|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Events!
March
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - Scholarship Fundraiser, 5:30-7PM, Some Good Wine, 13 E. 8th St., NY
Thursday, March 30, 2017 - WTS-GNYYP Committee & TransitCenter - Women Changing Transportation 6-7PM
Transit Center Office, 1 Whitehall Street, 17th floor, NYC
Rescheduled TransitCenter & WTS-GNY -Young Professionals Committee panel discussion
Women Changing Transportation
April
Wednesady April 5,2016 - TransConOps - Tropicana Hotel, Casino and Conference Center, Atlantic City, NJ
TransAction 2017 will feature 75 workshop sessions(4-5 concurrent throughout each day) specializing in bus, rail, roads, bridges, goods movement. pedestrian/bicycle, paratransit, community transportation, ports and much more.
Click here for more information
Tuesday, April 18, 2017- Emerging Leaders Webinar Program: Leading a High-Performance Culture
What's the role of leadership in building a strong culture?
In this webinar, we'll define what culture is, and discuss ways to measure a culture's quality. Learn about actions that leaders at all levels can take to build a collaborative, achievement-oriented culture that people feel happy to be a part of.
Speaker: Shveta Miglani, Global Leadership Development Leader, Palo Alto Networks.
Wednesday April 19, 2017 NJDOT/WTSGNY - We are All in This Together - Lunchtime event 11:15 AM- 1PM - NJDOT HQ, Trenton, NJ, Check
WTS-GNY website for updates
TBA YP Trivia Night
TBA NY Spring Program
May 17-19 WTS International Annual Conference NYC
|
|
Members in the News:
Congratulations to Our WTS GNY Chapter Members:
STV has announced that
Thomas Prendergast has joined the firm as executive vice president and chief strategic officer.
Marine Tiger Technologies Inc.welcomes
Doreen Barthodus
as a Senior Consultant.
She will mobilize business development efforts focused on Program and Construction Management. Bartholdus brings 35-plus years of design and construction management (CM) experience to the firm.
Gannett Fleming Inc., welcomes
Janet Keiser PE, PTOE Manager, of Traffic Engineering
VHB has appointed
Mike McArdle to the position of Chief Development Officer and
Bill Ashworth, PE, ENV SP, to Chief Operating Officer. Mike McArdle relocated from Boston to New York City in 2016 to help expand VHB's team, services, and market connectedness.
During his 20-year career at VHB, Ashworth has played an important role in helping to solve complex challenges across public and private sector markets. He advanced to various leadership roles within the firm's Rhode Island office before being named Managing Director.
Congratulations to NJTPA Executive Director
Mary K. Murphy who was recognized as Essex County Irishwoman of the Year
!
|
 2017WTS International Annual Conference NYC
Registration Open! |
|
WTS International will host its annual conference in New York City,
May 17 - 19, 2017! The 24/7 New York area transportation network, serving as the backdrop to the conference, is the largest in North America. With its complex systems, multi-state linkage, and service for passengers and freight, it is vital for residents, visitors, and the nation's economy. During this interactive, three-day session, transportation leaders will exchange ideas and learn about the latest developments in the industry. More than More than 700 corporate and governmental transportation leaders worldwide will be in attendance and a multitude of topics will be covered.
Past conferences were completely sold out, so see what's new and register now!
Don't miss the opportunity to attend the premiere multi-modal conference of the year!
Highlights include:
- 19 optional technical tours of some of the nation's most impressive transportation hubs and iconic infrastructure and landmarks.
- Spectacular networking events and insightful programs.
- 2 optional professional development intensives: Authentic Influence and Understanding and Growing Your Personal Brand.
- Keynote address by Arianna Huffington, of The Huffington Post.
- A special 40th Anniversary Celebration, included with your conference registration!
- Much, much more!
|
|
Were You Hoping to Attend the 2017 WTS Annual Conference
in
Brooklyn this Year?
The WTS-GNY Board is pleased to offer our local members the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to the International Annual Conference, May 17-19, 2017.
Please submit the application form, a statement of interest, and your resume to
WTS-GNY by
Monday, March 20, 2017.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email
WTS-GNY with "2017 Conference Scholarship" as the subject line.
Scholarship Application
Click
here for application
2017 Annual Conference Volunteer Opportunities
Tuesday, May 16 - Saturday, May 20
Click
here
to sign up for volunteer opportunities!
Registration Information - see below
|
|
Local Sponsors
WTS International is hosting the 2017 Annual Conference in NYC
Click here for local sponsor package
|
|
Call for Posters -
2017 WTS Annual Conference NYC
If you are involved in the cutting edge of new technologies, partnerships, policies, or projects, please consider sharing your insights and experiences during the poster session at the 2017 WTS Annual Conference in New York.
