PRESS RELEASE
Latinos In Transit
Christina Villarreal
Administrative Director
c.villarreal@latinosintransit.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Latinos In Transit Celebrates LITLA Class of 2024 with Graduation Ceremony, Awards $40k in Scholarships
Sept. 13, 2024 (Portland, Oregon) – Latinos In Transit (LIT) is thrilled to announce the graduation of class of 2024 from the Latinos In Transit Leadership Academy (LITLA) program. To honor this year’s class, LIT hosted a graduation ceremony and awards reception on September 14 during the Leadership Summit.

Sponsored for a second year by WeDriveU, the event gathered emerging professionals and industry leaders to recognize the outstanding efforts aligned with LIT's mission. The reception program highlighted 31 Leadership Academy graduates and 10 scholarship recipients.

"We are excited to once again celebrate our Leadership Academy graduates and our scholarship recipients. LIT is incredibly proud to stand alongside and support the next generation of public transportation professionals. We are committed to expanding our programming and scholarship opportunities to continue to uplift and empower as many industry professionals as possible,” said LIT Executive Director Christina Villarreal.

The event commenced with a celebration of the 2024 graduates. Now in its third year, LITLA provides training and development opportunities to organizational members aspiring to grow within the transit industry. The academy's curriculum consisted of four tracks with five intensive professional development sessions focused on the specialized technical expertise required for advancement in the sector. As a culmination of their learnings, participants were required to complete a capstone presentation.

“WeDriveU’s partnership with Latinos In Transit reflects our shared passion for giving back and supporting future generations to achieve their highest potential,” said Erick Van Wagenen, President & CEO, WeDriveU. “It’s very special to help LIT celebrate this program’s success and cheer for WeDriveU’s three graduates and all the participants who represent the brightest in the transportation industry.”

The LIT Board of Directors proudly announce and congratulate the LITLA Class of 2024, which include the following graduates:

New Careers in Transit
Karla Martinez Gallardo, TriMet; Madeline Saldana, Lane Transit District; Meliton Chaidez, DILAX Systems US; and Melissa Martinez, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Leading in Middle Management
Francis Rodriguez, Houston-Galveston Area Council; Marcela Moreno, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; Brian Ramirez, WeDriveU; Lourdes Melissa Gomez, Sound Transit; Dioselyn Ayala-Moreno, SunLine Transit Agency; Cristobal Villegas, Jr., Utah Transit Authority; Nelson Valle, Transdev; Gaston Eugenio Kelly, Uber Technologies; Yanior Concepcion, Transdev; Matthew Nakano, Foothill Transit; Elizabeth Zambrano, Access Services; Maria Cristina Hallner, WeDriveU; Ruben Ledesma, WeDriveU; Sanskrit Singh, WSP; Edith Hernandez, SunLine Transit Agency; Eva Esquivel,
HNTB Corporation; Lourdes L. Alvarez, Foothill Transit; Arantxa Contreras, Keolis; and Jessica Leon, SunLine Transit Agency.

Making of an Executive
Jonathan Javier, Keolis; Daniela Waltersdorfer, HNTB; Hector Vargas, MV Transportation; Jesse Soto, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority; Ruben E Mendoza, MV Transportation; and Luefras Robinson, WSP.

Transit Board Leadership
Ramiro Navarro, Salem Area Mass Transit District d/ba Cherriots; and Michael Guzman, Denver Regional Transit District.
Scholarship Recipients

Following the LITLA graduation ceremony, LIT continued with its scholarships and awards reception. In 2022, LIT initiated a scholarship program to support transportation industry professionals in their pursuit of educational advancement. The scholarship's purpose is to create opportunities for individuals pursuing degrees and/or certifications from accredited educational institutions in a public transit-related field of study. LIT collaborated with Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), the North American Transit Alliance (NATA), and Stacy Witbeck to secure additional funds for scholarship awards.

An evaluation committee selected 10 individuals for a scholarship. The 2024 scholarship recipients are:
LIT/Stacy Witbeck Scholarship - Jorge Diaz-Gutierrez
LIT/Stacy Witbeck Scholarship - Dominick Castro
LIT/NATA Scholarship - Zachary Perez
LIT/PRT Scholarship - Gema Martinez
LIT/PRT Scholarship - Crystal Royval
LIT/PRT Scholarship - Nicolas Uribe
LIT Scholarship - Bernadette Armendariz
LIT Scholarship - Merab Talamantes
LIT Scholarship - Marcus Peoples
LIT Scholarship - Michael Alvarado

LIT continues to expand its programs to serve transportation industry professionals across the United States. To continue its mission, LIT's strategic plan focuses on increasing advancement and development opportunities for its members. Planning for the 2025 Leadership Academy and scholarship program is already underway, and the organization invites those in the transit industry to become a member of the organization to take advantage of these opportunities. Those interested in contributing to the scholarship fund can visit LIT’s website.