On Tuesday April 8th, the WTS-Boston Programs Committee will be hosting a Luncheon Seminar, Celebrating Her Journey: 45 Years of Trailblazing Women in Transportation, featuring moderator Anna Barry and panelists Anne Aylward, Lisa Brothers, Mary Jane O'Meara, and Dorri Raposa.
Registration for this event will close on Monday, March 31st or earlier if the venue reaches capacity. This event is Non-Refundable, and no shows will be billed. When registering, please note Member pricing is for Individual Memberships, not Company Sponsors.
In celebration of WTS-Boston's 45th year, our panel highlights some of the incredible women that founded and led WTS-Boston through the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. They will share their professional journey and how WTS helped their careers. Come celebrate 45 years!!
Speakers
Moderator
Anna M. Barry is a recognized transportation leader whose career spans front line jobs in operations to senior positions in the public and private sectors. Currently, she is vice president and program manager with HNTB Corporation, managing rail and transit programs in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Anna also has leadership roles with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB). A founding member of the WTS-Boston Chapter, she has been a member of the Boston board several times and currently sits on the Boston Advisory Board. Anna rose from train dispatcher on the Boston and Maine Railroad and Superintendent of Vehicle Maintenance at MBTA to senior MBTA management positions such as director of railroad operations and of subway operations. Prior to HNTB, she served for seven years as the deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, with responsibility for the Bureaus of Public Transportation, Highway Operations and Maintenance and Engineering and Construction.
Panelists
Anne Aylward retired in September 2024 after 30 years of service at the U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center including the last eight years as Director. In her role at Volpe, Anne directed the work of nearly 700 engineers, planners, and analysts engaged in a $250 million portfolio of transportation technology and innovation projects. Anne has nearly 50 years' of transportation experience and is a nationally recognized expert in freight and intermodal transportation planning, policy analysis, and operations. She began her career in public service at Massport where she served as Director of the Port of Boston and Chair of the American Association of Port Authorities, the first woman to serve in each position. Anne has been a member of WTS Boston since 1981. She was recipient of the WTS local and International Woman of the Year Award in 1993 and the WTS Boston Leadership Award in 2015. In 2024 she was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.
Lisa Brothers has 35+ years of experience in the design and management of infrastructure and site development projects. She led Nitsch as President and CEO from 2011 to 2024; now as Principal and Chair of the Board, Lisa leads strategic initiatives and provides guidance for the Nitsch leadership team. With her long-term focus on building community, Lisa has been involved in a wide range of professional activities, including Board roles for WTS-Boston (President 2003-2004), American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) and ACEC of Massachusetts (President 2010-2011), Environmental Business Council of New England, and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. She was awarded honorary membership in the Boston Society of Architects and serves on the City of Boston's Women's Workforce Council. Lisa holds a BSCE from the University Massachusetts Lowell and an MBA from Northeastern University, and is a Fellow of ACEC. Her other WTS-Boston involvement includes: Chair of the 25th Anniversary Committee, Co-Chair of the WTS Public Art Committee, Founder of the WTS Boston Charitable Fund, Inc, Advisory Board member, and a host of other committee involvement prior to becoming President in 2003. She was WTS-Boston Woman of the Year in 2008 and received the WTS-Boston Leadership Award in 2017.
Dorri Giles Raposa is retired after nearly 40 years in the AEC industry, most recently serving as senior vice president and global director of Client Development for Transportation at HDR. Her responsibilities included the business development and sales of HDR's more than $1 billion program in Transportation. Throughout her 25 years at HDR, Dorri held numerous leadership roles in operations, business development and client development. Dorri has been involved with WTS since 1991. Her WTS journey began with the Boston Chapter. She served on numerous committees, was an active Board member and President 1999-2000. She co-chaired the 2003 WTS International Conference held in Boston. She is Past Chair of the WTS International Foundation. She also served two years on the WTS International Board of Directors. For more than 5 years, Dorri was Chair of the Corporate Relations Committee of WTS International, increasing the corporate giving by more than 125% during that time. In 2005 Dorri was named WTS International and WTS-Boston Member of the Year. In 2018, Dorri was honored by WTS-Boston with its prestigious Leadership Award! As a past president of WTS-Boston, Dorri is still active in the Chapter and currently serves on the WTS-Boston Advisory Committee. She continues to be a mentor to women in transportation both informally and formally through the WTS-Boston Mentor Program (2023-2024). Since her retirement, she has served on the HDR Foundation Board and the Advisory Boards of two Women Business Enterprise (WBE) transportation firms. She is also involved with Beacon Academy in a formal mentoring program for young black and brown students who excel in STEM academics as they prepare for high school.
Mary Jane O'Meara is a collaborative, innovative senior transportation leader with a proven track record of leading and working with diverse groups, including city, state and federal transportation officials to accomplish complex goals. Her more than 40 years of experience includes two decades working for Massport, serving as operations manager and then Director of the Tobin Memorial Bridge. She is currently a vice president and plays a major role in growing HNTB's toll practice. Mary Jane is a strong advocate for professional development and mentoring and serves as an active mentor to many professionals in the industry. She is a longtime member of WTS, having held various leadership positions, including Boston Chapter President, Boston Chapter Board and WTS International President. She is also a member of the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA) and served in leading positions, including President, Past President's Council and Chair of the Long-Range Planning and Nominations Committees. Mary Jane was recently appointed to the newly formed IBTTA Women in Tolling Council.
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