Margarita Gagliardi
Vice President, Transit Planning
Urban Engineers of New York, P.C.
Member, APTA Policy and Planning Committee, High-Speed Rail & Intercity Passenger Rail Committee

How many people do you employ at your business?
Urban Engineers Inc. is a full-service planning, engineering, and construction management company that employs just shy of 500; we are happy to be employee-owned.

How long have you worked in the public transportation industry?
I have been in the public transportation industry for over 36 years (I’m going to stop counting soon) and find it most gratifying. There is no other career that would have afforded me the opportunity to contribute to the public good and improve our overall quality of life through progress in planning and mobility.

How long have you been an APTA member?
I have been associated with APTA since the mid- to late-1970s. My first exposure was while interning at Indiana University’s Institute for Urban Transportation. I remember clamoring for a view of Passenger Transport back when it was only in hard copy and was really the only source of industry news.

What drew you to a career in public transportation?
I knew when I was 14 years old that I wanted to pursue a career in our industry. My ­family immigrated from Cuba in 1962, and we were transit-dependent for many years. Metro-Dade [County, FL] did not provide school bus service, so my one-way trip to high school went something like this: I would ride the number 14 bus down 27th Avenue to Coral Way, where I would then transfer to the number 4 bus to Douglas Road. I would then walk about a half mile to the Coral Gables bus ­system’s pulse point to take a third bus to school. This took about 1.5 hours, each way, every day, on 1950-1960-era buses. I figured that there had to be a better way, and I wanted to be part of the solution(s).

What have you found to be the most valuable APTA benefit or resource? Please explain why or how this has helped.
There are three aspects that I believe are very helpful not just to me, but to the industry as a whole.

First is the advocacy that APTA provides on the Hill with DOT, OMB, the White House, and so on. This unwavering and consistent support for its members and our priorities has been essential to the ongoing dialogue on funding processes and procedures and with representation on key federal positions.

The second is the networking opportunities it offers. Whether at conferences, committee meetings, or other venues, APTA provides the means for meaningful interaction with colleagues and vendors, as well as learning industry trends.

And last, but very near and dear to me, is the APTF scholarship program and APTA’s commitment to supporting our future industry leaders. I cannot overstate how important this is for all of us, and I am particularly gratified to have been a member of the group that successfully established the George M. Smerk Scholarship.

What do you like most about your job?
I genuinely enjoy just about everything associated with my work. I don’t refer to it as a “job” anymore, as what I do is truly a lifelong passion. This, too, has evolved over time and, at this point in my career, there are two particular aspects that I enjoy the most.

The first is mentoring and staff development. This goes back to the APTF scholarship program. I just believe that each of us has the responsibility to nurture and prepare our industry’s future leaders. Much of what is important to success is not learned in a book; therefore, mentoring, technology sharing, and helping newcomers craft a path forward for their career development is an avocation, if you will.

Second, after many years in our business, I believe I am in a good position to share “lessons learned” and contribute to our industry’s ongoing progress. My position affords me with the opportunity to do this on a national scale. I hope I have made a difference and will continue to do so.

What is unique about your business—what would readers be surprised to learn?
I have been with Urban Engineers for just shy of one year now. The one thing that I find absolutely extraordinary is Urban’s commitment to its staff. We all hear the talk about staff being our most valuable assets, et cetera, but Urban’s commitment to its people, how incredibly we are valued and recognized, and the very palpable positive work environment in our offices are absolutely wonderful and make coming to work every day even more of a pleasure.

Make sure you see Margarita Gagliardi's video, now that you've read this!