THE PUBLICATION OF WOMEN’S TRANSPORTATION SEMINAR | LOS ANGELES AREA CHAPTER
WTSEXPRESSLA
Transportation Infrastructure:
Making a Federal Case for Local Power
Ezra Pound said, “All great art is born of the
metropolis.” Without knowing it, Pound described
what could be the most profound trend in both
transportation and urban planning.
Art takes many forms. But what is happening in
cities and metropolitan regions around the US is
definitely as much art as it is politics, government,
finance, transportation, and science.
VOLUME 1 NUMBER 1 FALL 2013
WTS-LA Mentorship Co-Chair Art Leahy, Metro CEO,
and WTS-LA President Lynda Bybee, Metro Deputy
Executive Officer Regional Communications, explain
how Los Angeles is leading the nation in the local
origination and funding of critical infrastructure, with
an exceptional number of such projects at Metro.
Advancing Women
in Transportation
JOHN LIVZEY
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
WTS Los Angeles Highlights Significant Chapters in Transportation
Albert Einstein said, “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you
always got.” Cities and metropolitan regions are taking Einstein’s words to heart and putting
them into action. They are changing how infrastructure is created, especially transportation, and
especially in Los Angeles. In our cover story, we explore what this means with one of the lead-
ing thinkers on the subject, Brookings Institution Vice President Bruce Katz.
We also received comments for our cover story from CH2M Hill International Division
President Jacqueline Hinman. We would like to extend our congratulations to her for being
named the next CEO of CH2M Hill. A unanimous choice by the CH2M Hill board, current
CEO Lee McIntire said about Hinman that she “is the best equipped to lead us forward. She
has a lot of energy and a quiet focus.”
Thinking out of the box represents several news items in our newsletter, from an exploratory
project for a Pan-American Freight Rail Corridor to Metro’s own Art Tour Program to commer-
cial spaceflight. However, unconventional and iconoclastic thinking is natural for WTS-LA
members. Given WTS-LA’s mission, we pride ourselves on being innovative in many areas.
And that is reflected well in this issue.
That originality is also reflected in the outstanding programs we’ve enjoyed this year. Our
upcoming programs will not disappoint either. In September, we hosted newly appointed
California State Transportation Agency Secretary Brian P. Kelly and learned his vision for the
future of transportation in the state. Los Angeles Department of Transportation General
Manager Jaime de la Vega will visit us in October to illuminate our members as to the future
of transportation within Los Angeles. On November 14, we all join together to celebrate our
own for the Annual Scholarship and Awards Dinner. Please mark your calendars and
reserve your tickets early, as these programs will fill up quickly.
I would like to commend the Philadelphia Chapter and WTS International for the wonderful
2013 Annual Conference in Philadelphia in May, featuring my compatriot, writer and cultural
icon Gloria Steinem as keynote speaker. It was an outstanding event.
Finally, I would like to encourage all of you to get the word out about our wonderful
organization. WTS serves a critical purpose to the transportation industry and to its members.
While we know that, others may not. So to enhance the value for us as well as spread the
value to others, I would personally like to ask you to seek out transportation professionals who
you believe would benefit from and bring value to WTS. There are now special incentive
rates or public sector employees and transportation faculty. Veterans can even join for free!
Thank you all very much. It is an honor to be your president.
Sincerely,
Lynda Bybee
Metro Deputy Executive Officer Regional Communications
In our July 31 WTS-LA
program, FTA Deputy
Administrator Therese
McMillan [ABOVE], Metro
Board Chair Diane
DuBois, and Caltrans
Chief Deputy Director
Norma Ortega enthralled
a dignitary-packed crowd
with the intricacies and
efficacies of local, state,
and federal transportation
funding.The transportation
funding experts also
illuminated the rapt
audience with their
visions for the future of
transportation funding for
Los Angeles County.
FALL 2013 WTSEXPRESSLA 1
KOOP FILMS
JOHN LIVZEY
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
WTS Los Angeles Highlights Significant Chapters in Transportation
PARTNERS | BOARD OF DIRECTORS
COVER STORY
Transportation Infrastructure: Making a Federal Case for Local Power
Metro ExpressLanes are HOT
PROJECT BRIEFS
The ARTI of the Deal: Illustrating Why Local Can Be Better
The Port of Los Angeles is Changing the Channel and Looking for Depth
A VIEW FROM THE TRENCHES
Leadership and Diversity: Coming Apart at the Seems
PROGRAMS LINEUP
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Membership | Scholarship | Transportation Résumé Book
MEMBER PROFILES
Lupe Valdez | Union Pacific Railroad
Cynthia Guidry | Los Angeles World Airports
Pat McLaughlin | MIG
Amy Grat | International Trade Education Programs, Inc.
Carolyn “Carrie” Pourvahidi | California Transportation Commission
Todd Matsubara | University of California (Irvine)
WTS-LA SCHOLARSHIPS: A GOOD CAUSE AND THE EFFECT
Camille N. Y. Fink | American Planning Association
IN THE NEWS
RECENT PROGRAMS
COMMITTEE CHAIRS | CONTRIBUTORS
©Copyright WTS Los Angeles Area Chapter 2013. All rights reserved.
1
2
3
5
7
8
9
10
14
15
19
21
THE PUBLICATION OF WOMEN’S TRANSPORTATION SEMINAR
LOS ANGELES AREA CHAPTER
VOLUME
1 | NUMBER 1 | FALL 2013
Ezra Pound said, “All great art is born of
the metropolis.” Without knowing it, Pound
described what could be the most pro-
found trend in both transportation and
urban planning.
Art takes many forms. But what is happening
in cities and metropolitan regions around
the US is definitely as much art as it is poli-
tics, government, finance, transportation,
and science.
“A revolution is stirring in America. Like all
great revolutions, this one starts with a
simple but profound truth: Cities and metro-
politan areas are the engines of economic
prosperity and social transformation in the
United States.” With that as its launching
point, Bruce Katz’s The Metropolitan Revo-
lution: How Cities and Metros Are Fixing
Our Broken Politics and Fragile Economy
details how cities and metropolitan regions
are redefining the urban landscape, trans-
portation funding mechanisms, federal
government involvement, and the future.
Katz and co-author Jennifer Bradley, both
with the Brookings Institution, consider Los
Angeles no small player in this process. In
an interview for this article, Katz explained
the critical role Los Angeles is playing in
this revolution.
“What is happening in Los Angeles is
emblematic of the new way that leadership
plays out in the US. I’m talking about the
packaging and execution of Measure R, the
building of a modern, state-of-the-art transit
system in Los Angeles primarily financed
by local resources. For a long time we only
thought of transportation and transit in a
very narrow way. The way in which Measure
R was sold and is being implemented really
reminds us of the comprehensive impact
and possibilities of transit and transport.
“What we talk
about in the
book is the smart
federalism that
has played out
after Measure R was adopted. The ability of
Los Angeles, together with a network of
other cities and metropolitan areas, to go
to the federal government and advocate
collectively for innovative financing that
would allow Los Angeles to accelerate the
construction of transit was obviously a hard
thing to do for cities. But it shows how
when the federal government acts in the
service of metro innovation, we finally get
the federal government we need and
frankly we should demand in this century.”
Metro CEO and WTS-LA Mentorship
Co-Chair Art Leahy agrees.
“We’re redesigning the urban fabric of Los
Angeles. We’re in development with 27
major capital projects. In addition, we’re
looking at three or four major P3 projects.
And one of the best things is that the
board [Metro Board of Directors] wants us
to develop and implement these projects.
They want us to experiment and innovate,
to advance projects as quickly as possible.
We also enjoy a very high level of public
support. The public has given us a lot of
money and they expect results.”
From the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor
project to the Regional Connector Transit
Corridor to a 10-mile P3 tunnel through the
Sepulveda Pass to a P3 train project in the
north of LA County, the varied projects
Leahy speaks of are proof positive of Katz’s
theory. Though some federal monies are
involved, the force behind these projects is
local. That is a fundamental change in the
way transportation projects have tradition-
ally been realized.
WTS-LA President and Metro Deputy
Executive Officer Regional Communications
Lynda Bybee adds, “We’re not the only
self-help county. You’re seeing more trans-
portation measures going on the ballot
nationwide. Locally, voters appreciate what
it means to tax themselves to improve their
mobility and quality of life. The truth is
there is only a discrete amount of federal
funding available for infrastructure. So it
PARTNERS
PLATINUM SPONSORS
AECOM
Arcadis
CH2M Hill, Inc.
HDR
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Stantec
URS
GOLD SPONSORS
Berg & Associates
Hatch Mott MacDonald
Jacobs
John Livzey Photography
Nossaman, LLP
Overland Pacific and Cutler, Inc.
Port of Long Beach
Port of Los Angeles
SILVER SPONSORS
HNTB
JL Patterson
Lea+Elliott, Inc.
Loudmouth Graphics
LTK Engineering
Metro
Rail Pros, Inc.
STV, Inc.
Twining, Inc.
University of Southern California
BRONZE SPONSORS
Anil Verma Associates, Inc.
DCA Civil Engineering Group
Diaz Yourman
Earth Mechanics, Inc. (EMI)
Katherine Padilla & Associates
Lee Andrews Group
Morgner Technology Management
Paragon Partners
Spencer Schurr & Associates
WTS EXPRESS LA
EDITOR | Alexandra Spencer
PRINCIPAL WRITER | Arthur Schurr
PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHER | John Livzey
GRAPHIC DESIGN | Loudmouth Graphics
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Lynda Bybee
Metro
1st VICE PRESIDENT [Programs]
Behjat Zanjani, PE
IEM
2nd VICE PRESIDENT [Membership]
Paula Hernandez
LTK Engineering Services
TREASURER
Melissa Cutter, PE
Stantec Consulting
SECRETARY
Jenelle Saunders
Berg & Associates Construction
Management
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Melissa de la Peña, PE
CH2M Hill
DIRECTORS AT LARGE
Dina Aryan-Zahlan, P.E., PMP
Port of Los Angeles
Doug Failing, PE
Metro
Cynthia Guidry, PE
Los Angeles World Airports
Lindy Lee-Lovell, PMP
Caltrans District 7
Gary Lee Moore, PE
City of Los Angeles
Professor James E. Moore II
University of Southern California
Eric Shen, PE, PTP
Port of Long Beach
Martha Welborne, FAIA
Metro
2 WTSEXPRESSLA FALL 2013 FALL 2013 WTSEXPRESSLA 3
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE:
Making a Federal Case for Local Power
WTS-LA Mentorship Co-Chair Art Leahy, Metro CEO, and WTS-LA President Lynda Bybee, Metro Deputy Executive Officer
Regional Communications, explain how Los Angeles is leading the nation in the local origination and funding of critical
infrastructure, with an exceptional number of such projects at Metro.
Bruce Katz
Vice President
Brookings Institution
JOHN LIVZEY
It is said that every reform needs examples more than advocates. In Metro’s
ExpressLanes project, Metro has provided a stunning example of how cities like Los
Angeles are taking the initiative to create much-needed transportation infrastructure.
High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes were once a daring solution. Things change. And
on Interstate 10 (I-10) in the San Gabriel Valley and Interstate 110 (I-110) along the Harbor
Freeway, Metro implemented a $290 million pilot program to transform HOV lanes into
high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. That may sound like a small change. It’s not. In fact, it’s a
daring, innovative, and wholly effective transportation solution. But why make the change?
“We know transportation affects our everyday life,
and what was exciting and interesting to me was trying
something new to expand the choices among LA
County residents to improve the quality of life,”
explains Stephanie Wiggins, Metro Congestion-
Reduction Initiative Executive Officer and WTS-LA
member. “ExpressLanes have significantly enhanced
mobility and reliability, while reducing congestion.
But the project has done more than that. It has also
introduced a sustainable program that will result
in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)
by an order of magnitude.”
ExpressLanes began in 2008, when the US Department of Transportation designated
Los Angeles as a Congestion Reduction Demonstration partner. As a result, Metro and
Caltrans joined forces in an agreement that helped secure partial federal funding to
convert I-10 and I-110 HOV lanes into dynamically priced HOT lanes. But this project
was not only aimed at single-occupant vehicles (SOV). Improved transit service and
other driving alternatives were featured
prominently in the plan, too. Incorporating
a congestion-pricing strategy, the project
would encourage transit and vanpool–
carpool use, as well as off-peak travel.
With a stringent deadline, the one-year
demonstration program was designed to
test innovations to existing transportation
systems in three sub-regions: the San
Gabriel Valley, Central Los Angeles, and
the South Bay Cities. No small mandate,
these sub-regions represent nearly 50 per-
cent of both population and employment
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
METRO EXPRESSLANES ARE HOT
birth to more than just art. Today, cities
and metropolitan regions are changing the
game in planning, developing, executing,
and implementing transportation infrastruc-
ture. And Los Angeles is ground zero for this
change. Again, Bruce Katz explains.
“The transportation story of Los Angeles plays
out on many different levels. I think Los
Angeles is at the vanguard of a new kind of
federalism in the US where metros lead and
ultimately the federal government follows.”
Think globally; initiate locally. With that as
doctrine, Metro and the California Department
of Transportation (Caltrans) have created the
Accelerated Regional Transportation Improve-
ments (ARTI) project, a prime illustration of
the growing movement of locally initiated
and funded major infrastructure projects.
“The ARTI is an excellent example of how
transportation is being transformed through
innovation measures propelled at the local
level. This project never would happen—
never would have been conceived—except
at the local level,” explains Fredric W. Kessler,
a partner at Nossaman, LLP, a Los Angeles-
based national law firm with expertise in
alternative delivery, particularly public-private
partnerships (P3). “ARTI is a product of
Metro’s P3 program, drawn from a number
of different elements in their long-range trans-
portation plan. It’s a new way to bring them
all together and package them to improve the
efficiency of financing, overall cost, the use
of different local sources of financing, and
to accelerate project delivery by 20 years.”
The $725 million ARTI project will be pro-
cured as an availability payment P3, a P3
where a public entity compensates a private
entity based on achieving particular project
milestones and keeping the facility up to
operating and maintenance performance
standards. A combination of several smaller
projects, the ARTI includes the resurfacing of
the general-purpose lanes and the addition
of two managed lanes for approximately 10
miles of the I-5 north in Los Angeles County,
the expansion of the SR-71 gap connector
in Pomona, and the construction of several
sound walls. By grouping these projects
together in a P3 procurement, Metro looks
to improve significantly the benefit-to-cost
ratio through economies of scale.
But the procurement choice saves more than
money. Had Metro pursued these projects
traditionally, they could not have been com-
pleted until 2040. With the P3 methodology,
the projects can be built and available for
public use as early as 2019. Kessler sees ARTI
as a bellwether for the nation.
“The federal government is not the impetus
or funding source for moving these projects
forward. Most of the money for ARTI is
local money: Measure R, Proposition C, a
little bit of Regional Surface Transportation
Program funds, and some Congestion Mitiga-
tion Air Quality Management money. There
is also tolling of the I-5 HOT lanes, which is
critical to the financing package. But even if
there is a little federal money, as there is in
ARTI, that invokes an entire overlay of fed-
eral laws and regulations on procurement,
contract document elements, and certain
approval rights over the whole project.
“One of the things we’re starting to see
because of this change in the sources of
funding is a push to remove the federal
regulatory overlay when the majority of
funding on a project is non-federal, like ARTI.
Tolling faces a similar federal issue. In general,
federal law prohibits tolling of interstates or
any other highways funded with federal gas
taxes. MAP-21 (the Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21st Century Act) introduced
a number of significant exceptions to this
tolling ban on federally funded projects. And
that makes sense. Tolling is a quintessen-
tially state and local decision. Local users pay
the bulk of tolls. So political accountability
should be at the state and local levels. Many
want to see federal law further changed to
remove all federal controls over tolling,
other than requirements to use the tolls for
transportation purposes, and leave this
decision to state and local governments.
This is where the money is coming from
for many projects, particularly here in Los
Angeles. So the movement to initiate and
fund things locally is having growing
national effects.”
Think globally; initiate locally. With the
Accelerated Regional Transportation
Improvements project, Metro and Caltrans
have done just that.
makes abundant sense to invest in as much
local control as possible for projects and
funding. If we go to the federal government
with a project and the support of local tax-
payers in terms of funding, that makes us
a more attractive partner for the federal
government. That’s what we’re looking at
with our America Fast Forward program.”
As Bybee suggests, Los Angeles is not the
only jurisdiction turning the traditional
funding model on its head. Entities around
the country are finding it a compelling
model as well.
“Fundamentally, the way infrastructure has
been delivered has been forever changed,”
adds AECOM senior vice president and
WTS member Diana Mendes. “But this is
all very much a lesson in
learning to apportion risk.
Right now, we’re in a
period of true innovation,
where people are crafting
new approaches. It’s a
time of experimentation,
and that’s pretty exciting.
Look, we can’t build our
way out of congestion.
So we need to use all of
the tools we have in our
toolbox. The overall message has become
pretty clear: don’t wait for federal direction.
Get out ahead of that on your own.”
CH2M Hill
International
Division President
and WTS member
Jacqueline
Hinman sees the
new paradigm
as a natural
outgrowth of
America’s evolving
demographics.
“Local entities conceiving and implementing
major infrastructure projects is fantastic for
several reasons. As major population centers
get denser, the need for congestion relief
and ease of mobility becomes more pressing.
Cities know they need smart transportation
infrastructure planning and development
because they have a direct and tremendous
impact on quality of life. Cities like Los
Angeles understand this, especially when
you consider the popular support for
Measure R. And I don’t really see any
down-side of doing this. Smart transport
and infrastructure planning make good cities
great and great cities even better. And this
is a very effective way to ensure optimum
planning and implementation.”
Ezra Pound said, “All great art is born of the
metropolis.” But the metropolis is giving
“We’re going
to be watching
this project
closely so we
can use this
as a model
throughout the
nation,” said
Federal Highway
Administrator
Victor M.Mendez
at the February
opening of
ExpressLanes
on the I-10.
Diana Mendes
Senior Vice President
AECOM
Jacqueline Hinman
President, International Division
CH2M Hill
FALL 2013 WTSEXPRESSLA 5
Illustrating Why Local Can Be Better
THE ARTI OF THE DEAL:
PROJECT BRIEFS
4 WTSEXPRESSLA FALL 2013
Stephanie Wiggins
Congestion Reduction Initiative
Executive Officer / Metro
Local users
pay the bulk of tolls.
So political
accountability
should be at the state
and local levels.
Fredric W. Kessler
Partner, Nossaman, LLP
“
”
JOHN LIVZEY
JOHN LIVZEY
Author Irene Peter said, “Just because
everything is different doesn’t mean any-
thing has changed.” Peter’s observation
describes perfectly the current situation for
women and minorities in the boardroom,
transportation, other public sector entities,
and the private sector. Things have changed,
but maybe not as much as many think.
“From my perspective it’s better than it used
to be, but it certainly isn’t where it should
be,” explains Liz Levin, president of Liz
Levin & Company and WTS International
Advisory Board Chair. “Companies and firms
understand that the world needs diversity,
but they also struggle to know what to do
to get there. The public sector has done
better than the private sector. At the entry-
level position through mid-level manage-
ment, women are doing better. But at the
leadership level and on boards, it’s still
predominantly male-dominated. So at the
very top we don’t have the kind of diverse
leadership that could help initiate the kind
of change we need.”
A 2012 study by Forbes magazine supports
her perspective. According to “Diversity &
Inclusion: Unlocking Global Potential: Global
Diversity Rankings by Country, Sector and
Occupation,” the US ranks ninth in terms
of workforce diversity. Though that sounds
positive, breaking down that figure bolsters
Levin’s view of unequal distribution. Not
surprisingly, females are extremely under-
represented in transportation. Out of four-
teen categories measuring women’s roles,
transportation ranks eleventh, above only
public administration, mining, and construc-
tion. Things in the boardroom are worse.
The study reveals, “The C-level and senior
management positions are woefully bereft of
diversity. Out of 1.5 million chief executives
in the U.S., just one-quarter are women
and only one in ten are ethnic minorities…
Taken together, the data reveal the power
of long-established cultural norms in shap-
ing individual career choices, and that, in
turn, affects companies’ global diversity
efforts. Tackling these diversity challenges
in the U.S. and abroad is going to be
extremely challenging.”
Levin could not agree more.
“By and large, we still follow the white
male hierarchical model. So the next step
is going to be the introduction of new
models in our organizations. If we do that,
diversity will be much more successful.
Without the infrastructure to empower
diversity, diversity can’t thrive.
“We need to look at leadership—from the
CEO to the board—and make sure there is
far more balance and representation. There
has to be an interest in incorporating the
style of diverse populations into decision
making. That must be a top priority. I also
think women and minorities really need to
claim more territory. People still say that
women and minorities are ‘not working
hard enough.’ I think we work plenty hard
and make substantive contributions. But the
culture just doesn’t respect them as much.
Finally, we should also be out there voting
to bring about the changes we need.”
Levin also points out, though, that there
are still victories for women, even at the
highest levels. Recently, CH2M Hill CEO
Lee McIntire announced that CH2M Hill
International Division President Jacqueline
Hinman will be the company’s next CEO.
For Levin, this is bellwether news.
“I am thrilled with Jacque's appointment
as CEO of CH2MHILL. She is wonderfully
talented and represents the future of our
industry. And it is time!! This is exactly the
kind of appointment that advances profound
change for women and our industry.”
Irene Peter said, “Just because everything
is different doesn’t mean anything has
changed.” While the situation for women
and minorities has changed, only through
structural, organizational change can profound
advances be realized across the board.
6 WTSEXPRESSLA FALL 2013
For the Port of Los Angeles (POLA), the
nation’s largest gateway for containerized
trade, there is nothing more important than
the depth of its main channel. Conducted by
the US Army Corps of Engineers for POLA,
the recently completed 10-year, $375 million
Main Channel Deepening Project (MCD)
increases the main channel from 45feet to
53feet to accommodate the next generation
of bigger container vessels from around
the globe.
“The MCD project is a major milestone in
the Port’s ongoing efforts to ensure its
global competitiveness, continued growth,
job creation,” explains POLA Chief Harbor
Engineer Tony Gioiello. And it was no
small undertaking.
During the 10-year effort, the Corps relocated
15 million cubic yards of dredge materials—
nearly twice the amount of earth moved to
create Dodger Stadium. But the Corps did
not do it alone. Manson Construction
Company, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock
Company, and Connolly Pacific Company
formed a tri-venture, along with numerous
subcontractors and consultants. According
to Port Project Manager John Foxworthy,
“Making sure everyone was on the same
page was the greatest challenge.” And that
challenge was met.
“Completion of the Main Channel Deep-
ening Project has been our single most
important infrastructure project,” said Port
Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D.
“We’re grateful for the work of the US Army
Corps of Engineers and everyone on the
Port team who helped bring this critical
infrastructure priority to fruition.”
Harbor Engineer and WTS-LA Director-at-
Large Dina Aryan-Zahlan adds, “The Port’s
container terminal tenants rely on the Port’s
deep channels to move cargo. But the
importance of the Port extends well beyond
the local area. These container terminals
generate about 74 percent of Port revenues
and help facilitate hundreds of thousands of
direct and indirect jobs throughout Southern
California. More than 43,000 direct jobs are
connected to marine terminal operators at
the Port. So the MCD project was a matter
of substantial economic importance.”
FALL 2013 WTSEXPRESSLA 7
THEPORTOFLOSANGELES:
Changing the Channel
and Looking
for Depth
A VIEW FROM THE TRENCHES
LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY:
Coming Apart at the Seems
President of Liz Levin & Company—a management consulting firm
serving the transportation, design, and environmental community—
Liz Levin serves on the Board of Directors of Normandeau Associates.
She is the former chair of the Massachusetts Government Appointments
Project (MassGap) and served on the MassDOT and MBTA Boards of
Directors. From 1998 to 2000, she served as WTS national president.
PROJECT BRIEFS
Women and
minorities really need to
claim more territory.
Liz Levin
President, Liz Levin & Company
“
”
JOHN LIVZEY
WTS Los Angeles Woman of the Year
Stephanie Wiggins
Executive Officer
Congestion Reduction Initiative / Metro
WTS Los Angeles Employer of the Year
Port of Long Beach
WTS Los Angeles Member of the Year
Professor James Elliott Moore II
Vice-Dean for Academic Programs
Viterbi School of Engineering
University of Southern California
WTS Los Angeles Educator of the Year
Margarita Aguilar
Lead Teacher, Phineas Banning High School
Global Environmental Sciences Academy
WTS-LA Diversity Leadership Award
Linda B. Wright
Executive Officer
Diversity & Economic Opportunity / Metro
WTS-LA Innovation Transportation
Solutions Award
Metro ExpressLanes
Make your reservations now at
www.wtsev
ents.org/chapter/L
AWTSF/ to ensure your
presence with top-level transportation decision
makers in Los Angeles. For information
about event sponsorship or to purchase a
table, contact Co-Chairs Natasha DeBenon
(Arcadis) at 714-852-9012 or Abdollah
Ansari (CDMSmith) at 213-457-2181 or at
8 WTSEXPRESSLA FALL 2013
SEPTEMBER
_____________________________
A Golden Statement
for Transportation from
CalSTA Secretary Kelly
This will explain the reorg chart. Last April,
California’s Little Hoover Commission rec-
ommended reorganizing state agencies.
Thus, the California State Transportation
Agency (CalSTA) was born to focus solely
on California transportation and policy.
Governor Brown selected California trans-
portation stalwart Brian P. Kelly to serve
as CalSTA Secretary. And on September 19,
WTS-LA welcomed him to present his vision
for the CalSTA and California transportation.
Routinely listed in Capitol Weekly’s “Top 100
List” of major players in California politics,
Kelly served previously as acting secretary of
the Business, Transportation and Housing
Agency, where he helped direct its reorgani-
zation. This event was chaired by Programs
Co-Chair Amanda Smith of AECOM.
OCTOBER
_____________________________
A Moving Approach
to the Streets of Los Angeles
“Always take Fountain,” advised film legend
Bette Davis when asked for her most pro-
found advice for surviving in Los Angeles.
Though valuable counsel still, things have
changed since Davis drove the streets of
Hollywood. And on October 22, Los Angeles
Department of Transportation (LADOT)
General Manager Jaime de la Vega –
along witwh pedestrain/bike experts
Margot Ocanas and Tina Backstrom –
returns to WTS-LA to explain exactly where
those streets are going, as well as other key
transportation initiatives in the City of Angels.
Always entertaining and informative, de la
Vega has provided critical continuity for
LADOT, as well as vision and efficiency. Join
us to see what he has planned for our future.
This event is chaired by Programs Co-Chair
Jill Liu of Fehr and Peers.
NOVEMBER
A Dinner Where
the Entrée Is Invaluable
Food is important, but not as important as
access. So food will take a backseat to the
honors and scholarships presented at the
2013 WTS-LA Annual Scholarship and
Awards Dinner. Join WTS-LA for its signature
yearly event on November 14 when emcees
(and WTS-LA members) Doug Failing
(Metro Highway Project Delivery Executive
Director) and Martha Welbourne (Metro
Countywide Planning Executive Director) will
name the people and projects who are shap-
ing the future of transportation in Los Angeles.
FALL 2013 WTSEXPRESSLA 9
PROGRAMS LINEUP COMMITTEE REPORTS
WTS Los Angeles is nationally renowned for its relevant, thought-provoking programs. Designed to
enrich its members’ professional lives, these programs (developed under the leadership of WTS-LA
1st Vice President - Programs Behjat Zanjani of IEM) present leading transportation decision makers
covering the most important trends and issues. And this year’s roster is no exception.
PLEASE JOIN WTS-LA TO CELEBRATE ITS
th Annual Scholarship
&
Awards Dinner
IN ASSOCIATION WITH LAWTSF
27
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
________________________________________________________________
It’s Not WhoYou Know; It’s Whom
Transportation is a people business. So who
you know is just as important as what you
know. And who you meet can make the
difference in your career. At virtually every
meeting and event, WTS-LA puts you next to
the most important transportation industry
decision makers. That’s what makes member-
ship so valuable. Featuring programs and
members-only events that define Southern
California transportation, WTS-LA matters to your career, whether you’re a CEO, mid-level
executive, entry-level engineer, or transportation student. WTS-LA also strives constantly to
expand its reach in all transportation sectors and modes. With special membership rates for
professionals in the public sector and STEM/transportation educators at universities, technical
schools, and other post-secondary institutions, WTS-LA even offers free annual membership
for veterans. To find out more about membership and its benefits, contact Second Vice
President (Membership) Paula Hernandez of LTK Engineering at phernandez@ ltk.com
or
Membership Chair Eileen Ryder of URS at [email protected]
.
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
________________________________________________________________
Anyone Out There Interested in $20,000+?
Money talks. And WTS-LA helps it speak for deserving
women studying transportation. The WTS-LA Scholarship
Committee awards more than $20,000 in competitive
academic scholarships each year to women in high school,
certificate, undergraduate, and graduate programs in
transportation-related fields, including transportation
engineering, planning, finance, or logistics. Scholarship
Chair Elisabeth Rosenson of Consensus Inc. will be present-
ing undergraduate and graduate scholarships at the annual
WTS-LA Scholarship and Awards Dinner on November 14.
TRANSPORTATION RÉSUMÉ BOOK COMMITTEE
________________________________________________________________
WTS-LA TRB Sounds the Deep End of the Talent Pool
The WTS-LA Transportation Résumé Book (TRB) serves a dual
purpose. First, it demonstrates the hard work of emerging
transportation professionals from local universities. But it also
serves as an outstanding benefit for WTS-LA corporate sponsors,
giving them first dibs on this exceptional young talent pool.
TRB Chair Diane Kravif [kravif@ear
thlink.net] gleaned 148
candidates from 11 different schools this year, helping Corporate
Relations Chair Dr. Androush Danielians of HDR [androush.
[email protected]] present tomorrow’s transportation
stars today exclusively to WTS-LA corporate partners.
JOHN LIVZEY
JOHN LIVZEY
JOHN LIVZEYJOHN LIVZEY
aviation system, the three airports combine
to contribute to the economy and quality
of life for Southern California, providing a
high level of safety, security, and service.
Guidry helps ensure that the airport system
is fully prepared to fulfill that role.
Guidry began her career with the City of Los
Angeles Department of Public Works after
receiving her BS in civil engineering from
the University of California, Irvine. She has
been with LAWA for 12 years and began her
aviation career as a project engineer in the
airport’s engineering group. Guidry later
joined the airport’s planning group. At that
time, the group comprised 20 people; today
Guidry manages a group of 60. Rounding
out her education, she earned an MBA from
Pepperdine University. A longtime WTS-LA
member, she credits the chapter with helping
to make a meaningful difference.
“Intissar Durham was the Chief Airports
Engineer when I joined LAWA. And she was
very involved with WTS-LA. She was on the
board, and she introduced me to the chapter.
Though WTS-LA provides numerous bene-
fits, I was attracted to the Adopt-A-School
Program. Adopt-A-School appealed to me
because it was about helping high school
students learn about transportation careers.
I enjoy working with youth and exposing
them to different opportunities. We really
tried to go into the schools and show them
what a transportation career could mean, and
how varied the transportation industry is. We
were able to make a great impression on
these kids. I’d like to think that we changed
their lives at least in some small way.”
But WTS-LA is not the only way that Guidry
changes lives.“It’s a privilege to do what I do
for a large airport organization. I help millions
of people and tons of cargo get to their
destination. LAX is a world-class airport and
I enjoy being a part of executing its vision.”
Pat McLaughlin
Principal
MIG
Birth of a Notion:
The Founding of WTS-LA
Nelson Henderson said, “The true meaning
of life is to plant trees, under whose shade
you do not expect to sit.” Throughout her
extensive career in the transportation
industry, Pat McLaughlin has done just that.
“It’s very gratifying to work with communi-
ties. And my specialty in the last few years
has been working with management, boards
of directors, and communities and getting
people on the same page and moving for-
ward. At MIG, we tend to get involved in
projects that start out as controversial and
after our engagement end up not being
controversial.”
A principal at MIG, McLaughlin focuses on
public policy, transportation policy, strategic
planning, and community engagement. But
she began her career far from the madding
crowd of urban transportation projects.
“I came from a very rural area that didn’t
have much in the way of public transporta-
tion. But I got interested in transportation as
a graduate student at USC by studying the
bus system in Los Angeles. Then I camped
out at the RTD (the Southern California
Rapid Transit District, a precursor to Metro)
and at Caltrans doing various graduate
research projects. One of the people at the
RTD asked me to apply for a position, and
that’s how I got into transportation formally.”
Before earning her master’s degree in urban
planning from USC, McLaughlin earned a
bachelor of science in agricultural economics,
specializing in community development
from Purdue University. Rising through the
RTD and subsequently the Los Angeles
County Transportation Commission, which
together became Metro after merging,
McLaughlin held several posts, culminating
in her service as Deputy Executive Officer
for Multimodal Planning and then Managing
Director of Strategic Planning and Organ-
izational Development. While at the RTD,
she joined the Transportation Research
Board (TRB), where she served on com-
mittees and panels for over two decades.
