Leadership APTA Class of 2014
Our 17th Year!
Leadership APTA is the American Public Transportation Association’s premier professional development program designed to develop and support those experienced managers and leaders aspiring to hold senior and executive leadership positions in APTA, their organizations, and the public transportation industry.
Candidates for Leadership APTA should show the promise and potential to be part of executive teams, the ‘chief’s’ suite, and other senior leadership positions.
Leadership APTA is committed to identifying and selecting a diverse, broad-based group of highly motivated and dedicated industry professionals from among our membership to participate in this industry recognized leadership program. Leadership APTA has become the path to prepare you to join the next generation of senior and executive leadership of APTA and public transportation industry.
Each year, the Leadership APTA Committee selects 25 individuals from among APTA member applicants to participate in a year-long program that includes skill-building workshops, conferences, executive roundtables, class leadership projects, teleconferences, online meetings, and web-based events.
Preparing Tomorrow's Leaders Today
For APTA and the Public Transportation Industry
Program highlights from the committee chair
Leadership APTA is very proud of our graduates. Several alumni have risen to top executive positions in both the public and private sector of our industry. Many serve as members of the APTA Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. And, APTA’s own, President and Chief Executive Officer, Michael P. Melaniphy, is a graduate of Leadership APTA Class of 2005.
John M. Lewis, Jr., chair, Leadership APTA Committee.
The Leadership APTA Committee and APTA staff members respond to the changing industry needs to develop our future leaders. We continue to upgrade, fine tune, and enhance the Leadership APTA program. We re-tool and re-engineer the curricula and its offerings. We add highly regarded industry leaders and prestigious university professors to our faculty. We ensure the class leadership projects focus on how executive leaders would address the challenge at hand. We provide formal speaking opportunities for class members to share their own leadership challenges in their home organizations. We maximize the value of transit agency site visits, executive leadership roundtable briefings, and discussions.
Leadership APTA provides expanded opportunities to showcase class members and their projects at APTA’s Annual Meetings, modal conferences, industry workshops, and sessions throughout North America. Continuing a new tradition, Class of 2012 graduates were given a prime-time opportunity to deliver highlights of their leadership projects during the Leadership APTA graduation program held this past fall in conjunction with the 2012 APTA Annual Meeting.
The Leadership APTA Committee is encouraged that despite a tough economy, the number of applications remains high. And as such, the application process has become more and more competitive as the Committee selects a 25-member class representing the richness and diversity of our industry.
- John M. Lewis, Jr., chair, Leadership APTA Committee
Letter from John Lewis, Chair, Leadership APTA
Program Highlights
Eligibility Requirements
Only employees of organizations that are APTA members are eligible to apply.
Target Audience
Class of 2013 Ibrahima Touree, Veolia Transportation, and Stephanie Shipp, HDR,Inc., check facts before negotiations workshop simulations.
- Candidates need to be proven managers having the drive, dedication, and promise to join the ranks of senior and executive leadership positions. They may come from other positions having strong leadership potential working for public transportation systems, private sector businesses supplying goods or services to the public transit industry, or other organizations related to the industry. Candidates might be new general managers of small to mid-sized organizations; transit agency assistant general managers or assistant general managers working for public transit services providers. They might be rising business and private sector program and project managers with a track record of recognized success and plans for senior and executive leadership.
- Candidates need to demonstrate the potential to be a strong and effective leader. Candidates need to be at a director-level/equivalent position or higher, department or division head/equivalent, and at a high enough level in your organization where he or she can speak with confidence to the goals, priorities, and major issues your organization is addressing.
- Candidates for Leadership APTA need at least 10-15 years of significant work experience from the public or private sector/other, including at least three years of transit experience, plus a proven track record of demonstrated successes.
- Candidates applying for the Leadership APTA Class of 2014 need to be able to become actively involved in APTA immediately upon graduation. They need to have the drive and desire to serve on APTA committees and task forces in areas of interest and benefit to them and their organizations. They need to be willing to eventually assume leadership roles in committees, working groups, and task forces.
