young professionals in transportation

2010 Annual Report

Letter from the Chair

Dear Members of YPT:

As the founder of Young Professionals in Transportation, I’m very grateful to see the tremendous support that YPT has received from all of you and the rest of the transportation community since its inception in April of 2008.

Over the last two-plus years, YPT’s membership has grown to more than 900 from all around the United States and the rest of the globe. In addition, YPT has completed its formal institutionalization by receiving federal recognition as a non-profit corporation and as an official business entity in the District of Columbia. But most importantly, we provided countless opportunities for young professionals in the transportation field to interact with senior industry leaders and with each other.

As YPT matures into a full-fledged professional association, I feel that this is an excellent opportunity to review the organization’s accomplishments since inception and to look at the road ahead. As such, on behalf of the 2009-2010 Board of Directors of Young Professionals in Transportation, I’m pleased to submit YPT’s first-ever Annual Report for your review.

This report is organized into the following sections: ¬ Organizational Mission ¬ Membership Demographics and Statistics ¬ Review of Past Accomplishments ¬ Future Goals and Plans ¬ Sponsorship Information ¬ Officer Contacts

As with any endeavor, however, we cannot rest on our laurels despite this great start as the go-to place for all young transportation professionals. Much work remains to be done, and with your active participation, we can continue to improve the professional experience for all of us.

We look forward to another prosperous year with you.

Warm regards,

Joung H. Lee Chair

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YPT’s mission is to provide career guidance, fellowship, and networking opportunities for young professionals in the transportation field. We are the future of transportation.

Our goals are threefold:• Professional Development: Provide a regular series

of seminars from leading individuals or teams in the transportation field.

• Fellowship: Provide an ongoing forum for mutual support and interaction between young transportation professionals, especially for those starting their careers.

• Networking: Provide networking opportunities and seminars to help young professionals advance their careers and share innovative ideas.

YPT is a Washington, DC, based organization. Membership to YPT is open to all transportation professionals around the world. We do not have an age-restricted definition of “young” in YPT. Anyone is welcome to participate in our activities.

YPT’s Mission

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YPT has a very diverse membership with members from 18 to 70 years old and representing all facets of the transportation industry. This includes individuals who work for the United States Department of Transportation and most of its modal agencies, state and local governments, Congressional staff, consulting firms, and transportation associations.

Since its inception two years ago, YPT has grown significantly. We now have over 900 registered members who receive our YPTvoice emails as well as the quarterly newsletter, Mobility Matters. We also have over 2,500 members on the professional networking website LinkedIn. The graphic below is a synopsis of the membership and growth since November 2009.

Most of YPT’s members work in the United States; however, we have representation from Abu Dhabi, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and everywhere in between.

YPT members are the backbone of our organization. We strive to reach out and attract members from a cross-section of disciplines within the transportation industry. For a sample look at our diverse membership base, please refer to the next page.

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Tota

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2009–2010

Overall as of June 2010

907

May861

Apr806

Mar763

Feb741

Jan711

Dec690

Prior676

Mary McCarthyGovernment Affairs Associate

Ms. McCarthy speaks on behalf of those in the maritime industry. While highways and transit are usually most discussed among the general public, the maritime industry plays a vital role in the United States’ economy. Mary

notes that her young interest in swimming helped turn her interest toward the water transport. Mary is one of many YPT members who spend time on Capitol Hill and in other legislative settings meeting with legislators, agency staff, and others discussing bills that affect the shipping industry. While the maritime industry is one of the smaller segments of the transportation world, Ms. McCarthy has learned that it is a microcosm of the global logistics machine and has provided exposure on the broad national and international policies affect the American economy and businesses.

~ Mary McCarthy is a YPT member and Government Affairs Associate with the American Waterways Operators Association.

Contact Mary at mmccarthy@vesselalliance.com.

Nate SmithGovernment Relations Manager

Mr. Smith has a steadfast belief that safety should be a top consideration in the next transportation authorization. Nate notes that roughly 40,000 roadway fatalities occur each year as commuters travel to work, school, and leisure activities. His believe we need a holistic vision for transportation policy focused on safety, noting Chairman Oberstar’s statement of needed to make a new commitment to saving lives and sparing individuals from the pain that comes from transportation-related fatalities.

~ Nate Smith is a YPT Board Member and Government Relations Manager

with the American Traffic Safety Services Association. Contact Nate

at Nathan.smith@atssa.com.

Daniel HaakeTransportation Planner

Mr. Haake works as a transportation planner for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) in the Columbus region. Mr. Haake notes how planner is the field are frequently required to think of new and innovative ways to move projects and tasks forward—and notes this is an enjoyable part of his job. Daniel notes the important connection between transportation and the economic vitality of a community.

