Business Members Annual Meeting Program

Whether you’re new to the meeting, APTA, or the industry, this session will enable you to get the most from this conference and from APTA. You’ll get an overview of the business committee structure, information on how to get involved in its activities and advocacy, and provide tips for how to make the most of your APTA experience.

Facilitator:  Eve Williams, BMBG Past Chair, President and CEO, Dikita Enterprises, Inc.

Speakers:

• Natalie E. Cornell, Vice President, Business Development, Infrastructure USA, Hatch LTK
• Raquel Olivier, President, Olivier Incorporated

The tour will showcase Honolulu’s new 20-mile rail system, which is a Grade of Automation (GoA) 4 Unattended Train Operation. The West Project Segment extends about ten miles from Kualaka’i Station at East Kapolei to Hālawa Station at Aloha Stadium (a total of nine stations). Trial operations are now underway and interim revenue service is scheduled to commence during the first half of 2023. It is a short-term opportunity to improve mobility within West and Central O‘ahu while the system is extended to serve the Airport in 2025 and the Downtown area in 2030. The $11 billion exclusive fixed guideway system includes several firsts for U.S. transit systems including Unattended Train Operations, Automatic Passenger Screen Gates, and an advanced Security System. The four-car train sets have a comfort load of 642 passengers with open gangways that allow for walk-thru access between cars. The tour includes a visit to the Rail Operations Center including the Operations Control Center, the Maintenance Facility and a walk thru tour of a train set. Participant transportation will be provided by TheBus and will parallel the east side alignment.

Tour is now FULL.  A second tour has been added on Thursday.  See below.

It’s networking time! Join your colleagues for cocktails, light fare and relaxed conversation.

Find a moment of zen before the meeting officially kicks off with yoga by the beach.  Attendees will meet yoga instructor at Mohala Garden at 6:45 AM

Sign-up is now available.

This past year was an impactful one for the public transportation industry and the business member community. With changes in Congress and the world emerging from the pandemic, 2023 is shaping up to be just as consequential. Leaders from APTA and its Business Member Board of Governors will set the stage for the many important conference discussions as well as discuss how the recent election will shape APTA’s advocacy efforts on behalf of its business members.

Welcome:

• Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, APTA
• Dorval R. Carter, Jr., APTA Chair, President, Chicago Transit Authority
• Buddy Coleman, BMBG Chair, Chief Customer Officer, Clever Devices
• Rick Blangiardi, Mayor, The City and County of Honolulu

Speaker:

• Dabney Hegg, Majority Clerk, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate
• Ward McCarragher, Vice President, Government Affairs and Advocacy, APTA
• T.J. Doyle, Vice President, Communications and Marketing, APTA
• Brian Tynan, Chair, Business Member Legislative Committee
• Caroline Decker, Vice Chair, Business Member Legislative Committee

The economic crystal ball relied upon by prognosticators remains cloudy. What will 2023 bring? In this session we’ll look ahead to predict and prepare for the future. Will supply chain disruption, inflation, workforce shortages, and the political divide continue to reek havoc on transit agencies and businesses? What other indicators should we be watching? And, what can we do to get ahead of the curve? We’ll hear from an expert on all of this and more, then turn it to you to share what’s keeping you up at night.

Facilitator:  Emily Guill, Publisher, Mass Transit

Speaker:   Patrick Williamson, Digital Strategy, Customer Experience & Innovation, EY

This fun, fast-paced, interactive format is designed to help you strengthen your business relationships.

Open to all, the annual meeting will help define the priorities for the BMBG and its business members for 2023. Discussions will include ongoing work with the transit CEOs to develop a price adjustment mechanism for future contracts to address extraordinary inflation in raw materials, the work plans for the BMBG’s seven committees, updates on APTA’s upcoming EXPO 2023 and other meetings, upcoming ballot initiative and Washington advocacy plans, and various changes to the BMBG bylaws.

Chair:  Buddy Coleman, BMBG Chair, Chief Customer Officer, Clever Devices

Hawaii has a rich tradition of “talk story”—a time when friends and loved ones gather together to wind up or down and enjoy casual conversation. Join us for our own talk story, where you’ll hear from locals about Hawaii’s culture and share your own experiences with friends old and new.

Facilitator: Jon Nouchi, Deputy Director, Department of Transportation Services, City and County of Honolulu

You already know that advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is critical to organizational success, but do you know how to do it? APTA business and agency members will share their EDI success stories and give you tangible takeaways for implementation in your own organization. No generalities here – we’ll go in-depth on strategies and results, and get real about what it takes to drive meaningful change.

