Karen Winger is currently the assistant general manager/operations manager for Veolia Transportation’s Loudoun County (VA) Commuter services project, a position she has held since May 2013. She oversees day-to-day operations and manages more than 100 supervisors, dispatchers and operators with the responsibility of delivering safe, on-time, cost-effective and efficient service.
Achievements among her many duties include overseeing the day-to-day operations with the responsibility of making decisions for the safe and efficient operation of the Loudoun County Commuter services; ensuring on-time operating performance of the services; providing on-street monitoring of operators and respond to on-street issues and emergencies such as accidents, incidents and vehicle breakdowns as needed; managing customer comment and complaint investigation, including resolution and internal and external follow up; and managing dispatch function ensuring maximum efficiency and compliance will all applicable federal, state and Loudoun County regulations, policies and procedures.
Previously, as the business development, proposal and marketing manager, Winger coordinated and managed the proposal development process for a $1.4 billion transportation company; increased proposal submittal in both volume (30 to 60 proposals) and annual revenue value (from $148 million to $493 million) in just three years; evaluated business opportunities for viability, including Request for Proposals; developed proposal content to reflect new corporate programs and initiatives; review and edit proposals; collected and researched on competitive environment Innovations in her field; developed, implemented and customized salesforce.com launch for maintenance and tracking of current projects and the development of new contacts and opportunities for new business; expanded proposal content to reflect new Veolia corporate programs and initiative; and developed a Human Services Coordination Plan and Solicitation Program which became the model for all Massachusetts Planning Organizations (while with Old Colony Planning Council in Brockton, MA)
Winger received Excellence in Planning by the American Planning Association for contributions to the South Coast Rail Corridor Plan. She has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Bachelor of Arts in communication from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
“Transportation is never a dull moment, and while some days I secretly wish for a quiet day, I know that each and every day is going to be different than the last. Once you solve one challenge there is another one to tackle, sometimes even simultaneously.
“The other thing I enjoy about working in transportation is that no matter what transportation system I am working with, I know I am making a difference. The reason why one person over another is using mass transportation may vary but it makes a difference in their lives.”
“What started out as a college job in just 17 years has lead me to so many amazing experiences, driving old MCI tour buses in Yellowstone, the experience of a lifetime working for the 2002 Olympics, working with local programs in finding transportation funding that absolutely makes a difference in someone’s life, to working for business development for one of the largest contractors in the U.S. I have had the opportunity in 17 years to see so many sides of transportation, and I just can't wait to see what the next 17 years is going to bring me next; it never gets old.”
“There was one day in college, it was a beautiful spring day out, and I was hanging out by the campus pond on the Campus of the University of Massachusetts. I saw a bus parked at the Student Union, which I thought was odd, because I don’t remember ever seeing a bus over there before. I wandered over and saw the sign “UMass Transit Services Now Hiring!” I filled out an application and then started the training program shortly after. Not unlike the many UMass Transit folk in the industry, I started taking on positions with more responsibility within the organization and eventually realized I could make a career out of this. It came at a good time too, because I think I was on maybe my fifth major by then. So while I have a BA in communications and an MBA, I also “majored” in UMass Transit Services.”
“I have the opportunity to work in many different aspects of transportation, including operations and planning, but what I love — no matter what position I am working in — is how transportation affects daily lives. A quality public transportation network can really enhance a person’s ability to have a well-rounded quality of life. For the system I work with now, it means people who are not generally transportation-dependent have a quiet, safe and comfortable ride into D.C., where they can sleep or read a book and not have to deal with the hassle of traffic and parking. In systems I have worked before, it has been connecting veterans, senior, students or teens to their jobs, education or doctor’s appointments.
“The other part of transportation that I am always fascinated about is how, in reality, across all systems there are themes that connect them together, but each one seems to take its own unique take. It has not gotten old yet for me, and I hope it never does.”
“[In the future I would like to see] thinking of transit beyond just buses, vans and trains. A person's mobility is influenced by many factors, including transportation, land use design, where cities, towns and counties plan to build vital services. There are a handful of communities in the U.S. that are thinking this way but most are not. Planning for Humans Services is done in a silo well away from the transportation folks, and they sure as heck don't talk to the Public Works folks, or the local development community.
“With our current land use design and as our urban cores grows, the SOV land use is going to strain and fracture our system if we don't come up with a different design. That is where good planning with transportation at the table comes in and that includes all forms of transportation from buses and paratransit, to bicycle and pedestrian, shared ride and even include the car. It all works together.”
“Access to services within the transportation network (not off the beaten path), sidewalks so individuals can safely access transportation, good communication within departments so local, state and federal money is spent not only wisely but in an efficient manner is the future. It can be as simple as a town redoing the sidewalks on a street that happens to be along a bus route that is a good time to pour some shelter pads or maybe put some cuts outs in, at a discounted rate than if that project was to be done separately. But it talks a lot of work and especially open communication to be successful in this manner, and with shrinking formal federal funding, state and local assistance funding the organizations that function in this manner will be the ones that will continue to thrive in the future.”
“In the last three years I have got into motorcycling, which is funny because I only decided to get my license because I was terrified of riding a motorcycle in the first place. But now three years later, I not only ride on the street but I do what are called Trackdays and ride around on the race track. Managing the fear of the motorcycle and constantly pushing my limits can easily be transferred to a metaphor about my life, as I am always trying to reach the edge of my limitations in career and personal goals. By pushing my limits on the track it has helped me put both things at work and life in perspective and it has given me an outlet for stress.”
