ITLC Update: Making Connections 2024 Early Bird Registration Deadline Extended to August 26!

August 15, 2024

Early Bird Registration Deadline Extended for Making Connections 2024!

Transit Workforce Center (TWC) is happy to announce we have extended early bird registration for Making Connections 2024 – The National Transit Workforce Conference (MC24) to Monday, August 26! Don't miss the opportunity to take advantage of our early bird registration rates.

This one-of-a-kind gathering brings together transit workers, executives, and advocates from diverse backgrounds and locations to discuss critical areas of transit workforce development. It also offers five pre-conference intensive sessions (limited space) on Monday, November 11, and over twenty-five interactive workshops. The exciting lineup of speakers and events includes a keynote address by Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool; presentations by agency, labor, nonprofit, and government representatives; a November 11 reception honoring veterans in public transportation; a tour of Maryland Transit Administration’s cutting-edge Zero Emission Vehicle facility; and a Tuesday night reception at Baltimore’s nationally-recognized B&O Railroad Museum.

If you have not registered for MC24 yet, don’t miss the early bird discounted rate! For more information, visit the MC24 website or email mc24@transportcenter.org.

Welcome ITLC’s Newest Team Members!

ITLC welcomes the additions of Instructional Designers Addie Khanu and Jessie Supervielle to the team!

Addie Khanu brings nearly seven years of nonprofit experience in instructional design, technology, and education project management to ITLC. She has a master’s degree in instructional technology, a certificate in AI Elements, and she excels in tech integration and developing educational programs. She has collaborated with subject matter experts across various academic fields to create college-level courses and enjoys crafting engaging interactive eLearning content. Additionally, she is skilled at using open educational resources (OER) to make learning materials accessible to everyone and is passionate about advancing OER to provide free, high-quality education. Addie is excited to be supporting and working on projects related to the Rail Car Training Consortium and the custom courseware development for agency technical training programs.

Addie stays active in her community by volunteering at the local food pantry and serving on the City of Bowie’s Education Committee, which focuses on improving education within the city. She also enjoys getting lost in New Age and historical fiction books. As a lifelong learner, and a philosophy major in college, Addie lives by Descartes' famous quote, "I think, therefore I am."

Jessie has a master's degree in educational administration and is a certified instructional designer with over 10 years of experience. She has in-depth and firsthand knowledge creating course curriculum from scratch and adapting it to audiences with various learning needs. Jessie’s previous knowledge and experience from working in the automotive industry, specifically with electric vehicles, is a valuable addition to ITLC work in this area. Since joining the team at ITLC, Jessie has been working on updating the Signals Consortium membership materials.

Jessie is passionate about making learning experiences fun, engaging, and memorable. She co-authored and published a children’s book in March of 2020, then hid signed copies in lending libraries around her town for children to find using clues she posted on social media. When she’s not at ITLC, Jessie volunteers at a local food bank where she delivers grocery staples to families in need. Jessie enjoys traveling, going to concerts, cooking, photography, gardening, and hiking.

Electric School Bus Familiarization: Part Two

Last week, ITLC, in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, hosted part two of a four-part webinar series offering electric school bus (ESB) technicians the fundamentals of ESB technology. Program Director John Schiavone moderated the webinar, which featured several ESB manufacturers highlighting topics to promote fundamental knowledge and understanding of electric bus components, systems, safety, and charging. ESB manufacturer representatives, including BYD-Ride’s Policy Analyst Angel Yin, Thomas’s Charging Infrastructure Consultant Mark Richardson, and Greenpower Motor Company’s Electrical Engineer Sean Ashcraft, led presentations on an ESB technology overview and fundamentals, ESB preventive maintenance and diagnostics, the energy storage system, and battery management. Engaging Q&A sessions followed each presentation.

The webinar recordings are available if you missed the live event and would like a recap of part one and part two. For updates on parts three and four of this webinar series, or to know when registration goes live, subscribe to the ITLC Update.

Contact Brandon Liu at bliu@transportcenter.org for more information.

ITLC's John Schiavone

BYD-Ride’s Angel Yin

Thomas’s Mark Richardson

Greenpower Motor Company’s Sean Ashcraft

ITLC Participates in SWTA Conference

Senior Workforce Development Advisor Maurice Beard and Executive Director Jack Clark attended the South West Transit Association’s (SWTA) annual Summer University Conference, July 29-30, in Fort Worth, Texas. Jack participated in a panel discussion titled “An Overview of Transit Technical Assistance Programs,” moderated by Community Transportation Association of America’s (CTAA) President Kristen Joyner. The panel also included National Rural Transit Assistance Program’s Executive Director Robin Phillips and CTAA Assistant Director Chris Zeilinger. The panel focused on the wide range of technical assistance programs available to transit professionals and their agencies. Each panel member shared details of the objectives and services their centers offer.

At the SWTA-hosted State & Tribal Public Transportation Partnerships Conference, FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool delivered a keynote and expressed pride in those represented in the room. She discussed emerging technologies, battery-electric vehicles and challenges with the transition, and the increasing popularity of hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion, while reminding attendees about the availability of Low-No funding for the transition to energy-efficient vehicles. Jack then partnered with Jamaal Schoby from the Transportation Research Board to discuss research updates and related TWC programs.

Jack Clark and Maurice Beard with SWTA's Kendra McGeady

TWC Research Team Deliver Presentations at TRB Conference

Last month, Research Associates Michaela Boneva and Shayna Gleason and Researcher Douglas Nevins delivered a poster presentation at Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) 2nd Conference on Advancing Transportation Equity in Baltimore. The presentation “Public Transportation Workforce Demographics: Exploring National Datasets” provided an overview of several national data sources to understand equity issues in the transit workforce.

On day two of the conference, Shayna and Easterseals' National Director for Transportation & Mobility and Assistant Vice President of Education & Youth Transition Dr. Judy Shanley participated in a panel presentation titled “Creating Equity in the Transportation Workforce: Career Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities.” The panel presentation focused on the value of individuals with disabilities in the transit workforce, highlighted strategies for enhancing their inclusion in the workforce, and provided examples of agencies currently working to recruit and retain workers with disabilities.