Category Archives: Events

October 12, 2021 Luncheon – Brion Oaks, City of Austin Chief Equity Officer

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Join COMTO Austin as we welcome Brion Oaks, City of Austin Chief Equity Officer

“Brion Oaks (he/him/his) is the first Chief Equity Officer for the City of Austin. Brion is responsible for working with City leadership and local communities to create an equity framework and facilitate dialogue and organizational practices that support the development and adoption of equity as a shared value. He serves as the technical expert in addressing equity as it is applied to city wide policies, programs, practices, and budget decisions with an overall vision to make Austin the most livable city for ALL.” City of Austin

We look forward to hearing about the ground-breaking work taking place in the City and how their thought leadership is serving as an example nationally.

Join us HERE for this MS Teams Live Event Tuesday, October 12, 2021 at 11:00 am CST

May 2021 – Annick Beaudet, City of Austin

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Join us on May 27, 2021 at noon to hear Annick Beaudet discuss the City of Austin’s role in Project Connect including equitable transit orient development planning and anti-displacement funding. Annick Beadet is the Mobility Officer for the City of Austin.

Project Connect is Austin’s plan for a complete regional system of reliable and frequent transit. It includes the Blue Line Corridor that would run from North Austin through downtown to the Austin Bergstrom International Airport. It would also include the Orange Line Corridor that would run from North Austin to South Austin from TechRidge to Slaughter Lane.

Join the virtual meeting online through Teams using the following link:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_M2M1ZWQ5NWYtNTA0Mi00ZTRmLTk1ZDUtNGZiNjI1MDcyZDAx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%223d234255-e20f-4205-88a5-9658a402999b%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2288c5402d-728d-492f-9502-2fff995734b3%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d

If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Taylor at Lauren.Taylor@wsp.com

April 2021 Luncheon – Jackie Nirenberg and David Couch: Orange and Blue Light Rail Lines Project Updates

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Join us on April 21, 2021 at noon to hear Jackie Nirenberg and David Couch discuss the latest updates on Capital Metro’s Orange and Blue Light Rail Lines. Jackie Nirenberg is the Director of Community Engagement and Involvement for Austin Transit Partnership and David Couch is the Program Officer of Project Connect.

Project Connect is Austin’s plan for a complete regional system of reliable and frequent transit. It includes the Blue Line Corridor that would run from North Austin through downtown to the Austin Bergstrom International Airport. It would also include the Orange Line Corridor that would run from North Austin to South Austin from TechRidge to Slaughter Lane.

Join the virtual meeting online through Teams using the following link:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YmVlZGNlYTEtNmU2Yy00MDU2LWE5OTYtYWU0NWI1ZmMyZjg1%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%223d234255-e20f-4205-88a5-9658a402999b%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2288c5402d-728d-492f-9502-2fff995734b3%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d

If you have issues accessing the meeting, please contact Lauren Taylor at Lauren.Taylor@wsp.com.

March 2021 Luncheon – Randy Clarke: Moving Forward with Project Connect

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Join us on March 18, 2021 at noon to hear from Randy Clarke, President and CEO of Capital Metro, on the next steps for Project Connect. Randy Clarke joined Capital Metro in 2018 after previously working for the American Public Transportation Association and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. He earned his master’s degree in public policy from the University of Southern Maine and enjoys traveling and competitive running when not leading Capital Metro.

Project Connect is Austin’s comprehensive transit plan that includes a new rail system, a downtown transit tunnel, expanded bus system, and a transfer to an all electric fleet. In November 2020, Austin residents approved funding for the $7.1 billion plan.

Please join us using Microsoft Teams at the link found here. If you have any issues accessing the meeting, please contact Lauren Taylor at Lauren.Taylor@wsp.com.

[POSTPONED] February 2021 Luncheon – Michael D. Bryant: A Review of TxDOT’s Civil Rights Division

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Michael D. Bryant

Join us on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at noon to hear from Michael D. Bryant, Civil Rights Director – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). TxDOT’s Civil Rights Division promotes inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility within TxDOT’s internal operations and external programs. Michael will discuss the programs and work of the Civil Rights Division, including its largest programs related to Title IV, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, and Americans with Disability Act.
In addition to serving as the Division’s Director, Michael serves as the Vice Chair of the Committee on Civil Rights for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Prior to joining TxDOT in the General Counsel Division, Michael worked at the Office of Governor Rick Perry, serving as counsel to the Trusteed Programs within the office, including the Economic Development & Tourism Division, the Texas Music Office, and the Texas Film Commission.
Michael is an alumnus of Morehouse College and The University of Texas School Of Law.
Please join us on Microsoft TEAMS using the link found here. If you have any issues accessing the meeting, please contact Lauren Taylor at Lauren.Taylor@wsp.com.

December 2020 Luncheon – The DBE Experience with Kahlil Allen

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Our December luncheon will be held on December 2, 2020, starting at noon, and will feature Kahlil Allen, President, CEO, and co-founder, of ADS System Safety Consulting, LLC.

Kahlil M. Allen co-founded ADS System Safety Consulting in 2011 with a focus on providing risk-based safety and mission assurance services to the Transportation, Aerospace, and Defense industries.

Mr. Allen will be discussing his experience starting a DBE business from scratch and his experience navigating the consulting landscape as a small business owner.

Join the meeting at this link. If you have any issues, please reach out to Lauren.Taylor@wsp.com. 

October 2020 Luncheon

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John Gasparine of WSP USA, Inc. presented on the HVAC revolution sparked by the pandemic, where design is now being optimized for indoor comfort, energy efficiency, and to reduce the risk of negative health outcomes with infectious diseases like COVID-19. Participants learned why there is no “bolt-on silver bullet” for transportation agencies’ HVAC systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how WSP is applying HVAC design concepts from the from the NIH Vaccine Research Laboratory to transportation vehicles and facilities to make them Future Ready.