February - March 2021 Diversity and Inclusion Program Recap

In February, WTS Sacramento celebrated Black History Month by highlighting four inspirational women from the African American community that championed for an equitable future in transportation. Throughout Black History Month, we explored the unique career and achievements of:

• Sharon D Banks - First Female General Manager of AC Transit

• Lois Cooper – First Woman Engineer at Caltrans

• Donna Berry – Caltrans Division Chief of Project Management, and Winner of WTS Sacramento 2020 Woman of the Year Award

• Nuria Fernandez – Deputy Administrator of Federal Transit Administration and Recipient of the WTS International 2020 Woman of the Year Award.

During March, WTS Sacramento observed Women’s History Month by celebrating women who helped shape the transportation industry and services within the State of California. We also explored topics that discussed the unique perspectives women engineers and planners provide in urban design and transportation planning. Here are a few key highlights from Women’s History Month:

• “Motormannettes” – First women transit operators of L.A.

• Marilyn Jorgenson Reece – First female Professional Engineer to have worked at Caltrans

• Want Equitable Cities? We’ll Need More Women In Transportation Planning

• New Approach Could Help Cities Address Gender Equity in Transportation Plans