Jannet Walker-Ford Named Northeast Florida WTS Woman of the Year

WSP USA national transit and rail leader honored by chapter as a ‘visionary, strategic thinker and accomplished professional.’

JACKSONVILLE, Florida, April 29, 2021 — The Northeast Florida Chapter of WTS International (WTSI) presented its Woman of the Year award to Jannet Walker-Ford, national transit and rail leader for WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy.

The annual award is presented to a woman who is a member of the chapter, is recognized as an outstanding role model in transportation and is a transportation leader who has made an outstanding contribution to the industry.

Walker-Ford received the award from April Bacchus, Northeast Florida chapter president, during a March 23 awards presentation event at the Tree Hill Nature Center Amphitheater in Jacksonville. She was described during the ceremony as “a visionary, strategic thinker and accomplished professional with more than 20 years’ experience in transit, aviation, surface transportation and tolling for both the public and private sectors.”

WTSI is a transportation organization dedicated to creating a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable transportation industry through the global advancement of women.

“We on the WTSI Board of Directors are pleased to see Jannet recognized as Woman of the Year in the NE Chapter,” said Paula Hammond, WTSI board chair and multimodal market leader for WSP. “She has dedicated herself to WTS’s mission to enhance the transportation industry by advancing women and diversity throughout the workforce.”

A senior vice president for WSP, Walker-Ford joined the firm earlier this year and is responsible for leading and growing the firm’s business in the national transit and rail markets and establishing strategies that will position WSP for major advisory, planning, design, program management and construction management assignments.

Walker-Ford is the chair of the WTS International Foundation Board and vice chair of the WTS International Board. She also serves as vice chair of ITS America’s Sustainability & Resiliency Committee and board chair of the American Public Transportation Foundation. She is a board member of the American Public Transportation Association, ENO Center for Transportation Board, a member of the Jacksonville University Board of Trustees and is chair of the Greater Jacksonville Cultural Council Board.

In 2019 she received the Women of Color STEM Technology All-Star Award, the Miami Women Who Rock’s National Business Achievement Award, was a Conference of Minority Transportation Officials’ Women Who Move the Nation honoree and was also a Transportation Diversity Council/Massachusetts Institute of Technology honoree for Services to the Transportation Industry.

About WSP USA

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 10,000 employees in 170 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com