Moderator:  Jeffrey A. Nelson, APTA Immediate Past Chair, General Manager, Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLINK)

Speakers:

• Doran J. Barnes, Executive Director, Foothill Transit
• India Birdsong Terry, General Manager, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
• Dorval R. Carter, Jr., APTA Chair, President, Chicago Transit Authority
• Charli Champagne, Workforce Development Manager, NFI Group
• Sindy Mondesir, Chief People Officer, Central Ohio Transit Authority

Join us for our annual Golf Tournament and APTF Fundraiser at the Pearl Country Club, a hidden gem on the island of Ohau with views of Pearl Harbor. Golfers will experience an afternoon of fun and camaraderie with warm breezes and brilliant sunshine, all while raising funds to support the American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF). Separate registration of $75 per golfer (includes golf fees and lunch) is required .If you have an existing registration, email lhamlin@apta.com for assistance. Learn More.

Looking for an alternative to golf for your group? O’ahu Whale Watching Tours offers a Dolphin Excursion at 11:00 am and a Whale Watching Tour at  2:30 pm. Learn more and book here.

For other great options, check out this O’ahu activity guide.

The tour will showcase Honolulu’s new 20-mile rail system, which is a Grade of Automation (GoA) 4 Unattended Train Operation. The West Project Segment extends about ten miles from Kualaka’i Station at East Kapolei to Hālawa Station at Aloha Stadium (a total of nine stations). Trial operations are now underway and interim revenue service is scheduled to commence during the first half of 2023. It is a short-term opportunity to improve mobility within West and Central O‘ahu while the system is extended to serve the Airport in 2025 and the Downtown area in 2030. The $11 billion exclusive fixed guideway system includes several firsts for U.S. transit systems including Unattended Train Operations, Automatic Passenger Screen Gates, and an advanced Security System. The four-car train sets have a comfort load of 642 passengers with open gangways that allow for walk-thru access between cars. The tour includes a visit to the Rail Operations Center including the Operations Control Center, the Maintenance Facility and a walk thru tour of a train set. Participant transportation will be provided by TheBus and will parallel the east side alignment.

Sign up is now open

Start the day energized with a fun run, or coffee walk with your peers. Be ready to leave from the lobby Starbucks by 7am.

This session will focus on better understanding transit agency priorities for 2023 and how business members can best support and meet the needs of transit agencies as they seek to deliver new projects and new rolling stock funded largely from the IIJA. This includes a look at the capital programs for various agencies and ways to help ensure a robust, financial healthy and highly competitive industry able to partner with transit agencies to implement the work.

Moderator:  Lindy Norris, Vice President, Marketing & Policy, The Routing Company

Speakers:

• Doran J. Barnes, Executive Director, Foothill Transit
• India Birdsong Terry, General Manager, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
• Dorval R. Carter, Jr., APTA Chair, President, Chicago Transit Authority
• Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., Chief Executive Officer, Jacksonville Transportation Authority
• Lori Kahikina, Chief Executive Officer, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation
• Jeffrey A. Nelson, APTA Immediate Past Chair, General Manager, Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLINK)

With hydrogen-powered vehicles now more than a curiosity, leaders across the transit industry should understand the basics of hydrogen power and how to harness it for transportation.  In this session, learn how quickly hydrogen propulsion systems for passenger transit is developing, how to determine its future in transit, and what impact it may have on your business.

Moderator:  Jack Martinson, Senior Director Business Development, Stadler US Inc.

Speakers:

• Karl Kim, Professor, Urban and Regional Planning, University of Hawaii, Mānoa
• Patrick Scully, 321 Consulting
• Victor Lopez, Director, Transit and Rail Programs, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority

We’ve all seen the headlines and heard the tales about cyber disaster. But the big question remains—are we ready to protect ourselves and our clients? In this session, learn how the transit industry can further enhance cybersecurity preparedness and resilience. This dynamic dialogue will be a great place to gather, share, learn, and discuss cybersecurity.

Moderator:  Christina Belmont, Vice President – Marketing , SDI Presence LLC

Speaker:

• Scott Belcher, President & CEO, SFB Consulting LLC
• Christopher Crawford, Transportation Industry Director, Waterfall Security Solutions Ltd

We will close out our program with an interactive open forum. This is a time to reflect on the week, discuss priorities not already covered, and share insights on what’s to come.

Facilitator:  Eve Williams, BMBG Past Chair, President and CEO, Dikita Enterprises, Inc.

Come together one last time to celebrate and raise funds for the American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF). All attendees and registered guests are welcome and are invited to make a donation of any size towards meeting our fundraising goal. Learn more.