WTS CT Winter 2022 Newsletter

Membership Spotlight How long have you been a

STEM Night: Exploration into Transportation, Engineering, and Construction WTS CT and CMAA hosted a STEM Night at the Cora J. Belden Library in Rocky Hill on June 2nd. After a 2-year hiatus (due to the pandemic), we returned for the fourth annual STEM Night for students in 5th - 12th gra- des with hands-on activities that encourage students to pursue STEM-related careers. Thank you to all volunteers and participants -- we had the most exhibitors yet in 4 years of hosting the event!

June 2, 2022

it uplifts, it soothes, it works out emotions and tension. (Now, anyone that knows me would’ve bet I was going to say coffee! I can live without coffee – it’s just that no one around me wants to expe- rience that!) What is your favorite part about working in transpor- tation? The ability to make a positive change for real people – seeing our company work with the stakeholders to make solutions work for not just the rich or privileged but every day folks as well. Who or what inspires you? Inspiration is everywhere – I could list a million things. Most of them are summed up in that classic quote about Senator Elizabeth Warren – “Nevertheless, she persisted.” What is one tip you would give to someone in our in- dustry? Always listen to the people that live there. Those are the folks that you need to buy in and are too often forgotten. Don’t forget that they are people, with lives and joys and hardships, and they are

member of WTS? About three years.

Name: Kelley Kelly Title: Contracts and DBE Manager, Associate Company: FHI Studio - - - - - -

What does a typical work- day look like for you? Lots of coffee and screentime. I work from home mostly (using my lun- chbreak to pick up my older two from school). It allows me to focus on the rather persnickety language issues better but I do try to make sure I reach out to colleagues to touch base via Teams so that I don’t completely lose all my social skills! What do you enjoy the most about being a WTS member? The ability to keep learning – I’ve learned so much from the others here. Do you have any influences —person, place, or experience—that sparked your interest in the field? I fell into this field by acci- dent 20+ years ago and have had my interest sparked just by working here. What’s one thing you can’t live without and why? Music. It feeds my soul in a way that nothing else does –

the reason our projects exist.

How do you enjoy your time outside the office? Mostly driving children to hockey but mostly music (professional choral singer), art (Zentangle, crochet), and various geeky pursuits (D and D, Lego) :) Is there anything else you’d like to share? I see myself as a heart- driven geek, mom and wife, musician, artist, fat chick, pilot, and lover of beauty and equity. I live in Newing- ton with my husband, three feisty teenagers, and an even feistier cat. What is your WTS CT Leadership/Committee position? Chair of the Membership and Diversity Committee Are you involved in any other organizations? Only organizing my house- hold...which doesn’t count and isn’t very organized... ;-)

Reboot Re-Entry Program Julie Lucas and Sara Vararigos from CDM Smith discussed their success with the Reboot Re-Entry Program that focuses on integrating profes- sionals into the workforce after a long break in their careers. The overview of their program and its success rate is a great model for other companies to think about when trying to fill the need for more STEM professionals. June 2, 2022

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