WMATA will host the LIT Leadership Summit Sept. 22-23, in Washington, D.C.

(Los Angeles, CA, January 29, 2023) Latinos In Transit (LIT) is excited to announce the next Leadership Summit will take place Sept. 22-23, 2023, in the Washington, D.C. area. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will be this year’s host.

The announcement was made at a joint COMTO DC and LIT lunch and learn event at WMATA’s headquarters. WMATA General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke made the announcement while discussing the agency’s current service and operations as well as potential capital improvements. Clarke noted that WMATA’s workforce is the backbone of the agency and region.

"We are elated to announce the 2023 LIT Leadership Summit will take place at our nation's capital. Having WMATA be the Summit host is just icing on the cake,” said LIT President Alva Carrasco.

Sponsorship opportunities will be made available in the coming weeks and programming announcements will be made in the coming months. Those interested in a sponsorship or would like to submit a session proposal may contact Leadership Summit Committee Chair Oscar Gonzalez at summit@latinosintransit.org.

LIT is excited to build off of last year’s successful summit, which took place in Dallas, Texas, and was hosted by Dallas Area Rapid Transit. The event saw more than 150 registrants, a sold out Leadership Luncheon with 200 attendees, nine sponsors, four breakout sessions, three keynotes, a technical tour and two receptions.

(Los Angeles, CA, October, 16) In celebration of the 2022 Leadership Academy’s inaugural graduating class and scholarship winners, Latinos In Transit (LIT) hosted an awards reception on October 10 at the Hilton Seattle, in Seattle Wash. Sponsored by National Express, the event gathered emerging professionals and industry leaders to honor efforts driven by the mission of LIT. The reception program highlighted 28 Leadership Academy graduates and six scholarship recipients.

“The board of directors has been working towards this day for more than two years. The event highlighted the passion and dedication that LIT and our partners have towards LIT’s mission,” said Alva Carrasco, LIT Board President.

The event kicked off its program by commemorating the 2022 Leadership Academy graduates. In its inaugural year, LIT’s Leadership Academy was launched in an effort to provide training and development opportunities to organizational members who are pursuing growth opportunities within the transit industry. Academy curriculum consisted of five intensive professional development sessions that focused on specialized and technical expertise needed to advance in the sector. As a requirement for completion of the academy, participants were required to complete a paper and project presentation as a culmination of what they learned.

The Latinos In Transit Board of Directors announce and congratulate the Leadership Academy’s Class of 2022. Graduates include: Christian Andrade - Sound Transit; Diana Gosnell - Sound Transit; Jacob Miskimens - Transit Guard; Anthony Napoles - WSP; Antonio Perez Ramirez, Jr. - AC Transit; Alexander Victoria - Transit Guard; Diego Carrillo - Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority; Robert Diaz, AC Transit; Linda Espinosa - National Express; Grace Ferguson - City of Santa Clarita,Calif.; Angel Gonzalez - IndyGo; Tamara Hunte - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Esteban Martinez - HNTB; Jose Peraza Odonez - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Reyna Padilla - Sound Transit; Grace Perez - AC Transit; Robert Reyes - AC Transit; Tania Santana - National Express; Valerie Valero - Sound Transit; Joe Aguilar - AC Transit; Carl Atencio- Rocky Mountaineer; Christina Fonseca - Sound Transit; Juan Higuera - Sound Transit; Michelle Jorgensen - National Express; Javier Perez - Sound Transit; Maria Reyes - New Flyer; Cherly Suddeth - AC Transit; and Monica Tellez-Fowler -C-TRAN.

The second part of the program honored six scholarship recipients. In 2022, LIT launched a new scholarship program to support students in their pursuit of educational advancement. The purpose of this scholarship is to create opportunities for individuals pursuing degrees and/or certifications from accredited educational institutions in a public transit-related field of study. LIT was very fortunate to collaborate with Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) and the North American Transit Alliance (NATA) in securing additional funds for scholarship awards.

With more than 70 applications submitted, a judging committee awarded six individuals with $2,500 scholarships each. The 2022 scholarship recipients are: LIT Scholarship- Mario Delgado - Metro Mcallen, Texas; LIT Scholarship- Jasmine Zamora - City of Oakland; LIT Scholarship- Erica Casillas - Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority; LIT/PRT Scholarship - Jonathan Bonilla - WHED Co; LIT/PRT Scholarship- Adriana Reyes - Pittsburgh Regional Transit; and LIT/NATA Scholarship - Ricardo Vega- AC Transit.

Finishing off a banner year for the organization, LIT has scaled its programs to serve industry professionals across the United States. In an effort to continue its mission, LIT’s strategic plan is focused on increasing professional advancement and development opportunities to its members. Planning for the 2023 Leadership Academy and scholarship program is now underway, and the organization invites those in the transit industry to become a member of the organization in order to take advantage of advancement opportunities that come with being a LIT member. To learn more about becoming a member of Latinos In Transit, visit www.latinosintransit.org.