The Kleinfelder Blog

From left: Kat Streff, Houman Makarechi, and Margaret O’Meara  

Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS) hosted its annual conference in Seattle, Washington from May 16-19, 2022. In attendance and proudly representing Kleinfelder were Transportation Market Leader Margaret O’Meara, National Transportation Market Leader Houman Makarechi, and Project Manager Kat Streff, who is also WTS Heart of Texas Chapter’s membership committee chair.

Executive Round Tables

Kicking off the WTS Annual conference was a premier event sponsored by Kleinfelder, which included two Executive Round Tables – the Women’s Business Owners and the Executive Women’s Round Table.  Participating were global corporate and governmental transportation leaders from both FTA and FHWA, including many Secretaries, Directors of Transportation, and Leaders from across the country. Margaret O’Meara, representing Kleinfelder, welcomed attendees at both events, speaking to the importance of transportation funding in addressing issues critical to our women owners, states, and communities. These venues provided a forum to our leaders to discuss such issues, successes, and opportunities that ultimately advance the careers and support of all women within our industry.

Keynote Speaker

The keynote speaker for the event was Susan O’Malley, the first president of a professional sports franchise. Her speech titled, “Seven Leadership and Life Lessons,” drew upon her experience as the former president of Washington Sports and Entertainment. Championing the advancement of women in underrepresented fields, like sports and transportation, was the most exciting takeaway from the event for Kat.

Notable Sessions

One notable education session was “Uptown BRT: The First Exclusive BRT in Texas,” which focused on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program in Houston, Texas. GUNDA representatives and local officials discussed the project and its mission to enhance mobility with a rail-like system. This program has increased relevancy as Kleinfelder’s Austin Area is currently implementing a light rail system that faces similar design and construction issues.

Another notable session was “A View from the Top.” Chief Executive Officers from top transportation firms, agencies, and organizations shared their strategic insight into unique challenges being faced in the industry, the state of the transportation workforce pipeline, and how the pandemic may shape the future of transportation.

On the last day of the conference, US DOT leadership from FTA and FRA discussed top priority areas of focus for the Administration including safety, economic viability, equity, multimodal mobility, and connecting communities.

“I’m excited to bring my new knowledge and skills to the Membership Committee as I expand upon my role as the Membership Director for the WTS Heart of Texas Chapter,” said Kat.