Click HERE to learn more about the poster session opportunity and to submit your project.
|
|
Marcia Shapiro, President of Marine Tiger Technologies, on WBE/DBE Certification
By Adrienne Zicklin Kanter
Marcia Shapiro, a past president of WTS GNY, is President of Marine Tiger Technologies (MTT), a firm she founded in 2010 that provides strategic consulting and engineering services to the transportation community. Prior to launching MTT, she had spent many years leading technology projects for transportation consulting firms and repeatedly had encountered challenges in finding woman-owned businesses that could be hired as sub-consultants, a requirement for most public agency contracts. To satisfy that demand, she started MTT and immediately arranged for the firm's certification as both a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and a Woman-owned Business Enterprise (WBE). In the seven years since the firm's founding, Ms. Shapiro has learned firsthand both the value and challenges these certifications can present.
First, it's important to clarify the difference between the two certifications. A WBE is a designation that confirms a business is majority woman-owned and operated and is used for non-federally funded projects. A DBE is a designation for projects that receive USDOT funding, which includes not just federal transportation projects, but those that are initiated at the state and municipal level too. The DBE designation is also not exclusively for women, but encompasses a wide variety of other minority groups as primary owner.
What are the criteria for being eligible for these two certifications? That's where it starts to get complicated. For New York City, to be eligible for WBE status, a business must:*
- Be 51 percent owned, controlled and operated by one or more women.
- Have a record of selling products or services for a period of at least one year prior to the date of application.
- Have a "real and substantial presence in the geographic market" of New York City as well as Nassau, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk Counties in New York and Bergen and Hudson Counties in New Jersey. This means that they must have derived 25 percent or more of gross receipts from business conducted in the City, possess license issued by the City, etc.).
If a business is responding to a Request for Proposal with state funding from the MTA, then they will need to pursue a New York
State WBE certification however. For the New York State certification, in addition to the NYC criteria, there is also a stipulation that an owner cannot exceed a $3.5 million net worth
. It is different yet again to qualify in the State of New Jersey as a WBE where there are no defined requirements: **
Criteria for a business to have DBE certification are similar but not the same as that for a WBE. For a DBE certification, a firm must: ***
- Provide proof that it is 51 percent minority-owned, operated and controlled (this means that 51 percent of a firm can be wholly owned by one or more women and/or minorities in any combination);
- Show that it is independent (that its viability doesn't depend on another firm).
- Prove that the personal net worth of a firm owner is less than $1.32 million, not including an individual's interest in the applicant firm or in her equity in her primary home.
- Demonstrate that it meets the criteria of a "small business" as determined by Small Administration standards. This means currently not having gross receipts over $22,410,000 in any of the three previous fiscal years.
- Demonstrate expertise in at least one particular area.
If a firm satisfies the requirements, what is the process for becoming certified as a DBE and as a WBE? That's where it starts to get
really complicated. For both certifications, "there is no consistency, no rules," remarks Ms. Shapiro. First comes DBE. While it is a federal certification, it is issued at the state level. And each state handles it differently. A business must pursue DBE certification in the state in which it is headquartered or incorporated before approaching other states for certification. To satisfy contracts in other states, a firm needs to go through the process stipulated by the state in which they are seeking certification. Oftentimes, for a business to seek certification out of state, it must go through a designated agency in that state. For example, MTT, headquartered in New Jersey, needed to go through Caltrans when the firm wanted DBE certification in California. Thankfully, in many instances, there is a fast track program for firms already certified elsewhere.
For DBEs, there is a part of the application focused on a firm's specialty. A firm needs to demonstrate expertise in as many areas as possible related to its business since certification covers only those areas in which the firm has established a background and expertise. A firm must use North American Commercial Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes to establish their experience. NAICS is a standard system for identifying different industries that is typically used for research and other purposes. Each one is quite specific and is accorded its own multi-digit code. MTT, for example, has four specialties, including "Computer Systems Design Services" and "Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services." Do some areas of expertise confer a greater advantage? "Advantage depends on demand," remarks Ms. Shapiro. "If there's a demand for a particular area of expertise, that's a good one to be certified in."
The process for WBE certification is similar to that for DBE. To be certified in New York City, a firm applies through the Department of Small Business Services. In some instances, if a firm already has established itself as a DBE or as a small business, it can be fast-tracked through the NYC system as a WBE. Fast-tracking is available for certification elsewhere too, although a firm cannot assume that it will be available in all instances. At the state level in New York, the Empire State Development Corporation can process a WBE application for those seeking out certification from New York State. For certification in New Jersey, a firm only has the option of pursuing it at the state level.
