Workforce Summit Program At-A-Glance

Moderators:  Art Guzzetti & Cherise Myers, American Public Transportation Association

Speakers:

• Mark Patterson, Associate Administrator for Research, Data, and Innovation, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
• John Bodnar, Director, Office of Transit Programs, Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
• Paige Shevlin, Strategic Advisor for Infrastructure Workforce Development, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation

Location:  Grand Ballroom

Join your colleagues over cocktails and light fare for a reception and networking opportunity to kick off the conference.

Location:  Palm Court Ballroom

Location:  Promenade Foyer

Location:  Promenade Foyer

Location:  Promenade Foyer

Get ready to kick-start the workforce summit and join industry peers for the next two days packed with learning and networking. The opening session will feature APTA leadership and an engaging keynote address.

Chair’s Welcome:  Michele Wong Krause, Chair, APTA; Past Chair, DART Board of Directors 2021-2023, Dallas Area Rapid Transit

A Vision for Workforce: Amit Bose, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation

Special Remarks:  Catherine Teebay, Special Advisor for Policy & Program Implementation, Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

President’s Welcome & Keynote Introduction:  Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association

Keynote Speaker:  Randy Clarke, General Manager and CEO, WMATA

Location:  Grand Ballroom

Recruitment Fast Track – Six Strategies to Advance Workforce Solutions Around the Globe

Join the global conversation that taps you into workforce strategies for public transportation. The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) will join us from overseas to collaborate with AC Transit and King County Metro to share best practices for workforce success. The global strategies will be accompanied by a recruitment tool from APTA to support your organization’s overall workforce plan.

Moderator:

• Jana Demas, APTA Workforce Development Committee Secretary, Deputy Director – Rail Division, King County Metro

Speakers:

• Matt Kirson, Head of UITP North America, International Association of Public Transport (UITP)
• Christel Goossens, Manager – Knowledge & Innovation, International Association of Public Transport (UITP)
• Sebron Flenaugh III, Executive Director – Human Resources, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District
• Denis Ferrand, Director – International HR Support, Careers & Staffing, Transdev Group – France

Location:  Palm Court Ballroom

Retention Fast Track – Rostering: Cutting-Edge Techniques to Optimize Operator Scheduling

Operators identify work schedules as a key reason for being dissatisfied with the job or quitting. Join this session to meet the scheduling and planning experts and learn more about the tools to help the industry tap into cutting edge methods that assist in retaining operators by:

• Using rostering as a best practice to positively impact the quality of life for frontline staff
• Using rostering processes, technology, and lessons learned to partner with key stakeholders involved in planning and scheduling

Moderator:

• Sherri Dickerson, Executive Vice President/Chief People Officer, WMATA

Speakers:

• Aaron Vogel, Chief Operating Officer, IndyGo
• John Lyons, Director of Joint Industry Councils and Collective Bargaining, Amalgamated Transit Union
• Russell Bateman, Training and Education Administrator, Amalgamated Transit Union
• Pierre Giroux, Account Manager – USA Market Lead, GIRO
• Kristi Urich, Product Director, Trapeze
• Reinaldo Germano, Project Manager & Senior Transportation Planner, Foursquare ITP

Location:  Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by GIRO

Reskilling Fast Track – Apprentice Programs: Hard to Fill Cybersecurity Technology and Marketing Roles

Join us for a dynamic session and unlock the power of apprenticeships to diversify your talent pool, fill challenging roles, and fuel business growth in the transportation industry. Facing the significant challenge of digital transformation, apprenticeships offer a strategic solution to attract and retain talent by accelerating innovation and overcoming traditional hiring limitations. Learn how to engage talent in meaningful work, connect them to career milestones, and develop a future-ready, inclusive workforce that drives digital transformation and business success.

Moderator:

• James Hall, Principal and Founder, ZEB Tech

Speakers:

• Navonna Morrison, Director of Talent Learning Solutions, Sales, OpenClassrooms
• Jen Thomas, Assistant Program Director for Workforce Grants TechQuest Apprenticeship/TechBoost, Clark University
• Jordan Taylor, P.E., Principal Consultant, Intueor

Location:  East Ballroom

Location:  Promenade Foyer

Recruitment Fast Track – 100% Staffed: How You Can Recruit & Be Fully Staffed

Connect with CEOs and industry leaders who craft and execute workforce strategies to fill vital frontline operations roles. You’ll discover how they prioritize and invest in the recruitment process to be an organization that is 100% staffed! Join us to learn how these leaders ensure that their teams are equipped for success in the ever-evolving transportation landscape.