~ Daniel Haake is a YPT member and Transportation Planner with Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. Contact Dan at dhaake@morpc.org.

Lisa BenckCartographer and Map Designer

Ms. Benck works as a cartographer and map designer with the Michigan Department of Transportation. Lisa began as a student intern in 2003 specifically to update the state transportation map. Ms. Benck quickly realized that she could use her newly developed skills to bring the state’s mapping process up-to-date. Although not a planner, she is able to use he planning skills by combining GIS with vector art software to create a product that is user-friendly and widely available to the

public. Specialized mapping and GIS skills make Lisa’s skill set unique in a large state DOT organization.

~ Lisa Benck is a YPT member and Cartographer and Map Designer with the Michigan Department of Transportation. Contact Lisa at BenckL@michigan.gov.

Highlighted Member Profiles

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Since its inception in 2008, YPT has begun to fill a previous void in the transportation community. While YPT is certainly not the only professional organization in transportation and YPT encourages participation and partnership with other groups, no other organization shares YPT’s mission as their primary focus. YPT is dedicated to providing low or no cost professional development, networking, and fellowship opportunities for all transportation professionals in the early years of their careers. As succession planning and knowledge transfer becomes even more critical as much of the transportation workforce retires in the coming decades, YPT promotes the development of the next generation’s leaders as well as the idea that transportation is a fun and rewarding profession.

Recap of Recent EventsIn April 2010, YPT hosted a Leadership Seminar with the Honorable Jim Oberstar, Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. During this session, Mr. Oberstar outlined his vision for our country’s transportation policies and shared his suggestions on professional development in transportation.

YPT held its first Networking Happy Hour in Northern Virginia during in March 2010. This event took place at the Clarendon Grill in Arlington. In addition to our regular happy hour attendees, this event saw a wide range of fresh faces and newcomers to our events. One of the attendees even included a transportation professional from Italy who is currently conducting research on our country’s transit systems.

In February 2010, YPT hosted an engaging policy seminar at the U.S. Capitol Visitor’s Center. Speaking at this event were Mr. Jack Schenendorf, Of Counsel at Covington Burling, Ms. Kathy Ruffalo, President of Ruffalo and Associates LLC, and Mr. Emil Frankel, Director of Transportation Policy for the Bipartisan Policy Center’s National Transportation Policy Project. Attendees at this event learned about the latest transportation policy issues facing our nation, and acquired useful career tips and suggestions. In addition, our guest speakers called for increased investment in our nation’s transportation systems, stressed the importance of transparency and accountability, called for the adaptation of programs that meet the goals of multiple sectors, and emphasized the need for visionary, creative leaders in the transportation field.

The Russia House in Dupont Circle hosted YPT’s December 2009 and January 2010 Networking Happy Hours. In addition, our January Happy Hour also attracted many professionals that were in town for the annual Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting. TRB attendees, YPT members, and YPT newcomers had an excellent opportunity to network and meet rising stars and innovative minds in the field of transportation.

Past Accomplishments

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Full List of Events Held by YPT since Inception• May 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Networking Happy Hour with the Eno Foundation Fellows

• April 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leadership Seminar with Chairman Jim Oberstar

• March 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Networking Happy Hour at Clarendon Grill

• February 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leadership Seminar on Transportation Policy with Jack Schenendorf, Kathy Ruffalo, and Emil Frankel

• January 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRB Edition Networking Happy Hour at Russia House

• December 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Networking Happy Hour and Holiday Party at Russia House

• November 2009. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leadership Seminar with Peter H. Appel, RITA Administrator

• October 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YPT Annual Meeting and Elections; Fast Lane Hires Launch Event with YPT

• September 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baseball Outing to Nationals Park; Leadership Seminar with Janet Kavinoky, US Chamber of Commerce

• August 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Committee Retreat; Networking Happy Hour

• June 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leadership Seminar with President and CEO of Eno Foundation, Steve Van Beek

• May 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Networking Happy Hour with WTS-DC

• April 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leadership Seminar featuring APTA President Bill Millar

• March 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Networking Happy Hour at the Science Club

• February 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “The Challenge of Sustainable Transportation for the 21st Century: The Prospects for Switzerland and the U.S” with the Embassy of Switzerland and George Washington University (GWU); Leadership Seminar with Amtrak Board Vice Chairman Donna McLean

• January 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRB Edition Networking Happy Hour at Timberlake’s

• December 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Networking Happy Hour at 18th Street Lounge

• November 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Networking Happy Hour at Panache

• October 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leadership Seminar with Mort Downey at PB Consult

• September 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Networking Happy Hour at the Beacon Hotel

• July 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baseball Outing to Nationals Park; Networking Happy Hour at Panache

• June 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leadership Seminar with Emeke Moneme, Director, District Department of Transportation

• May 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leadership Seminar with Tyler Duvall, Acting Under Secretary for Policy, USDOT

• April 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leadership Seminar with Jack Basso, Chief Operating Officer, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

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YPT has several exciting plans for the future, continuing on the progress that will be during 2010. Below are some of the key plans that the YPT Board is developing for the future.

