In the past few months, I’ve been honored to participate in a few meetings of members where lively, forward-looking conversations have taken center stage. During these gatherings, I’ve been reminded of a wise saying: We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.

While I’ve had ample opportunities to speak with members—to share my thoughts about our industry’s future and APTA’s agenda—I am especially grateful for the many chances to listen, whether in large, open meetings; small, focused discussions; or one-on-one conversations. I’m delighted to report that I’m hearing positive comments about APTA from members, including public transportation leaders at the recent Transit CEOs Seminar and executives at the Business Members Board of Governors (BMBG) meeting.

Your feedback is clear: APTA’s priorities are your priorities. Here’s what that means, in terms of programs and initiatives APTA is conducting to champion your interests.

First—and for me, most important—“It’s All About the People,” my overarching theme as APTA’s chair. Whether you’re talking about your riders, employees, or communities, it’s clear that people come first for you, too.

Next is our shared interest in workforce development—still “All About the People!” Our workforce is the lifeblood of our industry, but we face a wave of retirements, including at senior levels. Many public transit agencies are implementing succession planning strategies to promote and retain executives, and they should be commended.

At all levels, however, we must recruit and prepare the next generation of public transit workers; create career paths that retain new workers; and take bold actions to engage diverse individuals in our industry. APTA is taking such action.

A few months ago, the association distributed a diversity and inclusion survey to identify our current practices and set a baseline for progress. For those of you who completed it, thanks for your candid feedback. The APTA Executive Committee is reviewing the results, which they’ll forward to the Diversity Committee. We’ll have results to share soon.

Even without specific data, I know that our industry is committed to diversity and inclusion. There are many examples that we can celebrate and for which we should be proud.  The process to diversify—to reach out to minorities and women—makes us stronger by opening us up to new ideas and experiences. It is not enough to diversify, however; we must also ensure that diverse individuals are included at the highest of levels of our industry. It’s a win/win—the best possible outcome. APTA’s working on important workforce development initiatives.

Last year, I chaired the Workforce Development Task Force, which worked with APTA staff to develop the Early Career Program. One of the program’s central features is its mentoring component. We’ll be pairing these up-and-comers with seasoned veterans who can provide the real-world help that’s so important in developing a career path and setting goals. See page 3 for details about this program.

In early February, APTA unveiled the online Veteran and Military Family Resource Center to strengthen the connections between transit systems and veterans. Not only does this website help build our workforce, it also supports veterans by featuring links to job fairs and hiring programs and by serving as a resource clearinghouse.

My final point about our shared priorities is authorization. The passage of MAP-21 was a step in the right direction, but we have more to do. The challenge—and it’s a big one for all of us—is that MAP-21 expires in less than two years. We need to ramp up now to secure a long-term multimodal authorization bill. APTA has hit the ground running.

One of the key take-aways from the recent Transit CEOs and BMBG meetings is that we need to intensify our efforts to show the value of public transit in local communities. And we have heard you loud and clear!

In December, I worked with the Legislative Committee to set up an Authorization Task Force to evaluate MAP-21 and develop recommendations. The task force members and co-chairs are some of our best movers and shakers, so expect to see substantive recommendations soon. We’ll need your help to get those recommendations into new legislation.

APTA’s goal is to build an “army of advocates” in every corner of our country so we can storm Capitol Hill and get public transportation fully funded for the long haul. We need you to enlist!

Your voice is essential. Our message—public transportation is a powerful economic engine that puts people to work and takes people to work—strongly resonates with Congress. If we’re going to keep this engine stoked, we need steady, predictable, certain federal funding.

Please leverage your unique influence with your elected leaders. Passing a good bill will take all of us.

As I continue my tenure as chair, I’m always privileged to meet the men and women who make public transportation work, whether they’re with a public transit agency, a business in the supply chain, or a community-based partner. “It’s All About the People,” and that includes you!