But she also had another extracurricular
activity going on while at the RTD.
“One of my colleagues at the RTD said that
there was this women’s organization in
Washington, and that she really wanted to
establish a chapter in Los Angeles. She
asked me for help with that. So we gathered
a group of colleagues from Caltrans, the
Port, etc.; there were probably six or eight
of us. And we founded WTS-LA. It was very
basic back then. We spent the lion’s share of
our time cutting up cheese and vegetables!
“But I’m really pleased and amazed at how
the chapter has grown. WTS serves a critical
function in providing networks for women
and men in transportation today. And it’s
the best venue for a young transportation
professional. TRB serves a similar function.
In fact, WTS and TRB have a great symbi-
otic relationship in that regard. They both
provide local and national networks as well
as tremendous opportunities for growth.
At this stage in my career, one of the most
important things to me is serving as a mentor.
And helping to create WTS-LA is an impor-
tant part of that legacy.”
Nelson Henderson said,“The true meaning
of life is to plant trees, under whose shade
you do not expect to sit.” Throughout her
extensive career in the transportation
industry, Pat McLaughlin has done just that.
10 WTSEXPRESSLA FALL 2013
Lupe Valdez
Director of Public Affairs
Union Pacific Railroad
Lupe Valdez: Keeping UP with
the Communities
The Omaha-based Union Pacific Railroad
(UP) is the largest railroad network in the
United States, with more than 47,000
employees, 8,000 locomotives, and 32,000
route-miles in 23 states west of Chicago and
New Orleans. And as UP Director of Public
Affairs, WTS-LA member Lupe Valdez is the
face of UP for anyone in Southern California
who needs to talk to the railroad.
“The biggest challenge local governments
and organizations face with any company—
particularly with one that travels through
your community—is finding the right person
to talk with to resolve an issue. I am that
person for UP in Southern California. I handle
communities from Santa Barbara to Imperial
Valley. From air quality to train horns at odd
hours to overgrowth near the tracks to illegal
dumping, I work with elected officials and
local communities to straighten things out.
“I also meet with elected officials about
projects and programs where there will be
a rail component. A prime example of that
is grade separation. Grade separations are
actually quite an important issue as our
population and freight traffic increase. No
matter what the issue is, though, we try to
be very responsive to our communities.”
With UP since 2005, Valdez began her career
at the Southern California Rapid Transit
District (RTD) and the Los Angeles Transpor-
tation Commission (LACTC), later known as
Metro. After Metro, she handled public affairs
for the South Coast Air Quality Management
District and then the Southern California
Regional Rail Authority. In addition to her work
at UP, she also serves as a board member
for the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
Back when she was at the LACTC, though,
something very interesting happened that
changed her professional life forever.
“When I joined the LACTC, I remember
someone said I should go to a meeting and
check out this group with a strange name,
the Women’s Transportation Seminar. So I
went. And I still remember it well.
“We went to Chinatown to a restaurant
called the Velvet Turtle. And the group was
so small we could all sit around one table.
There were probably only seven or eight of
us in total, definitely not ten people. And I
remember Ginger Gherardi was the chair.
But as small as the meeting was, it was
critically important for me. It was the very
first time I saw women in leadership posi-
tions in transportation. I thought, ’Wow,
there are careers in this field for women!
This is pretty cool!’ Before that, I had never
thought of transportation as a career; I had
thought of it as just a job. But that meeting
and subsequent WTS-LA meetings gave me
exposure to transportation as a career. And
I’m still a member today because WTS-LA
still provides the same opportunity for me
to meet other women in transportation
and learn about the pressing transportation
issues of today.”
The Union Pacific Railroad is the largest
railroad network in the United States. And
through her work as Director of Public Affairs
in Southern California, WTS-LA member
Lupe Valdez connects the railroad to the
communities it serves.
Cynthia Guidry
Chief of Airport Planning
Los Angeles World Airports
Cynthia Guidry’s Plans Keep
Millions on the Move
There is nothing lax about LAX. LAX, or the
Los Angeles International Airport, is the
sixth busiest airport in the world, yet it is
only one of three airports managed by Los
Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a Los
Angeles city department. And the LAWA
Capital Planning and Programming Group
(CPPG) is responsible for developing the
plan to implement the vision of the Board
of Airport Commissioners and the Executive
Director for all three airports. Leading that
charge is Cynthia Guidry, LAWA's Chief of
Airport Planning and WTS-LA board member.
“We have a $7 billion capital program and
we forecast $4 billion of expenditures in
the next five years, which includes ongoing
and new projects. I manage LAWA’s CPPG
and my team is responsible for the long-
term development and modernization plans
for the airport, which includes our master
planning efforts and shepherding LAWA’s
capital planning process to produce our
overall capital improvement program. We’re
also responsible for preparing project defi-
nition documents for each capital project,
as well as executing the environmental and
entitlement processes. As you can see, we’re
pretty busy. Fortunately, I have a great staff.”
For what she must accomplish, Guidry
needs one.
LAWA’s three owned and operated airports
are LAX, Los Angeles/Ontario International
and Van Nuys Airport. Treated as a holistic
FALL 2013 WTSEXPRESSLA 11
MEMBER PROFILES
Western Region, where she supplied,
“leadership direction and management,
leading strategic and tactical planning efforts,
overseeing client relations, and supporting
market research.” Last August, she reentered
public-sector life as CTC Deputy Director.
Though many components comprise a
successful career in transportation, one
element has been constant for Pourvahidi
throughout her exemplary career—WTS.
“Having worked on a statewide project, it
was important to me to reach out and be
part of the communities we were affecting.
WTS was a vehicle for networking with other
public works agency personnel, as well as
consultants and contractors, etc., that are WTS
members. WTS always provided outreach
for understanding what people’s reactions
were to certain projects.
“In my new role, it’s just as important to
stay active in WTS. And I’m a member in
multiple cities. Again, being in a statewide
position, it’s very important to me to be a
part of an organization that covers the critical
transportation centers of the state. I want
input on what we’re doing. I want to make
sure that the policies we are developing are
in line with what the communities want.
And WTS is a fantastic way to do that.”
The feeling is mutual. Pourvahidi has been
recognized many times for her outstanding
contributions to the state. In 2008, the WTS
Sacramento chapter named her Woman of
the Year for “outstanding contributions to
the regional transportation community.”
“Planning is bringing the future into the
present so that you can do something about
it now.” Throughout her career, Carolyn
Pourvahidi has brought the future to the
present to make decisions today that last a
lifetime. And California and WTS are better
because of her efforts.
Todd Matsubara
PhD Candidate
University of California (Irvine)
From Entrepreneur
to Transportation for the
Greater Good
Transportation Science PhD candidate
Todd Matsubara had his life path set, and
was well on his way down that road, until
he realized it was the wrong one. But after
a return to academia, he realized his true
calling: to contribute to the greater good.
“I was studying business management as
an undergraduate at Cal State Dominguez
Hills, but really couldn't relate to it and lost
interest in school. I decided to take a break,
but promised myself I would return when I
was good and ready. Stemming from experi-
ence gained from my automotive electronics
hobby, I was hired for a few years as a con-
tributing editor for a couple major mobile
electronics magazines.
“From this, I transitioned into a design
engineering position at Clarion Corporation
of America, designing factory audio systems
for the automotive manufacturers. From
cost control to warehousing to transportation,
I learned quite a lot. Building on this expe-
rience, I opened my own automotive per-
formance parts manufacturing business. I
have to say, running your own business
really forces you to keep operating costs to
a minimum, especially with logistics and
transportation.”
With things going well, Matsubara decided
to return to Dominguez Hills to complete
his unfinished bachelor’s degree and pursue
an MBA. And that was when he crossed
paths with Dr. Hamid Pourmohammadi,
who runs the supply-chain management
program at Dominguez Hills.
“He noticed that I knew a lot about automo-
tive production, manufacturing, distribution,
etc. He pulled me aside and said, ‘Have you
ever thought about really going into this
further? You could really do something
that’s productive for everyone, you know,
for the greater good, like teaching or aca-
demic research.’
“I hadn’t really thought about anything
beyond my MBA, but that was when he
really started spending a lot of time training
me to see a more academic way of thinking
and problem solving. He pretty much sent
me down the path I’m on now, researching
the impacts of goods transportation in
Southern California on neighboring com-
munities.”