In all cases, even when fast-tracked, the application process can be cumbersome and time-consuming. As a result, businesses tend to pick and choose the states where they will submit applications based on their perception of business opportunities in that state. Ms. Shapiro points out too that some agencies charge a fee for processing applications, but because there is often more than one agency that can process an application, it's often possible to avoid those charges.
There is also the issue related to turn-around time. Just as some agencies will charge a fee for processing an application and others will not, it is also the case that they can vary widely in how long they can take in issuing a certification. Ms. Shapiro remembers seeking out a WBE certification in Texas and that there were two agencies MTT approached about processing the firm's application there. One agency couldn't guarantee a six-month turn-around and the other was able to do it in three weeks. "The process requires research and work," she states.
Ms. Shapiro continues by observing that "both of these certifications offer a great way to get your foot in the door the first time, but if your work isn't great, it won't help the second time. And you can't survive with only getting 10 percent of the contract." The key is to gain a greater share of the total contract award and to remember that a firm's certification as a WBE or DBE is just an entrée. Ultimately, the quality of the firm's work should be the compelling reason that they are hired.
There are other issues of which to be mindful as well. There are times when a lead contractor will seek out sub-contractors that are WBE or DBE-certified, but once the contract is awarded, turn around and tell that subcontractor that they are needed for far less or none of the work that was identified for the subcontractor. In other instances, there is the problem of compensation. Public agencies can be notoriously slow in paying their contractors. This is particularly anxiety-provoking for WBE's and DBE's since they tend to be small and consequently, have tighter cash flow.
Even today, seven years after the firm opened, MTT continues to benefit from its WBE and DBE certifications. It isn't always easy, but with persistence, savvy, and research, Ms. Shapiro emphasizes, they can offer a great advantage to a woman-owned business.
|
Job Opportunity
T
RANSPORTATION PLANNER/PROJECT MANAGER
AKRF seeks highly qualified Senior Project Managers, Project Managers, and Deputy Project Managers to join our transportation group. We have an exciting portfolio of highway, bridge, and rail and transit projects in the New York and New Jersey with federal (i.e., Federal Highway Administration [FHWA], Federal Transit Administration [FTA], and Federal Railroad Administration [FRA]) and state (i.e., New York State Department of Transportation [NYSDOT], Metropolitan Transportation Authority [MTA], NJ TRANSIT, and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey [PANYNJ]) agencies.
For more info WTS GNY Job Opportunity click here
|
|
WTS GNY - Volunteer Opportunities!
2017 Annual Conference:
Please join for an exciting opportunity to help prepare for the WTS 2017 Annual Conference in NYC!
Contact Alexa Gangemi at
Alexa.Gangemi@ch2m.com for more information
Communications Committee:
A great opportunity to get involved with WTS GNY! We need writers, editors,and social media transportation-savvy volunteers. If you can write, edit, and have time to volunteer and contribute monthly news, featured articles, social media messages, tag lines, please contact us immediately at
wtsgnycommunications@gmail.com
Glass Ceiling Committee: -
T
he Glass Ceiling Committee (GCC) is seeking volunteers, preferably from the public sector, to help with conducting and analyzing results of an industry-wide survey, the first of its kind in the New York/New Jersey market, to be administered in early 2017. This survey endeavors to baseline and raise awareness of the level of engagement of women at senior and executive ranks in and public sector organizations. This committee focuses on glass ceiling issues that could be impeding the growth of women in the transportation industry. Those involved are currently in the process of conducting research and working on recommendations for programs and policies to be led by WTS-GNY to further its mission of advancing women in transportation.
If interested in being part of this ground-breaking effort, contact Yvonne Lopez-Diaz, WTS GNY GCC Chair at
ylopezdiaz@HNTB.com.
Transportation You Committee:
The NJ Chapter of the Committee is looking for new mentors and committee members for 2017-2018. Our mentoring program inspires young women (14-18) to pursue careers in STEM and Transportation. Transportation YOU is a hands-on, interactive, mentoring program that offers girls an introduction to a wide variety of transportation careers. WTS members work to make a difference in the lives of high school girls in Newark, NJ, by offering site tours, professional development and group activities that will spark their interest in all modes of transportation. We also seek to encourage them to take courses in math, science, and technology, which are the stepping stones to exciting careers that can change the face of the transportation industry.
|
WTS-GNY Deadline for April Buzz:
March 31, 2017
|
|
|
|
|
Communications committee
WTS-GNY
|
|
|
|
|
|
