Icon Legend

Full Schedule

Home
Full Schedule

All Days
Mon, May 4
Tue, May 5
Wed, May 6
Thu, May 7

Full Schedule

Type here to filter the list

Thursday, May 7, 2026
7:00 AM - 8:30 AM PST
Breakfast

7:00 AM - 8:30 AM PST

Breakfast

Location: California Ballroom - 2nd Floor

7:00 AM - 2:00 PM PST
Registration

7:00 AM - 2:00 PM PST

Registration

Location: California Foyer - 2nd Floor

8:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST
Exhibit Hall

8:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST

Exhibit Hall

Location: Pasadena Ballroom - One Level Below Lobby

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM PST
Plenary Session

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM PST

Plenary Session: The New Mobility Blueprint: Strategic Leadership in Inclusive Transportation Innovations

Location: California Ballroom - 2nd Floor

Moderator: Karen Kitsis – Hampton Roads Transit

Panelist: Stephanie Wiggins – CEO, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Panelist: Jennifer Mitchell – Amtrak

Panelist: Alanna Strohecker, MBA (she/her/hers) – AECOM

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM PST
Plenary Session

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM PST

Plenary Session: WTS International Leadership of the Future

Location: California Ballroom - 2nd Floor

Moderator: Malika Reed Wilkins, PhD – CEO, WTS International

Panelist: Erin Slayton

Panelist: Alexa Gangemi – HNTB

Panelist: Monica Backmon – NVTA

Panelist: Monica Tibbits Nutt, FAICP, LEED AP BD+C (she/her/hers) – Jacobs

Panelist: Bridgette Beato – Board Chair, WTS International

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM PST
BREAK

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM PST

BREAK

Location: Pasadena Ballroom - One Level Below Lobby

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST
Lab to Lane: Scaling University Innovation for Multimodal Operations

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

Lab to Lane: Scaling University Innovation for Multimodal Operations

Location: California Ballroom - 2nd Floor

Moderator: Hannah Gildar, PMP (she/her/hers) – Lumenor Consulting Group

Panelist: Stephen Dilts (he/him/his) – New Jersey Turnpike Authority

Panelist: Megan Ryerson – University of Pennsylvania

Panelist: Brett Pool

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST
Navigating the Mid-Career Journey

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

Navigating the Mid-Career Journey

Location: Beaudry A - Lobby Level

Panelist: Lindsey Sousa, MURP – AECOM

Panelist: Karla Avis-Birch, Bachelor of Engineering, P Eng. – Arup

Panelist: Jessica Myklebust, Masters in Environmental Policy and Management & Undergratudate Environmental Science/Geography – Colorado Department of Transportation

Panelist: Helga E. Sommer, BA in Civil Eng, BA in Architectural Eng, Master in Civil (structural), PE, PPM – PortMiami

Moderator: Ece F. Koch, PE, ENV SP (she/her/hers) – AECOM

Workforce of the Future: Leadership, Talent, and Transformation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST
Not all pathways to the C Suite in Transportation are Linear, a discussion with women in the industry from various career backgrounds.

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

Not all pathways to the C Suite in Transportation are Linear, a discussion with women in the industry from various career backgrounds.

Location: Beaudry B - Lobby Level

Panelist: Melissa Figueroa – California Transit Association

Panelist: Avital Barnea (she/her/hers) – LA Metro

Panelist: Maria Guadalupe Meleandez (she/her/hers) – Denver International Airport - Denver, CO

Panelist: Margaret Cederoth, AICP – Sound Transit

Moderator: Karen Philbrick, MA, EDM, PhD (she/her/hers) – Mineta Transportation Institute

Workforce of the Future: Leadership, Talent, and Transformation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST
Soft Skills, Strong Impact: Transforming Fundamentals to Career Superpowers

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

Soft Skills, Strong Impact: Transforming Fundamentals to Career Superpowers

Location: Santa Barbara - Lobby Level

Panelist: Falyn Coleman-Wright (she/her/hers) – API

Panelist: Rachel Yazawa-Taylor, P.E. (she/her/hers) – Mark Thomas

Panelist: Van Le, AICP, Professional Planner – R&M Consultants, Inc

Panelist: Diana Giraldo, P.E. (she/her/hers) – HNTB

Moderator: Faye Majekodunmi, P.E. – Amtrak

Workforce of the Future: Leadership, Talent, and Transformation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST
Transforming Recruitment with a Skills-Based Approach

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

Transforming Recruitment with a Skills-Based Approach

Location: San Pedro - Lobby Level

Moderator: Olivia Coffey – Siemens Mobility

Panelist: Dawn Braswell – Siemens Mobility

Panelist: Jenny Ferguson – Davidson-Davie Community College

Panelist: Bianca Rehmer – Orion Talent

Panelist: Tami L. Wolownik (she/her/hers) – Siemens Mobility North America

Workforce of the Future: Leadership, Talent, and Transformation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST
WTS Talks

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: Autonomous technology - a new way to look at transportation!

