old City Market Street" vision zero complete streets project at the 2023 MASITE Annual Meeting in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia's OTIS. Click here to read more! | |
We are pleased to present the 2023 - 2024 Cohort of Emerging Leaders! Click here to learn more! | |
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Visit our website for exciting opportunities with our
corporate and agency partners!
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE JOB BOARD!
Current openings include positions with:
BFW Group | FHWA | GPI | McMahon | Michael Baker International
Jacobs | JBC Associates | STV | TPD
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If you'd like to list a job opportunity, please complete this form.
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WTS Philadelphia | Contact Us
The Philadelphia Chapter of WTS was formed by 12 women on June 21, 1979. Since its formation, the Chapter has focused on promoting the development and advancement of women and minorities in the transportation industry.
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