
WTS Annual Conference
Join your peers on May 18–20, 2022, in Seattle for the premier transportation experience, which brings together diverse professionals from across North America to discuss the industry’s cutting-edge conversations and most pressing issues.
HNTB, a long standing sponsor of WTS, will proudly contribute to WTS and the conference in a number of ways, including offering five presentations and awarding the HNTB Corporate Sponsor / Strategic Level Partners Scholarship. We’re very proud to recognize three new WTS International Board Members.
- Alexa Gangemi – Treasurer, WTS International
- Emmanuella Myrthil – Director at Large, WTS Foundation
- Yvonne Lopez-Diaz – Vice Chair, WTS Foundation
and would like to thank our Seattle chapter and conference committee members and volunteers.
- Diana Giraldo, WTS Seattle ExecBoard – President
- Teri Marsh, WTS Seattle ExecBoard – Secretary
- Kimberly Proia, WTS Conference – Posters Chair
- Phoebe Hyun, WTS Conference – Programs Co-Chair
- Salima Hamlin, WTS Conference – Programs Co-Chair
- Jennifer Ibrahim, WTS Seattle Board member
- Tom Schnetzer, WTS Seattle Board member
- James Harmon, WTS Seattle Board member
- Kiley Rempp, WTS Seattle Board member
- Angie Chan, WTS Seattle Board member
- Kimberly Hakola, WTS Seattle Board member
- Wendy Taylor, WTS Seattle Advisory Board member
Last but not least, learn more about HNTB by stopping at our booth. See you in Seattle!
Hourly Schedule
May 17
- 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- WTS Executive Women’s Roundtable, featuring Yvonne Lopez-Diaz
- Workforce Development: Changing Culture Instead of Changing Women
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Speakers:
Yvonne Lopez-Diaz
May 18
- 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Expectations of the Private and Public Sector in Diversifying Workforce Development Initiatives, featuring Emmanuella Myrthil
- Hear from private and public sector on their efforts to hire and train a diverse workforce and what’s necessary to raise the bar. This panel will share creative and innovative approaches they’re using to attract women and diverse candidates to the transportation industry. Join us for honest dialogue between the public and private sector on expectations and opportunities for each in leading and solving our workforce development challenges. Moderator: Leslie Richards, General Manager, SEPTA
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Speakers:
Emmanuella Myrthil
May 19
- 2:40 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
- Managing Uncertainty with Risk-Based Estimate
- Featuring Grace Olaleye
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Speakers:
Grace Olaleye
May 20
- 10:45 a.m. - 10:55 a.m.
- Using GIS to co-create equitable and resilient transportation projects, Featuring Laura Wagner-Bartz
- With the current administration's goals of creating sustainable infrastructure, delivering improvements to disadvantaged communities, and its recognition of the value of science and technology, a quantitative and qualitative approach to creating a sustainable AEC project is imperative. In this session Laura will discuss how GIS is bridging the communication gap between the public, local entities, and engineers and planners. By developing simple approaches to complicated data, the process is a new experience that can connect us. Leveraging seamless data, and then developing informed processes based on the needs of a community, GIS is how we can co-create sustainable engineering projects that can bring together people to focus on developing Equitable and Resilient transportation projects.
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Speakers:
Laura Wagner-Bartz
- 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
- Mentoring for Success: Transforming the Way We Work through Mentor/Mentee Partnerships, featuring Iris Ortiz
- In support of WTS International’s mission to attract, sustain, connect, and advance women’s careers to strengthen the transportation industry and also its vision to offer equity and access for women in transportation…The WTS Atlanta Chapter has created a Mentor Protégé Program. This program matches women in the early stages of their careers with mid- to senior-level professionals. The program provides a roadmap for developing these relationships and valuable sessions with transportation leaders for mentors and protégés to learn from seasoned professionals and further expand their networks. This successful program has resulted in creating partnerships lasting long after the program’s completion, leading to new job opportunities, leadership experiences, and career growth for both the protégés and mentors. Join us to learn more about this program and how to establish one like it, hear personal stories about the positive impacts of mentor/protégé relationships, and discuss the tools needed to get the most out of these relationships.
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Speakers:
Iris Ortiz

Yvonne Lopez-Diaz
National Workforce Strategist

Emmanuella Myrthil
Diversity Program Manager

Grace Olaleye
Risk Based Estimating and Management

Laura Wagner-Bartz
Asset Management Solutions Manager

Iris Ortiz
Associate Vice President/Tolls Project Manager
Speakers
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Emmanuella MyrthilDiversity Program Manager
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Grace OlaleyeRisk Based Estimating and Management
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Iris OrtizAssociate Vice President/Tolls Project Manager
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Laura Wagner-BartzAsset Management Solutions Manager
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Yvonne Lopez-DiazNational Workforce Strategist