Happy fall, y’all! It’s nice to see the cooler weather starting to creep in. I know I was a little worried when the first two days of fall were still 95 degrees. October brings Global Diversity Awareness Month to remind us of the positive impact a diverse workforce of men and women can have on society. As an organization focused on the advancement of both the transportation industry and the professional women who lead it, this movement is one of significant importance to WTS. October is also LGBT History Month, which recognizes the achievements of men and women in the LGBT community and encourages informative discussions to learn more about the leaders in the movement who drove equality forward. Whether you are a member or an ally, there is so much that can be done to commemorate and celebrate the history of lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual people. I encourage you to do some research on LGBT history, celebrate with an LGBT person, or engage in healthy and open discussions with others about LGBT rights. Open dialogue is always better than silence and understanding each other is a step in the right direction.

Thank you to those of you who joined our Fall Professional Development Event, “Strategic Networking” and “Speaking so That You Can be Heard” with Mary Lyons on September 20 at NCTCOG. Although I wasn’t able to attend, I heard wonderful things about the event.

As you are enjoying your pumpkin spice everything, I hope you will consider joining us for one of our upcoming events. Our next Membership Mixer is on October 6 at Burns & McDonnell’s Dallas office. Our 20^th Annual Golf Tournament is on October 25 at Cowboys Golf Club. These are two great ways to get involved and meet some of our other members and leaders if you are new to WTS. Although Early “Birdie” Registration ended on September 23, there are still spots available for teams or sponsors. All proceeds from the tournament benefit our Professional Development Programs and Scholarship Funds. We are also excited to be taking our program to the UTA WTS Student Chapter for a Mentorship Panel Discussion. I hope you will consider joining us or spread the word to any students you know.

As always, continue to stay safe, take care of yourself, and respect each other. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.