Program EventsLeadership seminars and networking events will continue to be the two primary events that are the core of YPT. It is expected that YPT will continue to hold approximately six leadership seminars and six networking events per year, alternating event types every other month. Program events will generally be held in the evenings on the third Wednesday of each month, although the schedule may occasionally be adjusted to meet the constraints of leadership seminar speakers or special opportunities (e.g., a networking happy hour during the week of the Transportation Research Board’s Annual Meeting, which is often held sometime other than the third week of January).

YPT will continue to seek a diverse range of speakers for leadership seminars. The Board expects that future seminars will include speakers that represent the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation, trade associations, and think tanks. Speakers will continue to represent a range of transportation modes as well as industry viewpoints (e.g., management versus labor).

Most program events will be held in downtown Washington. Some events, particularly networking happy hours, may be held in alternate locations (e.g., Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland) in order to provide a diversity of locations that may appeal to YPT members who may not work or live in the District of Columbia.

The YPT Board hopes to hold more joint program events with other organizations in the future. These organizations include the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS), the Transportation Research Forum (TRF), and Young Innovative Professional Planning Superstars, among others.

CommunicationsYPT plans to continue its current publications and communications tools in the future. Mobility Matters, published in electronic format quarterly, will continue to be YPT’s flagship publication. A key feature of Mobility Matters is its in-depth articles on contemporary transportation issues and news. YPTvoice is YPT’s secondary publication. In email format, YPTvoice delivers news monthly on upcoming YPT and industry events, job opportunities, and other late-breaking news.

YPT’s website, fully accessible to members and non-members alike, is the primary communications tool for comprehensive information on YPT. On the site, currently located at http://ypt.transportation.org, is information on the YPT organization, membership, sponsorship, activities, upcoming and past events, job postings, and links to other resources. Future plans include developing a new website that will make the site more user friendly for site visitors and offer a more efficient and integrated system for YPT’s content managers, making it easier to track members’ status for annual membership, mailing list preferences, and event attendance.

YPT also plans to continue disseminating information through other electronic media. This will include maintaining YPT’s blog, Facebook page, LinkedIn group, and Twitter feeds. YPT also plans to publish annual reports every year. While maintaining a large number of communication media requires considerable resources in terms of time, the financial cost is kept to the minimum while still allowing for broad approach that enables YPT to reach more members.

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MembershipWhile YPT has many members that receive YPT communications, far fewer members have chosen to become dues-paying Voting Members to date. The YPT Board hopes to expand the number of Voting Members in the future.

One approach to increasing voting membership would be to offer voting members discounts that demonstrate a financial value to becoming a YPT voting member. A key challenge to this goal is that YPT will likely need other organizations to offer discounts to YPT voting members at their organizations’ expense, and some organizations may be unwilling to offer significant discounts if YPT continues to place no age constraints on who qualifies for YPT voting membership. The YPT Board is planning to investigate opportunities with other organizations in the future.

Another possibility for increasing voting membership would be to have some events open only to voting members. The Board would need a thorough consideration of the potential benefits and drawbacks of this approach before it were implemented.

The Board may also consider a new label for YPT voting membership to communicate benefits broader than the ability to vote. For example, a “dues-paying member” status might be used instead of “voting member.”

Regional ChaptersTo date, YPT has only held events in the DC area. YPT members in other parts of the U.S., however, have expressed great interest in developing new chapters to facilitate networking and leadership development in their respective metropolitan areas. The YPT Board has a strong desire to develop new regional chapters, and it will develop regional chapters over time in order to ensure that they receive the necessary guidance, commitment, and attention that is needed for them to flourish.

Three documents, a chapter affiliation agreement, model bylaws, and a chapter development checklist, have been drafted to help guide the development of YPT regional chapters. The YPT Board will continue to refine these documents over the coming year with the hope that new YPT regional chapters could be initiated next year.

Awards DinnerThe YPT Board is considering the possibility of holding an annual awards dinner in the future. Such an event might recognize the technical merit or leadership achievements of YPT members, the financial contributions of our sponsors, outstanding commitments to YPT made by non-Board members, and the service of YPT’s Board of Advisors. Due to the financial cost of an event of this type, a YPT awards dinner is unlikely to be held prior to raising significant financial contributions through a successful capital campaign.

