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By the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials
Arlington, VA
Donna Berry, Caltrans’ deputy director of Project Delivery and chief engineer, is among 10 women to be honored this spring by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) for their outstanding leadership and exemplary dedication to the transportation industry.
The 13th annual Women Who Move the Nation (CWWMN) Awards Breakfast will be held on April 10 at the Smithsonian Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery. This highly anticipated event uplifts women across modes and sectors who have positively contributed to the transportation industry.
Attended by a sold-out audience of national leaders since its inception, the CWWMN Awards breakfast has become an annual highlight for the transportation industry.
In observance of Women's History Month, to date, COMTO has inducted 142 women into its Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation signature class of leaders in the transportation industry. The honorees encompass a diverse spectrum of multi-modal transportation, spanning both the public and private sectors. These women embody excellence – despite their various areas of influence and affiliations, the significance of their contributions to advance and fortify our nation's infrastructure is unparalleled.
2024 COMTO Women Who Move the Nation Honorees are:
- Donna Berry
- Monica Backmon, CEO, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority
- Veronica Davis, director, Transportation and Drainage Operations, City of Houston
- Public Works
- Dr. Shelley Francis, co-founder, managing partner, EVNoire
- loria Frank, chief of police, Port Authority New York, New Jersey
- Carmencita Mitchell, chair, Palm Tran Service Board, Palm Tran Service Board and Palm Beach State College
- Rear Admiral Ann C. Phillips, administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration
- Yovannie Rodriguez, executive vice president, chief administrative officer, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
- Charlotte Shaw, executive director/CEO, MAX Transit, Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority
- Janice R. Thomas, deputy executive director, external affairs, METRA
“We are thrilled to commemorate and acknowledge this year’s awardees for their diligent and unwavering dedication to the multi-modal transportation industry. These women bring a diverse set of skills and perspectives to the industry that helps to foster innovation, embrace inclusivity, and navigate the ever-changing landscape of our world with remarkable resilience and adaptability,” said Tanya Adams, chair, COMTO Board of Directors, and senior vice president, inclusion and diversity, WSP USA.
“Uplifting women in leadership roles propels the wheels of progress in the transportation industry,” said April Rai, COMTO president and CEO. “Recognizing their contributions is an intentional act of appreciation, inspiring the next generation of transportation leaders to emulate their strength, resilience, and perseverance. It is a privilege to honor these 10 women who embody these qualities and so much more.”
COMTO, founded in 1971, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing underrepresented groups in the transportation industry. With 39 chapters in the U.S. and Canada, COMTO's mission is to ensure opportunities and maximum participation in transportation for minorities, veterans, people with disabilities, and certified minority, women, or disadvantaged-owned businesses through leadership training, professional development, scholarship and internship funding, advocacy, partnership building and networking opportunities.
For more information, please visit www.comto.org.