Location: Wilshire E - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Marie-France Laurin, n/a – MFL Consulting

Technology at the Speed of Change

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: Champions Not Cheerleaders: How to Build a Sponsorship Network for a Pathway to Success

Location: Santa Monica A - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Circe Torruellas, JD, MPP, ENV SP (she/her/hers) – WTS DC Chapter

Workforce of the Future: Leadership, Talent, and Transformation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: Elevating Your Leadership Story on LinkedIn

Location: Santa Monica A - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Madelene Skinner, APR – RS&H

Workforce of the Future: Leadership, Talent, and Transformation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: First-of-Its-Kind: Scaling the Center of Equity & Excellence in Aviation Model for Transportation Workforce Excellence

Location: Santa Monica B - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Stephanie A. Burke, PMP – Denver International Airport

Workforce of the Future: Leadership, Talent, and Transformation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: From Vision to Implementation: Inside the Mobility Action Plan LA

Location: Santa Monica D - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Nataly Rios Gutierrez, MURP (she/her/hers) – City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation

Infrastructure Reinvented- Designing for a New Era

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: I-405 South Multi-Asset Design/Build - Saving Time and Money Through Collaboration and Partnership

Location: Santa Monica D - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Scott Lawson, PE, GE – Terracon

Infrastructure Reinvented- Designing for a New Era

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: Igniting Rail Careers: From Classroom Curiosity to Industry Opportunity

Location: Santa Monica B - 3rd Floor

Speaker: JODI A. GODFREY, MSCE (she/her/hers) – Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida

Workforce of the Future: Leadership, Talent, and Transformation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: Managing the passions of a multi-generational workforce

Location: Santa Monica B - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Ann Conway – Zan Associates

Workforce of the Future: Leadership, Talent, and Transformation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: Progressive contactless upgrades for an equitable Los Angeles

Location: Wilshire E - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Chloe Spano (she/her/hers) – Cubic Transportation Systems

Technology at the Speed of Change

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: Purple Line - Maryland's Design-Build Light Rail Leading the Way to Connect Communities Despite Unforeseen Setbacks.

Location: Santa Monica D - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Roxanne Feige (she/her/hers) – AtkinsRealis

Infrastructure Reinvented- Designing for a New Era

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: Rethinking the Last Mile: Decarbonizing Freight Transport

Location: Santa Monica C - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Krupa Gajjar – TYLin

Speaker: Dorottya Miketa, AICP, PP (she/her/hers) – TYLin

Technology at the Speed of Change

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: Small Business Strategies for Transit Agencies

Location: Wilshire A - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Elizabeth Solís-Campana, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative – The Solis Group

Small Business Strategies for the Future of Transportation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: Small but Mighty: How Diverse Firms Drive Innovation and Equity in Transportation

Location: Wilshire A - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Cantrece V. Jones, Bachelors – Acuity Design Group, Inc.

Small Business Strategies for the Future of Transportation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: Three Decades of Small Business Impact, From Adaptability to Authenticity in Building a Small Business That Lasts

Location: Wilshire A - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Genoveva L. Arellano – Arellano Associates

Small Business Strategies for the Future of Transportation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: University Champion Program to Recruit and Retain Talent in Transportation

Location: Santa Monica C - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Heidi Eilers (she/her/hers) – HNTB

Workforce of the Future: Leadership, Talent, and Transformation

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM PST

WTS Talk: Voices of Calm: Women Leading Transportation Operation Centers

Location: Santa Monica C - 3rd Floor

Speaker: Janice Clea (she/her/hers) – PA Turnpike Commission

Workforce of the Future: Leadership, Talent, and Transformation

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST
Mentoring Mistakes and Makeovers

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST

Mentoring Mistakes and Makeovers

Location: San Gabriel - Lobby Level

Panelist: Mary Jane O'Meara, n/a – HNTB

Panelist: Leslie S. Richards (she/her/hers) – Lumenor Consulting Group

Panelist: Deborah Wathen Finn, MA – The Wathen Group

Panelist: Tanya Adams, MPA – WSP USA

Moderator: Elizabeth McConaghy, MPH (she/her/hers) – HNTB

Workforce of the Future: Leadership, Talent, and Transformation

12:00 PM - 2:30 PM PST
Luncheon - Circle of Excellence, State of the Association and Board Transition

12:00 PM - 2:30 PM PST

Luncheon - Circle of Excellence, State of the Association and Board Transition

Location: California Ballroom - 2nd Floor

2:30 PM - 4:30 PM PST
Closing Reception

2:30 PM - 4:30 PM PST

Closing Reception

Location: Catalina Ballroom - 3rd Floor

3:00 PM - 6:00 PM PST
Tour - Long Beach Transit (LBT) Water Taxi Tour

3:00 PM - 6:00 PM PST

Tour - Long Beach Transit (LBT) Water Taxi Tour

Location: Figueroa Street Entrance - 2nd Level