Moderator:

• Adriana M. Hemzacek, Director of Marketing, Icomera

Speakers:

• Brad Miller, Chief Executive Officer of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)
• Nadine S. Lee, President & CEO, Dallas Area Rapid Transit
• Rosa Medina-Cristobal, Senior VP & Chief Human Resources Officer, Dallas Area Rapid Transit
• Trish Collins, Director of Human Resources/EEO Officer, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)

Location:  Palm Court Ballroom

Retention Fast Track – Mentoring Success: An Employee Retention Solution

This session explores the extraordinary impact that mentorship programs have on talent development, knowledge transfer, skill enhancement, and fostering a positive work culture. In this interactive session, leaders will share lessons learned and provide details on the steps you can take to launch a mentorship program in your organization.

Moderator:

• Geisha D. Ester, Chair, Education & Career Awareness Subcommittee, Vice President, Training and Workforce Development, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)

Speakers:

• Derik A. Calhoun, Vice Chair, APTA Workforce Development Committee, Chief Operating Officer, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
• Nicholas Biggar, Hayden District Director, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
• Darnell Morris, ATU Local 268 Vice President, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
• Steve Jovel, Vice Chair, APTA Education & Career Awareness Subcommittee; Operations Manager of Workforce Development, VTA
• Jamaine Gibson, Director of Apprenticeship and Mentorship Programs, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)
• Gabriel Lopez-Bernal, President of North America, Icomera

Location:  Grand Ballroom

Reskilling Fast Track – Workforce Solutions: Small Business & Small-Mid Size + Rural Agencies

Are you ready to take a look at workforce strategies that can help your organization level the playing field? Join this session to learn more about scalable turnkey solutions that can help your organization leverage best practices to apply your limited time and resources into high-value activities. Sometimes it may seem as if workforce solutions are designed exclusively for large corporations and big agencies, but this session will provide tips and tools that work for any organization of any size.

Moderator:

• Alicia Walker, General Manager – Bus Operations, Trinity Metro

Speakers:

• Ron Thiele, President and CEO, Xpan
• Mike Finnern, Senior Vice President and National Zero-Emissions Fleet Lead, WSP
• Kiara Austin, Public Infrastructure business line HR manager, Bechtel
• Steve Granson, Associate Vice President, HNTB Corporation.

Location:  East Ballroom

This session introduces you to a few of the CEOs who understand that they play a critical role in resolving the workforce shortage crisis. Long gone are the days when recruitment and retention were only an issue for HR. These industry leaders invite you to join them on the journey to create a culture that opens doors for building talent pipelines and retaining top talent in our industry.

• India L. Birdsong Terry, General Manager & CEO, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
• Raquel Olivier, Board Member/Founder and President/CEO, Olivier, Inc.
• Rashidi Barnes, CEO, Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority

Location:  Grand Ballroom

Remarks: Carita Ducre, VP, Workforce Development and Educational Services, American Public Transportation Association

Keynote Introduction: Billy Terry, Executive Director, National Transit Institute, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Moderated Keynote Q&A:  Adelee Marie Le Grand, AICP, SVP Mobility + Engineering, Intellectual Concepts

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Calvin Mackie, CEO, President and Founder, STEM NOLA and ChannelZerO Group LLC

Location:  Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by National Transit Institute (NTI)

Recruitment Fast Track –The Strategy of Attracting the Right Candidates for the Job!

Are you ready to tap into strategies to recruit and hire better? Your team can start with job descriptions that target the qualities and competencies your company actually needs in a new employee. Lay the foundation for finding a good fit by shifting the focus beyond years of experience to incorporate strategies that include adding competencies, transferable skills, and other techniques that expand your reach for attracting candidates for technical, operations, and admin career opportunities.

Moderator:

• Renee Tarrant, Language Testing International, Global Accounts and Sales Manager

Speakers:

• Tori Copeland, Engagement Manager, OGx
• Andrada S. Cunning, Senior Vice President, Human Capital Management, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Location:  Palm Court Ballroom

Retention Fast Track – The Future of Work: Policies & Programs for Women in Transit

Women are 49.7% of the world’s population and approximately 20% of the public transit workforce. Join this session to learn about childcare models and hear about lessons learned to align our industry with the future of work. Panelists will also share policies and programs that work and introduce new ideas to build sustainable models to retain women in public transit and non-traditional transportation careers.