Please note: The Leadership APTA Committee strongly recommends that individual organizations submit only one candidate as your applicant for the Leadership APTA Class of 2014.
What To Expect
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Highly recommended attendance and full participation in 2013 APTA Annual Meeting including Leadership APTA orientation program and customized workshops for incoming class members; participation in committee meetings, conference sessions, and Class of 2014 introduction during Class of 2013 graduation program.
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Required attendance and participation in multi-day workshop sessions in December 2013, March 2014, and July 2014.
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Required attendance and full participation at the 2014 APTA Legislative Conference.
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Required attendance at the 2014 APTA Annual Meeting & EXPO to present class team leadership projects at committee meetings, conference sessions, and Leadership APTA graduation program.
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Full and active participation in class workshops, activities, assignments, presentations, leadership team projects, teleconference and online activities, and other related program events.
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Active participation in an APTA committee, task force and/or special initiative upon graduation,
Class of 2013 in last minute preparations for Capitol Hill Meeting simulations during 2013 Legislative Conference.
Additional Benefits
Program tuition fees for the Class of 2014 are being reviewed and will be announced shortly. Tuition fees include Leadership APTA workshop sessions, related workshop books & materials, and some meals. Fee also includes complimentary registrations for the 2013 Annual Meeting, 2014 APTA Legislative Conference, and the 2014 APTA Annual Meeting & EXPO.
Agencies and organizations sponsoring participants are responsible for the following: tuition fees: travel costs to and from the Leadership APTA sessions and workshops, Legislative Conference, and Annual Meetings; hotel expenses; some meals; and related miscellaneous expenses.
Additional Benefits
Members of the Leadership APTA Class of 2014 receive complementary registrations to attend the 2014 Bus & Paratransit Conference and the 2014 Rail Conference. (Note: No formal Leadership APTA workshop sessions are held at either of these conferences).
Sponsorships
Leadership APTA participants are sponsored by the public transportation system or organization where they are employed. An organization’s sponsoring a candidate, providing the monetary resources, and allowing the time necessary for candidates to participate in the related events and activities are critical to the success of Leadership APTA.
Sponsoring Organization Commitment
Class of 2012 Members at The White House at the conclusion of 2012 APTA Legislative Conference.
General managers, presidents, executive directors, chief executive officers sponsoring candidates recognize that sending participants to Leadership APTA is extremely valuable to their organizations. Since the first Leadership APTA Class of 1998, public transportation leaders have watched their investments in this program return great dividends.
The executive leadership of sponsoring organizations also understands that their commitment and support means allowing their Leadership APTA participant to attend the required workshops and conferences listed below:
- December 2013 workshop session;
- 2014 APTA Legislative Conference and class workshop session;
- July 2014 workshop session; and
- 2014 APTA Annual Meeting & EXPO that honors the graduating class and features them at committee meetings, conference sessions, and their graduation program to present their leadership projects.
The Leadership APTA Committee highly recommends that incoming class members attend the APTA 2013 Annual Meeting, including related class workshops and orientation programs.
Executive leaders from sponsoring organizations recognize that their Leadership APTA participants will spend time over the year, from March to September, working on their leadership projects and will participate in related conference calls, online meetings, and web-based events. Upon graduation, Class of 2014 members will also serve as program coaches and mentors for the incoming Class of 2015.
Class of 2013 at the US Capitol at the conclusion of the 2013 Legislative Conference.
New this year: One of the goals of Leadership APTA is to develop future leaders of APTA. The Leadership APTA program now requires that each sponsoring organization actively supports at least one additional year of APTA involvement from its Leadership APTA participant immediately upon graduation through work on APTA committees, task forces or special projects.
APTA thanks and recognizes our industry members who leverage their Leadership APTA graduates as valued leaders within their organizations and the industry.