DOT Secretary Ray LaHood honored 12 transportation professionals as White House Champions of Change at a May 8 event in Washington, DC. Three of the honorees are APTA members: Jeffrey ­Wharton, president, IMPulse NC, Mount Olive, NC; Akira (Kevin) Koyasu, chief executive officer, Nippon Sharyo U.S.A. Inc.; and Josh Whiton, chief executive officer, TransLoc, Raleigh, NC.

The event, “Transportation Technology Solutions for the 21st Century,” focused on individuals or organizations that have provided exemplary leadership in developing or implementing transportation technology solutions.

Wharton has worked in public transportation for the past 33 years. During his tenure at IMPulse NC, the company has developed new, cutting-edge technology for commuter rail and light rail transit that includes an automated catenary safety monitoring system.

“It is an honor and privilege for IMPulse NC LLC to be recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change for
21st-century transportation technology due to our automated catenary safety monitoring system,” he said.

Koyasu led efforts for ­Nippon Sharyo U.S.A. to open its first U.S. plant in Rochelle, IL, and has created more than 300 direct jobs. The company now has five major contracts to supply “Made in America” passenger rail cars to public transit authorities throughout North America.

“What we have been doing is to revive passenger railcar manufacturing in Illinois,” Koyasu said. “Our strong belief is that we should have a manufacturing base where the market is. We must use local resources for parts and labor, recognized by the people we serve, otherwise there will be no success for us.”

Whiton is the founder of TransLoc, a technology company that pioneered the delivery of real-time public transit information to both ­riders and administrators. The company’s innovative technology displays over the Internet, not just the location, but also the continuous ability to track the movement of an entire public ­transit fleet.

Whiton said, “About 10 years ago we wanted to make the impossible possible: really real-time bus tracking for transit agencies and their riders. . . . Technology was already doing some amazing things; the problem was that it wasn’t doing them in the public transit arena. Someone needed to stand in the intersection of the best available technology and the transit world. I’m glad we gave it a shot.”

The White House created the program to celebrate groups of Americans—individuals, businesses, and organizations—who are empowering and inspiring their communities.