KEYNOTE SPEAKER, PLENARIES and PANELISTS FEATURED AT NEXT WEEK’S WTS INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Registration is still open for the 2023 WTS International Annual Conference: The Great Intersection, to be hosted at the Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, May 10-12, 2023.  

Last week, WTS International announced the keynote speaker for the event, Cassandra “Cassi” Chandler, in a Thursday session sponsored by HNTB.  Chandler is an innovator, strategist, investigator, and leader who has broken barriers, led diverse teams, and built cultures of motivational leadership and inclusivity at some of the world’s most important organizations, including Bank of America. She was also the first African American female to serve as a special agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

“We are excited to hear from Cassi Chandler in Atlanta,” said Sara Stickler, President and CEO of WTS International. “Close to 1,000 WTS members and transportation stakeholders will have the privilege to hear about Cassi’s trailblazing journey as a Black woman, and learn how to translate her experience and advice into leadership best practices in their own professional and personal lives. ”

Additional plenary speakers and main stage panelists have also been named, including:

• Wednesday March 10th’s “Women Leading the DOT: Policy, Priorities, and Progress” Plenary will be moderated by Jannet Walker-Ford, Board Chair, WTS International; and will include a fireside chat with Administrator Nuria Fernandez of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The discussion will be followed by a panel conversation with Veronica Vanterpool, Deputy Administrator of the FTA; , Jennifer Mitchell, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA); Kala Wright; Director of External Affairs with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA); Irene Marion, Director of the Departmental Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Transportation; Coral Torres Cruz, with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); and Veronica Morales, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).
  
• Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), will speak on the intersection of equity and safety in transportation during a Thursday plenary.
  
• Nathaniel Ford, CEO of Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), will moderate a Friday main stage plenary on Allyship and Tough Conversations. Panelists include Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation; Omer Osman, Secretary, Illinois Department of Transportation; Randy Clarke, General Manager and CEO of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA); and Collie Greenwood; General Manager and CEO; Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).
  
• Panelists confirmed for the Friday CEO Panel include Lara Poloni, President of AECOM, Anna Roach, Executive Director of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC); Stacey Key, President and CEO Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council; and Deborah Flint, President, Greater Toronto Airports Authority.

For more information and to register for the 2023 WTS International Annual Conference, visit www.wtsannualconference.org