Women in Transportation Seminar recognise CHSRA for diversity achievements

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) has received the prestigious Employer of the Year Award from the Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS) Sacramento chapter. The annual award recognises a transportation organisation for outstanding leadership in mentoring women in the transportation field, providing opportunities for upward mobility for women and having women at the highest levels of leadership.

“A talented, highly-capable and diverse staff is a pre-requisite for success on a project of this magnitude,” Brian Kelly, CEO of the Authority, said. “This recognition validates our approach and is a testament to the tremendous work that our diverse staff has done and will continue to do in advancing the California high-speed rail programme.”

More than half of the Authority’s total workforce is female, as well as much of the executive team, many appointed under the Newsom Administration. Major initiatives and programmes led by women at the Authority include stIrategic delivery; legal counsel; strategic communications; legislative affairs; information technology; planning and sustainability; administration and human resources; diversity, equity and inclusion; and regional leadership.

“I am proud of the staff and leadership of High-Speed Rail in promoting diversity in the workplace and asking our partners in the rail industry to do the same,” Nancy Miller, Vice Chair of Board of Directors for the Authority, said. “It is heartening to attend meetings with the engineers, the attorneys, the systems operators and planners to find a group of diverse and knowledgeable staff assisting at every level.”