Today Matsubara is on track to earn his PhD
from the University of California, Irvine in
June 2015. And he is honored to be study-
ing under the tutelage of his current advisor,
Dr. Jean-Daniel Saphores, renowned for his
strong background in environmental eco-
nomics and civil engineering. “He’s a great
match for what I want to do and I was
extremely fortunate to connect with him.
Dr. Saphores is definitely an expert in the
field; he really knows his stuff.”
So how did Matsubara find his way to
WTS-LA?
“Dr. Pourmohammadi was soliciting résumés
for the WTS-LA Transportation Résumé Book.
I submitted my résumé and I was stunned
how far it traveled. WTS-LA has quite an
impressive reach. When I got to UC Irvine, I
found that our transportation research center
works very closely with WTS. I participated
in a number of activities they have sponsored,
and I’ve been involved ever since.”
12 WTSEXPRESSLA FALL 2013
Amy Grat
Chief Executive Officer
International Trade Education
Programs, Inc.
ITEP: Building Student
Infrastructure through
International Trade
Poet Denise Levertov said,“Very few people
really see things unless they’ve had someone
in early life who made them look at things.”
International Trade Education Programs, Inc.,
(ITEP) Chief Executive Officer and WTS-LA
member Amy Grat is making each new
generation of students look at things—and
see a whole new world.
“We help to create ambition where before
there was no awareness,” says Grat of ITEP.
Founded in [1999] and supported by the
Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the inter-
national trade sector, ITEP is a 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization that connects the
international trade business community to
the classroom to develop career-ready, col-
lege-prepared high school students. “We’re
the bridge between what’s happening in
the classroom and what industry needs in
terms of a qualified workforce that will help
them succeed in a global economy. We
marshal the social, intellectual, and financial
resources of the industry and transfer that
knowledge to young people. But it’s also
the technical expertise of an accountant
and a web designer—all of the functional
areas of a business. We want our young
people to know that working in transporta-
tion is more than being a truck driver.”
With a BA in English from San Diego State
University, an MA in international affairs from
George Washington University, and an MBA
from USC’s Marshall School of Business, Grat
is well prepared to lead ITEP. She serves on
several boards including the Wilmington
Chamber of Commerce, the Los Angeles Air
Cargo Association, the Harbor Association
of Industry and Commerce, and the College
of Business Administration and Public Policy
at CalState University, Dominguez Hills. So,
how did she find her way to ITEP?
“I was at one of the countless rubber-chicken
lunches I had to attend and I was in a room
with 800 schmoozing women and men. I
looked across the sea of suits and saw this
table of young people all wearing very smart
navy blue shirts with a small globe logo.
They were confident, composed, young
Hispanic men and women. And they were
striking. And they were the first graduating
class of Phineas Banning High School’s
International Trade Academy. When they
were called to the podium and told their
stories, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
So I approached Carol Rowen
[
ITEP founder
and former POLA Harbor Commissioner]
and said, ‘Carol, how can I help?’ If you know
Carol, you can figure out how I arrived in
the CEO’s chair…”
Grat knows that ITEP and WTS-LA have a
very strong, close relationship. In addition to
POLA, many of ITEP’s founders were from
WTS-LA. And WTS-LA continues to support
ITEP. How does that make Grat feel?
“I’m new to WTS-LA. But everyone I’ve met
from the chapter is a first-rate professional.
And they understand exactly what our mission
is and why it’s important. They know we
need volunteers and support. And in many
ways, we have a shared mission and vision.”
“Very few people really see things unless
they’ve had someone in early life who
made them look at things.” Through her
work at ITEP, Amy Grat is making each
new generation of students look at things
and see a whole new world.
Carolyn “Carrie”
Pourvahidi
Deputy Director, California
Transportation Commission
Carolyn Pourvahidi: There’s a
New Deputy Director in Town
A time management expert said,“Planning is
bringing the future into the present so that
you can do something about it now.”
Recently appointed California Transportation
Commission (CTC) Deputy Director and
WTS-LA member Carolyn “Carrie” Pourvahidi
brings the future to the present, so that she
and other transportation professionals can
do something about it now.
“Urban planning is a holistic endeavor. It
should incorporate a vast array of elements,
and transportation is critical to the whole.
And that’s what I’m looking to do at the
CTC. I want to work with all California trans-
portation stakeholders to take advantage of
the nexus between transportation, transit-
oriented development, land-use, housing,
and sustainability for the greater good of
California.”
Pourvahidi knows of what she speaks. With
the California High Speed Rail Authority
(CHSRA) since its inception, Pourvahidi
served ultimately as its Chief Deputy Director,
as well as in virtually every other executive
position within the authority. As one of its
founding executives she was instrumental
in bringing this multi-billion dollar infra-
structure program—one of the world’s
largest—from conceptual level to approval,
funding, and implementation.
After leaving the authority, she joined T. Y. LIN
International as Director of Transit & Rail –
FALL 2013 WTSEXPRESSLA 13
MEMBER PROFILES
WTS-LA’s
Gino
Makes
Room for
Science
Former WTS-LA board member, treasurer,
Educator and Member of the Year Emilie
Gino has added another title to her name—
benefactor. Gino spent more than four
decades as an educator, but her education
began at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre,
PA, where she has been a longtime supporter.
This year Wilkes University recognized Gino
by naming the state-of-the-art Cenosphere
Research Institute Lab in the new Lawrence
and Sally Cohen Science Center in her honor.
______________________________
ENR Trumpets Blair as New
West Coast Bureau Chief
Scott Blair knows
how the West is
done. Previously
editor-in-chief
for Northwest
Construction
Magazine, Blair
is now editor-in-
chief for ENR
Southwest and
southwest
bureau chief for Engineering News-Record
(ENR). Now he can add another title to his
belt: ENR West Coast Bureau Chief. “I cover
California and the Southwest…covering
architecture, engineering and contracting in
California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.
These magazines focus on the people and
companies working on large and small
projects that make a difference in local com-
munities and the trends that impact the
construction industry.” He can be reached
and followed on
Twitter at @ENR_CA.
BergCM
Wins
CMAA
Award
After
Finding
Perfect
Platform
for Their
Expertise
In Los Angeles, it’s good to be recognized.
And BergCM gained considerable recognition
for its construction management expertise
on Metrolink’s Platform 7 upgrade project
at Union Station. An $8.5 million project to
improve one of the station’s original board-
ing platforms, the work included restoring
Tracks 13, 14, and 15, which had been
removed from service more than 35 years
ago. But there was a catch. Among many
significant challenges, project manager
Cass Hamvas and her team overcame the
default of the original contractor midway
through the project. In a letter Metrolink
project manager Stuart Chuck wrote, “Berg
Resident Engineer, Cass Hamvas, did an
exceptional job in supporting [Metrolink]…
once the takeover contract was brought in,
Ms. Hamvas and the Berg inspectors helped
the contractor get up to speed quickly so
the aggressive completion schedule could be
met and made sure that the result was a
high-quality product.” For its outstanding
efforts, BergCM was awarded the 2013
Construction Management Association of
America’s Southern California Project
Achievement Award.
Transportation Architect
and WTS-LA Member Ann
Kovara Transits to PB
You can judge a book by its coverer. Ann
Barr Kovara boasts more than 30 years
experience as an architect and project/con-
struction manager on major transportation
and transit projects. Recently, she joined PB
as a Senior Supervising Architect in Parsons
Brinckerhoff’s Los Angeles office. But she’s
also writing a book about world-renowned
woodworker Sam Maloof, inspired by her
experience moving his 10,000-square-foot,
complex house/workshop (built over 50
years, it had to be moved in 11 segments)
to make way for a freeway improvement.
While completing her book, Kovara looks to
“expand the transit infrastructure network
in Southern California.”
______________________________
When the Teacher Is Ready,
the Award Appears
This is an
example of
credit where
credit is due.
Director of
Transporta-
tion Planning
for the Port
of Long
Beach and
USC lecturer Eric Shen has received the
2013 ITE Western District Outstanding
Educator Award. WTS-LA board member
and USC Vice Dean for Academic Programs
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
14 WTSEXPRESSLA FALL 2013
Senior Editor
American Planning Association
Twice We Said
Ava Doner Would Be Proud;
We Were Right Both Times
You can learn quite a lot from a bus. American
Planning Association (APA) senior editor
Camille N.Y. Fink discovered a new way of
looking at transportation while riding many
of them in Los Angeles.
“My background was in sociology and I’ve
always been fascinated with social inter-
actions and the ways in which we engage
with the world around us. So I decided to do an ethnographic study of bus
riding for my dissertation. I spent countless hours riding buses in Los
Angeles, watching people, and participating in that world as a researcher-
rider. I used data from that fieldwork to understand the social and spatial
dimensions of the transit experience and the implications for the manage-
ment, operations, and design of transit systems.” Her research also covered
a range of interesting transportation topics including transit security,
women’s transportation-related safety issues, ridership factors, etc.
Fink’s academic rigor and determination combined with her maverick approach also led to
another substantive reward. WTS-LA awarded Fink the Ava Doner Memorial Scholarship
twice in 2002 and 2004, as a master’s degree and PhD student, respectively. Winning these
awards honoring Ava Doner left quite an impression.
“The awards certainly helped fund my studies. But they also were very important to me
symbolically. They demonstrated that people in WTS-LA believed in my potential in the field
of transportation. WTS-LA acknowledged and invested in me. That’s a very powerful message
to send to a student who is starting out in a brand new field and on a new career path.”
Fink earned her master’s degree and PhD in urban planning from UCLA. Today, as the
Planners Press and PAS Reports senior editor for APA books and research papers, she’s
involved in all phases of the publication process, which in turn, compels her to keep up to
date on topics related to planning. But her work at APA also required a sacrifice—relocating
from Los Angeles to Chicago.
“It was a big move, but it’s been a great change for me. I love being in a new city with a great
transit system, where I drive my car once a week at the most. And it’s a fantastic city for
walking and urban exploration, two of my favorite pastimes.”
Though she credits many factors for her success, she believes WTS-LA played a pivotal role.
“WTS is an immense resource for people in transportation—through networking, employment
help, mentoring, programs, leadership and professional development, and of course scholarships.
The list of tangible benefits of membership goes on and on. But what I think is paramount,
what is really invaluable, is what the organ-
ization represents through its work—the
commitment to fostering and enabling the
success of women in transportation. Nothing
is more important than that. And while trans-
portation has become more diverse over
the years, women in the field still benefit
greatly from having access to role models,
mentors, and colleagues through WTS.”
You can learn quite a lot from a bus. Camille
Fink clearly has. But she’s also done more.
Embodying WTS-LA pioneer Ava Doner, she
has used two WTS-LA scholarships to further
her career in transportation.
FALL 2013 WTSEXPRESSLA 15
A GOOD CAUSE AND THE EFFECT
WTS
-
LA SCHOLA RSHI PS
WTS-LA
acknowledged
and invested in me.
That’s a very powerful
message to send
to a student who is
starting out in a brand
new field and on a
new career path.
Camille N.Y.Fink
Senior Editor
American Planning Associates
“
”
Camille N.Y. Fink
IN THE NEWS
IN THE NEWS
GROTTO MEDIA
JOHN LIVZEY
JOHN LIVZEY
JOHN LIVZEY
MELANIE NELSON
DCA Civil
Engineering
Group:
The Little
Engineering Firm that Does
Though small and founded in 1983, DCA
Civil Engineering Group works big. “We’re
classified as a VSBE—very small business
enterprise. But we’re very diverse and very
cost effective,” explains Penelope Cornwall,
DCA’s Chief Operating Officer and CFO and
currently Los Angeles Women’s Transporta-
tion Scholarship Foundation president.“We
only have 19 people, but they represent 13
different countries. And I muse that we’re a
lean, mean machine, especially given our
roster of projects.” But she notes, “We also
take time for our kids’ soccer games and
what have you.” Reflecting its diverse capa-
bilities, DCA specializes in civil engineering,
land planning, surveying and mapping, and
utility planning. True to form, Cornwall is
also a Los Angeles County Aviation Commis-
sioner and a former commercial pilot and
flight instructor. “I’m passionate about the
aviation commission for many reasons, but
particularly because smaller airports provide
considerable unsung value, especially in
disaster situations like earthquakes.”
______________________________
Critical Soft Skills Got a
Hard Look When Carl
Selinger Returned to WTS-LA
WTS Greater
New York
member
and former
Member
of the Year
Carl Selinger
returned to
WTS-LA on August 8 and presented the
“dozen soft skills every transportation pro-
fessional needs to know.” An aviation busi-
ness strategist, Selinger conducts a renowned
seminar on a range of critical skills includ-
ing decision making, priority setting, and
time management; people and leadership
skills; and improved communication. And
this one, chaired by Professional Develop-
ment Co-Chair Avygail Sanchez of HNTB,
was very well received. Nearly two dozen
members benefited from Selinger’s soft-skills
wisdom. Participants remarked that the,
“Topics covered were really well chosen,”
and “Great workshop!”and “I love the hand-
outs and Carl’s interaction with the class.”
______________________________
Livzey Covers the
Waterfront – And Wins!
For their cover story “Shipshape,” Engineering
News-Record (ENR) engaged WTS-LA
corporate partner John Livzey to photograph
the Port of Long Beach’s preparations for
handling new “supersized vessels.” The result?
Stunning and effective. While not the first
time a Livzey photo has graced ENR’s cover,
more than 300,000 readers viewed this one.
But that’s not all. The American Society of
Business Press Editors were so enamored
with the photo that they awarded it the
Silver Medal in their 2013 Azbee Awards for
“Graphics Excellence” for a front cover photo.
Metro Launches an Actual
Underground Art Scene with
Metro Art Moves_DTLA
Like transit, art moves people. Expanding on
its highly successful year-round transit-art
program, Metro has launched Metr o Art
Moves_DTLA, a new summer art program
to increase ridership and expose riders to
the agency’s diverse collection of 300+ art-
works. Building on Metro’s docent-led
approach, Metro Art Moves_DTLA will have
local artists co-lead tours, combining exten-
sive knowledge of the artworks with activities
to heighten engagement and demystify
Metro’s system. Established in 1989, Metro’s
art program has commissioned more than
300 artists to create a diverse collection of
temporary and permanent projects. Selected
through a peer-review process with com-
munity input, artists create work specifically
for each transit-related site.
16 WTSEXPRESSLA FALL 2013
at the Viterbi School of Engineering Jim
Moore congratulated Shen, a fellow WTS-
LA board member: “This is well deserved.
You have made yourself a wonderful
resource for USC Viterbi and Price School
students, and we are grateful to you. The
courses you deliver for us are exceptional.”
Characteristically, Shen replied, “Teaching is
a privilege. I am fortunate to be associated
with a great institution like USC and to be
able to inspire new generations about the
many opportunities in the transportation
field.”
______________________________
Best US Online Graduate
Engineering Program in
USC’s DEN
US News and
World Report
named
University of
Southern
California’s
Viterbi School of
Engineering as
the number one
graduate online
engineering
program in
the country.
According to
Prof. James Elliott Moore II, WTS-LA
Director at Large and Vice Dean for
Academic Programs in the Viterbi School,
USC’s Distance Education Network (DEN)
provides access to more than 40 masters
degree programs, graduate certificates,
and professional courses. Moore extends
credit for this singular accomplishment to
DEN Executive Director Binh Tran, Executive
Director of Corporate and Professional
Programs Candace House, and Graduate
and Professional Programs Senior Associate
Dean Kelly Goulis.
Metro and Stantec
Recognized for Growing
Orange Line in the Valley
The Metro Orange Line Extension is many
things to many people. For transit riders, it’s
dedicated bus rapid transit, bringing critically
needed north-south connectivity in the
densely populated western San Fernando
Valley. The Metro Orange Line Extension is an
unqualified success, and Metro and Stantec
construction management consultant team
overcame challenges to create it. And they
did an amazing job. The $215 million Orange
Line Extension opened in June 2012, four
years ahead of Metro’s Long Range Plan and
$62 million under budget. And these efforts
were noticed within the transportation
industry. The project won the Construction
Management Association of America’s Project
Achievement Award, and the California
Transportation Foundation named it the
“Large Transit Project of the Year.”
______________________________
Transportation Takes Up
Space with Timely, Record-
Setting Launch
The transportation
industry is no longer
bounded by the Earth.
On June 21, NASA’s
Flight Opportunities
Program (FOP)
celebrated its first
successful commercial
launch. SpaceLoft 7
was the first suborbital
rocket to carry multiple
space technology
payloads for the program. FOP provides
spaceflight availability for researchers, while
supporting the commercial space industry.
