Saturday July 19 – Transit Board Members

Registration

Transit Board Members Committee Meeting

Chair W. Randy Wright

Open to all APTA members who are members of public transportation system boards of directors or commissions, the committee meets three times each year:  during the APTA Transit board Members Seminar in July, the Annual Meeting in October, and the Legislative Conference in March. At this meeting, the annual election of committee officers will be held.  Members will hear updates on the Eno Transportation Foundation/National Transit Institute/APTA project to develop a curriculum for transit board members, the APTA web site portal to be created for board members, and other projects for board members.

This is APTA:  Realizing the Full Potential of Membership*

Everything you’ll want to know about getting involved in your association plus how board members and support staff rise to national leadership positions            

The American Public Transportation Association is widely recognized as the voice of the transit industry. This session will focus on the many resources available to you. How can you realize the full potential of your membership?  First, find out how APTA works and is governed.    We’ll answer your questions on where to start as a new or long-standing member in becoming involved in your association.  APTA’s success depends on participation and input from all its members. 

Presenter:

William W. Millar, president, APTA

Welcoming Reception*

Mix and mingle at this lively welcoming reception that is sure to set the tone for a week of networking and learning.  

*Sessions and events at which board members and board support staff participate together.

Sunday July 20 – Transit Board Members

 Registration

Opening General Session*

Public Transportation:  Wherever  Life Takes You … Today and Tomorrow

Enjoy a warm welcome, hear insider stories about the Seattle area, and learn more about what is in store for the seminar.

The public transportation industry’s unique seminar officially begins in Seattle with the Opening General Session.  Hear from Sound Transit, King County Metro, and APTA as board members and support staff begin their sessions and workshops focusing on effective governance.  Learn from Washington’s most renowned transportation board member and visionary, who began his career in public policy during FDR’s administration.

Invocation:

Arlene B. Wright to sing “America the Beautiful”
Introduction of Mrs. Randy Wright by Mattie P. “M.P.” Carter, commissioner, Memphis Area Transit Authority, Memphis, TN

Welcoming Remarks:

Michael S. Townes, chair, APTA, and president, CEO, Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA

William W. Millar, president, APTA

Flora Castillo, vice chair-transit board members, APTA, and board member, New Jersey Transit, Newark, NJ

Ron Sims, board member, Sound Transit andcounty executive, King County, Seattle, WA

Greg Nickels, chair, Sound Transit and mayor, City of Seattle, WA

Joni Earl, chief executive officer, Sound Transit, Seattle, WA

Kevin Desmond, general manager, King County Metro Transit, Seattle, WA

Gina Estrada, chair, Board Support Subcommittee, APTA

Featured Guest Speaker:

Aubrey Davis, a public transportation force, elected official, business founder, health care reformer, and environmentalist, Mercer Island, WA

*Sessions and events at which board members and board support staff participate together.

Mr. Davis has chaired the Washington Transportation Commission, expanding its highway orientation to boost rail services.  He headed the Urban Mass Transit Administration’s regional office (FTA’s predecessor).  Earlier, he had helped create King County Metro, originally a stand-alone regional transit and water quality agency that combined the city transit system with privately owned suburban systems and cleaned up Lake Washington; he chaired the board’s transit committee. 

As Mayor of Mercer Island, he helped create “community push-back” in the 1960s when the Interstate-90 bridge across Lake Washington was to be widened to 16 lanes with ramps four stories high – taller than any building on the island. “In the ‘60s, the highway folks would decide where to build and what to build and just do it.  I don’t think they asked anybody.  There was no environmental regulation,” Davis recalled.  Years of negotiations resulted in an eight-lane bridge with textured concrete freeway lids on Mercer Island, with lush plantings and specially designed lighting.  For the first time nationally, an inclusive community input process was born.

He was CEO and chair of Group Health Cooperative and a member of the board since 1951, as the consumer-governed health care system emerged from being blacklisted by the medical establishment.

Today, Aubrey Davis was invited to relate his stories for APTA.  But more than a history, his is a visionary’s perspective.

From modest beginnings in 1939 working as an intern at the Washington, DC National Institute of Public Affairs (with an interest in becoming a city manager) through today, Aubrey Davis has affected the lives of many.  Described as a “man of the future” – also crusty, stubborn, indefatigable, and widely respected – he has made a difference.    Admirers say he leads and lasts with patience and persistence.  As an advisor to former Governor Gary Locke said, “Folks like Aubrey are giants.”

Decision Traps*

Lessons from top leaders on overcoming natural biases to become a better decision maker

When decision makers process information, they may be open to new thinking or get trapped into following into the same patterns of reasoning.  Discover natural biases such as action bias and attribution bias (if it goes well, it’s me; if it goes badly, it was outside causes.)  With over 25 years in coaching executives and board members and delivering executive/board development programs on strategy, communications, and organizational change, Jim Austin has helped boards grow across industry segments.  He has a Masters in Public Administration and in Urban and Regional Planning from the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University.  Jim is past chair of the Strategic Leadership Forum, and a board member of the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois and the University Club of Chicago.

Presenter:

Jim Austin MPA/MURP, director of executive education, Decision Strategies International, Inc. 

*Sessions and events at which board members and board support staff participate together.

Managing Future Uncertainties*

Amidst changing external information and unknowns, learn more about driving change.

With uncertain future scenarios, how do board members best lead their organizations?  Explore logical sequencing in three steps to leading your organization forward:  developing a reasonable set of options; outlining a strategic pyramid for future direction; and driving change. 