Community ServiceWhile most of YPT’s events are focused on the professional development of YPT members, YPT also plans to contribute to the development of our local communities. It is envisioned that YPT’s service is likely to be performed in coordination with a non-profit service group, with examples such as Hands-On DC (which helps repair local schools in economically disadvantaged DC neighborhoods on one Saturday every spring), meals for the homeless, or weekend brown bag lunches for underprivileged school kids. Beyond the benefits of donating time to our communities, these types of events could help develop fellowship among YPT members as well as raise awareness of transportation professionals in our communities.

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As a new and rapidly growing national organization aimed at providing professional development guidance, fellowship, and networking opportunities for young profession-als in the transportation field, your generous financial support of YPT organization will ensure that we can play a critical role in developing and shaping young leaders for generations to come.

In 2010, YPT will inaugurate a formal capital campaign to secure the resources necessary to build Young Professionals in Transportation towards our vision to become the preeminent professional development organization for emerging leaders in the transportation sector.

YPT offers a number of exciting opportuni-ties for businesses, friends and anyone inter-ested in supporting the future transportation leaders of our nation, ranging from start-up investment opportunities to event and program sponsor-ships. In exchange for such generous contributions, YPT will also offer a variety of membership and program incentives for participating investors.

As a federally-recognized 501(c)(6) non-profit entity, contributions or gifts to YPT are not tax deductible as charitable contributions. However, they may be tax deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses.

Sponsorship InformationFor more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact:

Joung Lee, Chair 202-624-5818 jlee@aashto.org

Chris Smith, Deputy Chair 202-624-5839 csmith@aashto.org

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YPT Board of Directors (Elected October 2009)

YPT ChairJoung LeeAssociate Director for Finance and Business DevelopmentAASHTOjlee@aashto.org

YPT Deputy ChairChris SmithIntermodal Policy and Program ManagerAASHTOcsmith@aashto.org

YPT Vice Chair for Administration-SecretaryAaron ZimmermanTransportation Planner/EngineerLoudoun County Office of Transportation Servicesaaronzimmerman82@gmail.com

YPT Vice Chair for CommunicationAnanda “Andy” Palanisamy (appointed 4/13/10)Senior Transportation Management SpecialistCitizanttransportgooru@gmail.com

YPT Vice Chair for Finance-TreasurerNick PerfiliTransit PlannerFairfax County Department of Transportation Nicholas.Perfili@fairfaxcounty.gov

YPT Vice Chair for MembershipDevon BarnhartLegislative AssistantSenator Arlen Specter (D-PA) devonbarnhart@gmail.com

YPT Vice Chair for ProgramsNate SmithManager of Government RelationsAmerican Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA)nathan.smith@atssa.com

YPT At-large DirectorMatthew BieschkeConsultantParsons Brinckerhoff bieschke@pbworld.com

YPT At-large DirectorJeffrey EnsorConsultantParsons BrinckerhoffEnsor@pbworld.com

YPT Deputy Vice Chairs (Appointed February 2010)

YPT Deputy Vice Chair for AdministrationBud McDonaldFederal Programs Financial AnalystAASHTObmcdonald@aashto.org

YPT Deputy Vice Chair for ProgramsChris DerFlood Hazard Data AnalystSAAD Consultantschriskder@gmail.com

YPT Deputy Vice Chair for MembershipBrian AlbertsMTAP CoordinatorAASHTObalberts@aashto.org

YPT Deputy Vice Chair for FinanceChanel WinstonTransportation SpecialistFederal Transit Administration (FTA)chanel.winston@dot.gov

YPT Deputy Vice Chair At-LargeNikki Rudnick-ThorpeSenior Policy AnalystBipartisan Policy Centernthorpe@bipartisanpolicy.org

YPT Deputy Vice Chair for CommunicationsShana JohnsonPrincipalCivic Synergy, LLCsjohnson@civicsynergyllc.com

Board of AdvisorsJack BassoChief Operating Officer, AASHTO

Mortimer DowneyChairman, PB Consult

Emil FrankelBipartisan Policy Center

John HorsleyExecutive Director, AASHTO

Jonathan GiffordAssociate Dean for Research; Director; Transportation Policy, Operations and Logistics, Master’s Program, George Mason School of Public Policy

Tony KaneDirector of Engineering and Technical Services, AASHTO

Janet Friedl KavinokyDirector of Transportation Infrastructure, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Emeka MonemeManaging Director, Pillar Solutions, LLC

Gloria ShepherdAssociate Administrator for Planning, Environment, and Realty, FHWA

Stephen Van BeekPresident and CEO, Eno Transportation Foundation

2010 YPT Officers

November 2009–October 2010 Term

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http://ypt.transportation.org/