The 19th launch since 2006 from Spaceport
America in New Mexico, the June 21 flight
marked the first fully manifested flight for
FOP. Reaching an altitude of 74 miles—a
spaceport record—SpaceLoft 7 payloads
experienced 17 Gs and four minutes of micro-
gravity and included experiments for NASA,
the FAA, the Air Force, and 60 students.
Reported by Loretta Hall.
––––––––––––––––––––––
Editor’s Note: Ms. Hall is the author of Out of this
World: New Mexico’s Contributions to Space Travel.
______________________________
Mass Transit Profiles
COMTO’s 50-Year Effort
to Bring Transportation
to a New Level
WTS member, AECOM vice president, and
Conference of Minority Transportation Officials
(COMTO) national board chair Robert Prince
knows firsthand why COMTO is essential.
“I started working for the Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority (MBTA) in 1976,
driving a bus. [Prince rose through the ranks
to become the first African American general
manager of the MBTA.]…You have to
remember what things were like back then.
When I looked for a role model, the only
one I could find was in a mirror. COMTO
showed me there were more of me—above
and below my level.” Prince’s words appear
in, “COMTO: Resetting the Nation’s Transpor-
tation Agenda” the COMTO profile in Mass
Transit (05/10/13).”
FALL 2013 WTSEXPRESSLA 17
IN THE NEWS
JOHN LIVZEY
JOHN LIVZEY
JOHN LIVZEY
JOHN LIVZEY
JOHN LIVZEY
The
Bucks
Started
Here
On Wednesday, July 31, Los Angeles Metro Board Chair Diane DuBois, Caltrans Chief Deputy
Director Norma Ortega, and FTA Deputy Administrator Therese McMillan presented their
respective visions about how transportation projects get funded on the federal, state, and local
level. More than 200 guests—including one of the largest contingents of dignitaries to attend a
WTS-LA event—joined mayors, public works directors, and decision makers from the Gateway
Cities and WTS-LA members to learn how future transportation funding will affect Los Angeles
County. This event was chaired by Programs Co-Chair Jill Liu of Fehr and Peers.
Photos by Koop Films.
WTS-LA’s Carlos Morgner
Has a Rail Serious Vision
for Pan-Am Freight
WTS-LA member, corporate partner, and
president and founder of Morgner Construc-
tion Management, Carlos Morgner thinks
big, rail big. And at last year’s Rail-Volution,
he presented his revolutionary concept for
a Pan-American Rail Corridor (PARC).
Stretching from Canada through the Central
United States and forking out in South
America to Brazil and Argentina, the PARC
would provide unfettered freight rail trans-
port on a 24-hour basis for North and South
America. Consolidating a host of local and
regional freight rail networks, the PARC
would fuse into a single transcontinental
freight rail corridor. In addition to boosting
international trade, the PARC would provide
numerous additional benefits including
economic development, job creation, and
sustainability. Morgner and PARC Executive
Director Leticia Chacon presented the PARC
to the fifth annual The Americas Business
Forum 2013 (9/25-26) at UCLA, as well as
at other international and business forums.
For more information, contact Chacon at
lchacon@panamericanrailcorridor
.com or
818-461-8100 or visit www
.panamericanrail-
corridor.com.
June Susilo Discovers First
Hand How Transportation
Transforms
Recently, WTS-LA Communications Co-Chair
June Susilo returned to Vietnam, her birth-
place. What she saw stunned her. “We
stayed in a hotel overlooking the beach
where my family left by boat 33 years ago.
Seeing how
[
Da Nang
]
transformed is
amazing! There are 6 new bridges, TOD,
wider streets, pedestrian walkways—none
of that was there 12 years ago.” Crediting
improved transportation infrastructure,
Susilo (a project manager with AECOM)
sees global lessons in local improvement.
“The city is so much more bustling because
transportation has improved. There’s a real
sense of pride, mixed with hope and accom-
plishment. Had the government not invested
in infrastructure, Da Nang would not be
where it is today.”
18 WTSEXPRESSLA FALL 2013 FALL 2013 WTSEXPRESSLA 19
IN THE NEWS
in LA County! With dynamically based
traffic-flow tolling, the program offered
improved transportation options, as
well as greater choice for all com-
muters, HOVs, SOVs, and transit riders.
But nothing speaks louder than
results. And the results are in. On
November 10, 2012, the first
ExpressLanes in Los Angeles County
opened along I-110. ExpressLanes
on the I-10 followed quickly on
February 23, 2013. So far, here is what
ExpressLanes have accomplished:
䡲
Travel speeds above 45 mph
during peak hours
(5 am–9 am and 4 pm–7pm
Monday through Friday)
100 percent of the time.
䡲
Improved on-time performance
for buses using ExpressLanes.
䡲
180,000 registered and activated
electronic FasTrak transponders
(necessary for ExpressLanes)
as of July.
䡲
Metro projects FasTrak deploy-
ment to grow by more than
15,000 transponders per month
(as ExpressLanes awareness
grows).
In addition, it is projected that the
ExpressLanes project will remove
12,593 passenger vehicles from local
roadways each year. That means more
than seven million fewer gallons of
gasoline consumed.
Every reform needs examples more
than advocates. And Metro’s
ExpressLanes project serves as a
perfect example of exactly how cities
and metropolitan regions are reform-
ing how transportation infrastructure
is getting done.
METRO
EXPRESSLANES
ARE HOT
CONTINUED
RECENT PROGRAMS
JOHN LIVZEY
JOHN LIVZEY
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
ADOPT-A-SCHOOL
CAREER DAY CO-CHAIRS
Silvia Aldrete
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Delia Chi
RSandH
Jenny Larios
HDR, Inc.
ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP &
AWARDS DINNER CO-CHAIRS
Abdollah Ansari
CDMSmith
Natasha DeBenon
Arcadis
COMMUNICATIONS CO-CHAIRS
June Susilo
AECOM
Ana Vallianatos
Metro
CORPORATE RELATIONS CHAIR
Androush Danielians, PhD
HDR
DIVERSITY/RECOGNITIONS CHAIR
Tae Kim
Nossaman, LLP
LEGISLATIVE CHAIR
Margo Bennett
Nossaman, LLP
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
Eileen Ryder
URS
MENTORSHIP CHAIR
Michelle Boehm
California High-Speed Rail Authority
Arthur Leahy
Metro
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
LEADERSHIP CO-CHAIRS
Avygail Sanchez
HNTB
Myra Lerma
PROGRAMS CO-CHAIRS
Lisa Karwoski
Hatch Mott MacDonald
Jill Liu
Fehr and Peers
Amanda Smith
AECOM
SCHOLARSHIP CHAIR
Elisabeth Rosenson
Consensus, Inc.
SMALL BUSINESS OUTREACTBAC CHAIR
Lia Reyes
LVR International
TRANSPORTATION RÉSUMÉ BOOK CHAIR
Diane Kravif
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Karineh Gregorian
Alexandra
Spencer
Spencer Schurr & Associates
alexandra.spencer@spencerschurr.com
Arthur
Schurr
Spencer Schurr & Associates
arthur.schurr@spencerschurr.com
David
Schroer
Loudmouth Graphics
WTS EXPRESSLA CONTRIBUTORS
Erika
Enigk
Grotto
John
Livzey
John Livzey Photography
John
Middelkoop
Koop Films
Loretta
Hall
Matt
Grotto
Grotto Media
Melanie
Nelson
BergCM
On Thursday, August 15, Port of Long Beach (POLB) Acting Deputy
Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Noel Hacegaba
and Port of Los Angeles (POLA) Chief of Design Engineering and
WTS-LA board member Dina Aryan-Zahlan took to the seas with
to serve as tour guides for an incomparable WTS-LA members-only
cruise of POLB and POLA. POLB Director of Transportation Planning,
USC lecturer, and WTS-LA board member Eric Shen also welcomed
more than two dozen USC students on board. Reports have it that
a good networking time was had by all. This event was chaired by
Programs Co-Chair Lisa Karwoski of Hatch Mott MacDonald.
Photos by John Livzey; photo of Dina Aryan-Zahlan by Koop Films.
20 WTSEXPRESSLA FALL 2013
This
Was
the
Maritime
That
Was . . .
RECENT PROGRAMS
WTS LOS ANGELES AREA CHAPTER
POST OFFICE BOX 71504
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90071-0504
www.wtsinternational.org/losangeles
https://twitter.com/wtslosangeles
22 WTSEXPRESSLA FALL 2013
Advancing
Women in
Transportation
JOHN LIVZEY
JOHN LIVZEYJOHN LIVZEY
