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President
Kim Levine,
Asset Management Associates, PLLC
Vice President
Jenny Fleming, PE, Ecological Engineering
Secretary
Memory Washaya, NCDOT
Treasurer
Jessalyn Abril, PE, LEED AP,
URS
Past President
Amy Simes, PE, CPM, NCDENR |
Advocate Sponsor  |
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I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and planning family getaways to escape the heat and humidity!
July is quickly approaching, and with the midway point in the year comes the WTS Mid-year Review. This is a chance to discuss the past year's successes, what we can improve, plan events for the remainder of the year, and begin discussing the plans for 2015. It's also a great time to learn more about the chapter and the many ways to be involved. All members are welcome. Go to the chapter's website for more information about this and our other events, and register today.
In August, we'll be holding our 3rd luncheon and breakfast of the year. Please keep an eye out for the invitations; there is always great networking with others in the industry at these events, as well as opportunities to soak up some knowledge. We hope to see you there!
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Upcoming for July
Mid-Year Review
The WTS NC Triangle Chapter will review events from the first half of the year and plan for the second half. This meeting is open to all WTS members. Lunch will be provided, followed by an agenda of topics that include: Upcoming Programs, Transportation YOU, Communications, Scholarships, Fundraising and Awards. Anyone who wants to learn more about WTS or suggest some new ideas should participate. The meeting is from 12:30 to 5 p.m. July 17 at Kim Levine's house. Click here to register and for more details.
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In Case You Missed It ...
Negotiate Your Worth Breakfast
 Nicki Holleman with Matrix Resources was the guest speaker at the breakfast series held in June. She spoke about "Negotiating Your Worth" and gave pointers about salary negotiation tactics. View her Powerpoint presentation here.
Pictures from the Go Gala have been posted to the WTS NC Triangle website. Pictured above, from left to right: Kim Levine, president of the WTS NC Triangle Chapter; Woman of the Year Honoree Karen Fussell, PE, NCDOT; Tony Tata, Secretary of NCDOT, and WRAL-TV meterologist Elizabeth Gardner, emcee of the event. See all the photos from the event here.
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NC Triangle Chapter in the News
WTS NC Triangle Chapter was featured in an article in "Progressive Railroading" magazine. The article focused on the chapter's Transportation YOU outreach program and the chapter's partnership with NCDOT to provide mentorship to middle-school girls in the hopes of steering them towards careers in Science, Math, Engineering and Technology (STEM) fields. Local chapter members Nadia Aboulhosn and Paddy Jordan were featured in the article. To read the full article, click here. |
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Get to Know Your Board
 Secretary Memory Washaya
Memory Washaya first became interested in WTS because of a certain teenager in her life.
"I have a young daughter, so I wanted to get her involved," said Washaya, who is in her second year as secretary for the WTS NC Triangle Chapter. "Transportation YOU is a program that can help her decide what she wants to do in the future by getting to know the different options available at this early age."
Washaya is from Zimbabwe, Africa, and earned her civil engineering degree at the University of Zimbabwe in 1994. She worked for the Harare City Council, doing project management, before she and her family moved to the US. She has been working in the Traffic Safety division for the NC Department of Transportation for the past seven years. Washaya, her husband Prince, and their two children - a son, 19, who is in college studying environmental engineering, and a daughter, 15, live in Garner. She learned about WTS in 2011 and quickly became active because of the many benefits.
One factor of being a member that she likes is that there are many opportunities to volunteer in different capacities, so everyone can find something they enjoy doing. In addition to her duties as the chapter's secretary, she volunteers on the committee that organizes the annual Go Gala fundraiser and the Transportation YOU committee. Her daughter has attended many of the Transportation YOU events, which focus on teaching science, math and engineering concepts to middle through high school girls.
"It (WTS) has given me the opportunity to meet so many professionals outside of the people I work with, and I have become good friends with many of them," she said. "WTS has been valuable to both my daughter and I. I get to contribute to the chapter, and she gets to learn something new that will help her later on in life, and that's the most important thing to me."
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WTS International Conference
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Nadia Aboulhosn and Kat Cole, president of Cinnabon and keynote speaker at the WTS International Conference
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It is the understatement of the century when I say that my trip to Portland, Oregon, for the WTS Annual Conference was an all-around wonderful and beneficial experience. It was such a unique and special experience to be surrounded by so many professional, successful, smart, confident and bold women. I met people from all over the country (and world) and learned about their professional careers, personal lives, and goals and ambitions. Each person I met shared a different story and had a unique perspective. Each conversation left me inspired and motivated in a different way.
I attended sessions on two days of the conference, including the Women in Transit Panel Discussion, "Who's Under That Hardhat? Women in Transportation Construction," and "Secrets to Communicating Technical Topics to Non-Technical Audiences." The keynote speaker at the conference was Kat Cole, President of Cinnabon. She was one of the most inspirational speakers I have heard in a while. I had a feeling that she was speaking straight to me, and I will not forget it. Her words still motivate me every day. Her key points were that it is important to evolve to stay relevant but still be authentic, and to not be scared to share your point of view.
The last event I attended at the conference was the Streetcar Mobile Musicfest. Local Portland classical, jazz and folk musicians held lively micro-concerts on all the downtown streetcars. We rode around Portland on these cool streetcars, while listening and singing along to interactive bands. It was a very cool experience. The vibe in Portland is very different than I am used to in North Carolina, but I loved every second of it. No words can explain the impact this conference has made in my personal and professional life. I am forever thankful to my local WTS NC Triangle chapter, to my employer Atkins, and to my supervisor and work group for supporting my involvement with WTS.
Ed. note: Nadia Aboulhosn, EI, is the Transportation YOU Chair for the WTS NC Triangle Chapter and was recently named "Rookie of the Year" by the chapter. Her full report from the WTS International Conference can be read here.
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New WTS Chapter
Western North Carolina
A new WTS chapter is starting up in Western North Carolina. All transportation professionals are welcome. A lunch-and-learn will be scheduled soon for this summer. For more information, contact Lori Hembree or Lyuba Zuyeva. |
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Professional Connections
For those looking for networking opportunities within the Chapter, consider joining the Professional Connections program. Each quarter, the members of the program are split into groups of four or five, and each group plans a lunch meeting. It's a good way to meet others and learn about their careers, hobbies and interests. For more information, or to sign up, contact Karen Reynolds.
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Follow WTS NC Triangle on Facebook and Twitter
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