Moderator:

• Teri Fisher, CEO & Managing Partner,  Insight Strategies

Speakers:

• Mersida Ibric, Chief People Officer – acting, MTA NYC Headquarters
• Yvonne Lopez-Diaz, VP, National Workforce Strategist, HNTB
• Darlene Slaughter, Chief Diversity Officer, WMATA
• Eric Cutler, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, TOOTRiS

Location:  Grand Ballroom

Reskilling Fast Track – Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) & Augmented Reality (AR)

Experience a technology demo presentation and learn about the Zero Emissions Bus (ZEB) program, partnerships, and strategy. AC Transit will showcase how they use Mixed Reality (MR) technology to develop ZEB-University and prepare the industry’s future-ready workforce. Join this session to learn more about cutting-edge technology solutions to train and empower your workforce for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.

Moderator:

• Frank Mesa, Chief Operations Training Officer, NY MTA Metro-North Railroad

Speakers:

• Salvador Llamas, Chief Operating Officer, AC Transit
• Michael Flocchini, Training and Education Manager, AC Transit

Location:  East Ballroom

Location:  Promenade Foyer

Recruitment Fast Track –Planting the Seeds for Next Gen Transportation & Infrastructure Leaders Using Virtual Reality and Programming that Works!

Is the next generation of public transit professionals on the campus of a high school experiencing intensive hand-on programming with mentors and faculty? Or is the talent pipeline being built with immersive VR training for all who are interested in careers available in public transit? The answer is both are options for developing a future-ready workforce for hard to fill jobs that exist right now and are projected to exist in future. This session includes a VR demo and introduces the strategies for connecting communities to opportunities for careers in public transit.

Moderator:

• Oscar J. Gonzalez, Senior Vice President, Transit and Rail Market Lead for Mid-Atlantic South, WSP

Speakers:

• Dawn Jackson-Perkins, J.D. AWI-CH, Deputy Chief People Officer, LA Metro
• Dan Risko, Vice President, Government Relations & Funding, TRANSFR
• Keniq Coney, Chief Schools Officer, The SEED Foundation

Location:  Palm Court Ballroom

Retention Fast Track – Workforce Strategy: The Transformative Power of Support Services

Learn more about support services partners that can help your organization retain workers. Connecting with support services partners will open the door for introducing the ABC approach for workforce growth and development; A = A job, B = Better jobs, and C = Careers. The services can range from the essential soft skills like communications and what to wear to work to ZEB tech or CDL training and more…

Moderator:

• LaShanda Dawkins, Chair, Workforce Development Committee, Assistant General Manager, Labor & Employee Relations, MARTA

Speakers:

• Keith T. Parker, APTA Foundation Board, President & Chief Executive Officer, Goodwill of North Georgia
• Jenny Taylor, VP of Career Services, Goodwill of North Georgia
• Carita Ducre, VP of Workforce Development & Educational Services, American Public Transportation Association

Location:  Grand Ballroom

Reskilling Fast Track – Building Your Bench: Training Public Transit’s Workforce

The skills required for transportation’s frontline staff, supervisors, managers, and leaders have evolved. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) invests in the development and training for transit officials, and has a five year strategic plan to continue to meet the needs of the transit industry. The International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC) and the National Transit Institute (NTI) are the industry’s strategic partners for training and reskilling the workforce. Join this session to learn more about the virtual and onsite programs designed to help your staff align with the federal, technical, and safety essential skills to succeed today while growing to meet your organization’s future needs.

Moderator:

• Sheila Jordan, CEO, Knowledge Architects

Speakers:

• Mary A. Leary, PhD, Associate Administrator for Research Demonstration and Innovation, FTA
• Jack Clark, Executive Director, International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC)
• Billy Terry, Executive Director, National Transit Institute, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Location:  East Ballroom

You will leave the APTA Workforce Summit ready to quickly take the first steps toward a strategy that keeps planning agile for both the business and the people. With the nature of work changing so fast in the transportation industry, this summit session is essential for looking at solutions for your organization to align with the future of work.

Moderators:  The Retention Fast Track Team

Closing Remarks – Workforce Development Committee Leadership

Location:  Grand Ballroom