All Aboard: Hispanic Heritage Month
Welcome to All Aboard. Brought to you by the members of ACT’s DE&I Committee, this content strives to highlight people and their stories in a more holistic approach to show how these contributions move our industry forward.
This month, the DE&I committee is highlighting Hispanic individuals who have made contributions to the transportation industry and what it is today.
Nuria Fernandez — Federal Transit Administration, Administrator
Nuria Fernandez is the first Senate-confirmed woman of color, as well as the first Afro-Latina to lead the FTA. She oversees a $1 billion grant program initiatives that would bring new or expand transit. Prior to her current role, she was the General Manager and CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. Under her tenure, she completed the first Bay Area Rapid Transit station (a heavy rail service into Silicon Valley) which opened for passenger service in June 2020. She also obtained federal funding to extend the service.
Learn more about Nuria Fernandez
Federico Peña became the first Hispanic American to hold the position of U.S. Secretary of Transportation in 1993 and later went on to be elected as the Secretary of Energy in 1997. Currently, he serves on several corporate boards and is involved in philanthropic organizations. He led the following transportation efforts:
-
Built Denver International Airport connecting neighboring counties and municipalities together
-
Developed relationships that allowed U.S. airlines to fly anywhere around the world
-
Started discussions about innovative technologies such as driverless cars
Learn more about Federico Peña
With over 20 years of experience in healthcare and public transportation, Flora is seen as a key leader with a passion for diversity and inclusivity. As an immigrant who came to the US from El Salvador, her family depended on public transportation. She was a former member of the board for several non-profit equity, transit and media organizations including National Urban Fellows, Rail-Volution, WHYY and others. Additionally, Castillo was the first Latina and sixth woman elected chair to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) in 2012 and served as their spokesperson. Now, she is the President of Pivot Strategies and serves on The Routing Company, Cambridge Systematics, Inc., and PlanW PA boards. Her notable honors throughout the years include:
-
Guiding APTA’s Mobility Recovery and Restoration Task Force
-
Shaping the future of public transportation with a focus on health, safety, equity, and homelessness
-
Being appointed as a member of the Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in 2023
Learn more about Flora Castillo
The members of ACT’s DE&I Committee would like to encourage everyone across the industry to attend celebrations and educational programs throughout the month and explore further resources to expand their own learning and understanding of the history, cultures, and experiences of Hispanic people.
Join the DE&I committee!
If you would like to be part of DE&I committee and are interested in affinity groups, please contact Jonathan Schuppert at jschuppert@meta.com. An affinity group is a group of individuals that share a common identity or interest. Our committee is currently exploring the interest of having affinity groups and how best to create them. We would love you to be part of this effort.
Next month, we will be gearing up for ACT's TDM Forum. Let us know if there is someone/a program/a project you would like to highlight or if you are planning any activities for October.
Resources: