2025 WTS-Boston Chapter Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award
Amy Getchell and Liz Williams of the Statewide District Equity Initiative Selected to Receive the WTS-Boston 2025 Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award
WTS-Boston is proud to announce that Amy Getchell and Liz Williams, co-leaders of the Statewide District Equity Initiative at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), have been selected as recipients of the 2025 Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award. This honor recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity within the transportation industry.
The Statewide District Equity Initiative is a unique MassDOT effort to improve the inclusion of groups and stakeholders whose experience and perspectives are traditionally underrepresented in the planning, design, and operation of the Commonwealth’s highway system. Led by Getchell and Williams, this collaborative program between the MassDOT Highway Division and the Office of Transportation Planning is currently being piloted in Districts 1 and 2—covering Western and Central Massachusetts. Its goal is to better understand and address the barriers faced by diverse communities in accessing and using the Commonwealth’s highway system.
What sets this initiative apart is its focus on qualitative data and lived experiences. By placing "people" at the center of planning, data collection, and decision-making, the project is reshaping how equity considerations are embedded into transportation processes. Getchell and Williams are emphasizing proactive, non-project-oriented engagement to identify and amplify underrepresented voices that may not have been heard through traditional public outreach efforts.
About the Award Recipients
Amy Getchell is the Manager of Construction Traffic Management within the MassDOT Highway Division’s Traffic and Safety Section. She has widespread experience managing high profile projects that require extensive project and traffic management coordination as well as a more engaging and robust public outreach process than typical DOT projects. Amy also works on regional traffic coordination and travel demand modeling, as well as many non-traditional highway projects. Amy holds a Civil Engineering degree from Northeastern University and began her career in the private sector before joining MassDOT in 2009.
Liz Williams is the Director of Equity and Climate Policy in MassDOT’s Office of Transportation Planning. She has over 15 years of experience as a social scientist and policy coordinator. Before coming to MassDOT in 2018, she held positions with the MBTA, the UMass Donahue Institute, the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy, and the American Institutes for Research. Liz is a sociologist with a Bachelor’s degree from Clark University, a Master’s degree from George Washington University, and a PhD from Northeastern University.
WTS-Boston congratulates Amy and Liz on this well-deserved recognition and celebrates their leadership in building a more inclusive and equitable transportation future for all communities in Massachusetts.
Explore WTS-Boston's other pages here: WTS-Boston Homepage | News | Events