Emerging Leaders in Transportation

Introduction

Ben Kabak kicking off the program with a discussion on NYC Transit.

Emerging leaders aboard a new JetBlue Mint plane

What do solutions to our transportation challenges look like?

C2SMART Center sponsored the seventh annual Emerging Leaders in Transportation Program. Hosted by C2SMART’s affiliates at the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation, the program brought together 25 early-career urban planning professionals for its . The three-day program included inspiring panels, lively discussions among participants, a behind-the-scenes look at JetBlue operations at JFK Airport, and a celebratory reception.

The first day of the program, December 6th, 2019, centered on transportation leadership. Following introductions and an icebreaker, Ben Kabak of Second Avenue Sagas discussed the challenges and hopes for the future of New York City transit and offered some words of wisdom to the participants. After a networking lunch, Rudin Center Associate Director Sarah Kaufman led a panel discussion about the future of transportation with three leaders:

Antonio Reynoso, Councilman, District 34
Sarah Meyer, Chief Customer Officer, NYC Transit
Paul Steely-White, Safety Policy Director, Bird

On the second day of the program, December 12, the group visited JFK Airport for a behind-the-scenes tour of JetBlue operations. The tour began with a visit to the Terminal 5 control tower and operations center, followed by a conversation with a JetBlue pilot aboard a new Mint plane. The group also visited the Terminal 5 roof park. The tour concluded with a presentation from the Emergency Management department and crisis management and business continuity, and several leaders spoke about their career paths.

Learning about crisis management emergency response

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What does an average day in the control tower look like

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Emerging leaders exploring Terminal 5 and enjoying the holiday decor

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Learning the behind-the-scenes operations of landing and scheduling planes in Terminal 5

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Emerging Leaders 2017

In the 2017 program, the Rudin Center for Transportation drew upon leading experts to participate in a four-part workshop series addressing policy issues, leadership skills, and technical innovation.

Participants learned how to evaluate the feasibility of innovation for their workplaces, incorporate it into the workflow, and build long-term technology plans. These discussions help foster an invigorated leadership cadre with a systematic understanding of planning for the future and how to bring new organizational tools to their agencies. By preparing emerging leaders for the future, this programs strengthens the capacity of transportation agencies to adopt livability initiatives, enhances the region’s economic competitiveness and supports implementation of technological improvements for everyday commuters and travelers.

Emerging Leaders 2018

In the 2018 program, the Rudin Center for Transportation drew upon leading experts to participate in a four-part workshop series addressing policy issues, leadership skills and technical innovation. Emerging leaders learned how to evaluate the feasibility of innovation for their workplaces, incorporate it into the workflow, and build long-term technology plans. These discussions contributed to an invigorated leadership cadre, with a systematic understanding of planning for the future and how to bring new organizational tools to their agencies.

Emerging Leaders 2019

Hosted by C2SMART’s affiliates at the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation, the program brought together 25 early-career urban planning professionals for its . The three-day program included inspiring panels, lively discussions among participants, a behind-the-scenes look at JetBlue operations at JFK Airport, and a celebratory reception.

Antonio Reynoso, Councilman, District 34
Sarah Meyer, Chief Customer Officer, NYC Transit
Paul Steely-White, Safety Policy Director, Bird

Next, Emerging Leaders enjoyed a panel on Leadership in Transportation with five industry leaders:

Emily Gallo, Northeast Division Government Relations Director, HNTB
Ya-Ting Liu, Director of Government Affairs and Policy, Via
Rodney Stiles, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Policy, TLC
Tiffany-Ann Taylor, Deputy Director, NYC DOT
Midori Valdivia, Chief of Staff to the Chairman & CEO, MTA

THE CITY senior reporter Jose Martinez moderated the discussion, which focused on the essential topics of representation, responsibility and proceeding with confidence.