CO: MTI Co-sponsors Women in Transportation Summit

 “Women in Transportation: Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement,” hosted by the University of Denver’s National Center for Intermodal Transportation (NCIT), is set for April 9, at the Cable Center in Denver.

Sherri LeBas, Louisiana Secretary of Transportation, will keynote the opening session, while Marcia Ferranto, CEO of the Women’s Transportation Seminar, will keynote the close. The summit runs from 1:00-6:15 pm. The Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University is a co-sponsor.

Panel sessions will discuss women in transportation in public, private, and academic sectors. Moderating those panels will be Michelle Livingstone, vice president of transportation for The Home Depot; Kathryn Waters, executive vice president of member services for the American Public Transportation Association; and Karen Philbrick, PhD, deputy executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University.

Other scheduled speakers include Adriene Bailey, vice president of business development for Yusen Logistics; Anita L. Doney, senior manager, international logistics & transportation for Walmart; Jill Hough, PhD, adjunct professor at North Dakota State University; Marie Lacertosa, senior vice president of supply chain for JCPenney Corporation; Natalie Putnam, vice president of marketing for Ryder Systems; Patrick Sherry, PhD, executive director of NCIT; Pauletta Tonilas, director of public relations for RTD-Denver; and others.

“This stellar lineup of women executives is evidence that transportation careers are no longer just for the men,” said Dr. Sherry, who organized the event. “They have made significant headway in supply chain, logistics, business development, and other pathways that did not see many women even a few years ago. But barriers still exist, and many young women still aren’t confident that the doors will open for them. We hope that this discussion will help determine where to go from here – how to identify those barriers, how to overcome them, how to prepare for the necessary knowledge and skills, how to mentor young women, and much more.”

Besides NCIT and the Intermodal Transportation Institute at the University of Denver, sponsors for the event include the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University, the Mountain Plains Consortium at South Dakota University, and the Women’s Transportation Seminar.