Presenter:

Jim Austin

Lunch by System Size

Enjoy this lively, open discussion about challenges that agencies similar in size meet and opportunities they create.

This popular lunch by transit system size invites a free-form exchange on high performing boards. Take your buffet lunch into your breakout room to join your group for a lively discussion facilitated by board members from agencies that are similar in size to yours. 

• Small Systems (100 or fewer buses)

Facilitators:

David Nacht, chair, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, Ann Arbor, MI

Lynn Johnson, board member, Ben Franklin Transit, Richland, WA

• Medium Systems (101 – 500 buses)

Facilitators:

Rosa Navejar, board member, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Fort Worth, TX

Jim Irish, vice chair, C-TRAN, Vancouver, WA (invited)

• Large (Over 500 buses) and Multimodal Systems

Facilitators:

Randall Chrisman, chairman, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Dallas, TX
 
Doug Thorndike, councilman, Community Transit, Everett, WA (invited)

APTA Chair & Presidents Roundtable*

What are the leading industry initiatives in this critical year prior to authorization of the federal funding law?

Join us for an update from APTA’s chair and president on APTA’s Authorization, TransitVision 2050, and Framework for the Future Task Forces to fund public transportation nationally and shape the industry’s premier advocacy organization. Hear the national perspectives on rising ridership in relation to escalating fuel costs, successful referenda, and more that affect board members in the U.S. and Canada.

*Sessions and events at which board members and board support staff participate together.

Presenters:

Michael S. Townes, chair, APTA, and president, CEO, Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA

William W. Millar, president, APTA

Speakers:

Board Member Initiatives

Flora Castillo, vice chair-transit board members, APTA, and board member, New Jersey Transit, Newark, NJ

Leadership APTA     

Doran Barnes, chair, Human Resources Committee and region III representative, Transit Board Members Committee, APTA; executive director, Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA; and board member, Access Services, Inc., Los Angeles, CA

Jay Peterson, member, Leadership APTA 2007 Class, and market development supervisor, Pierce Transit, Lakewood, WA

American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF)
Mattie P. “M.P.” Carter, board member, APTF, and commissioner, Memphis Area Transit Authority, Memphis, TN

When Your CEO Leaves:  Executive Recruitment and Hiring Trends

Engage in an exchange about the board’s search for a chief executive.

Before the board can decide whom it wants, it decides what it wants. Which qualities and experience best fit the agency now and later?  What leadership styles fit best – a community builder? Turnaround artist?  Financier and grant expert?  How do other boards decide about hiring a recruiting firm, using the legal counsel’s services, or another search method?  Where would advertising be placed?  How do boards research comparable pay plans and benefits?   To help you set priorities, be sure to attend this session on how boards hire CEOs.

Moderator:

Rev. Dr. James McCray Jr., chairman, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco, CA

Speakers:

Crystal Lyons, chair, Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority, Corpus Christi, TX

Charles Michel, board member, Golden Empire Transit District, Bakersfield, CA

Alison Hewitt, region III representative, Transit Board Members Committee, APTA and board member, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit, Tampa, FL

Daphne Le Blanc, president, Daphne Le Blanc & Associates, Inc., Marina del Rey, CA

Monday July 21 – Transit Board Members

Registration

Today’s Presiding Officer: 

Lamont Taylor, vice chair, APTA Transit Board Members Committee, and board member, Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, Cincinnati, OH

Board Governance through Relationships

Join small group presentations and discussions with the experts: board members, transit agency staff, and business leaders. 

As elected or appointed officials representing populations including riders and businesses, the influence of board members is felt throughout the community and often has national impact. This workshop maximizes individual time with transit industry leaders. Participants will hear brief remarks about featured topics and then quickly break into small groups with these experts. Engage in candid discussions about models that work, reasons for their success, and what to avoid. Presenters repeat their round-table presentations twice during this session, allowing participants the opportunity to select two topics of the highest interest.

Moderator: 

Doran Barnes, chair, Human Resources Committee and region III representative, Transit Board Members Committee, APTA; executive director, Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA; and board member, Access Services, Inc., Los Angeles, CA

Presenters/Discussion Facilitators:

Public Interaction and Avenues for Input to the Board
Tom Green, chair, Intercity Transit, Olympia, WA

Interacting with Other Agencies
Tim Farrell, board member, Pierce Transit, Lakewood, WA (invited)

Working with the Business Community
Chip Lewis, vice president, South Bend Public Transportation Corporation, South Bend, IN (invited)

The Use of Eminent Domain for Acquisition/Construction
Randy Wright, chair, Transit Board Members Committee, APTA, and commissioner, Hampton Roads Transit, Norfolk, VA

Relationships with Congressional Representatives and Officials at the Local, Regional, State, and Federal Level   

How to Create Successful Referenda
Alan Wulkan, managing partner, InfraConsult LLC, Scottsdale, AZ

Sharing Contract Risk:  Innovative Ways for Both Public and Private Sectors to Win

Managing risk is a major issue for both the public and private sectors of the public transportation industry. But it is an area where the sectors can work cooperatively so that both sides benefit and project costs can be best managed.  This session will bring together public and private sector members to discuss how they worked together to manage risk in their contracts – what they expected of each other, how they managed the relationship, how changes in the project over time were accommodated, and lessons learned.

TransitVision 2050 ─ Help Shape the Vision!

What does the future look like – what changes should we anticipate?  What role will public transportation play in the decades ahead and how can APTA pursue this long-term vision? 
 
These are some of the important questions addressed through APTA’s visioning initiative.  This session will look at how the public transportation industry positions itself in a world that will face energy, climate change, population growth, and global competition issues in the coming decades.    

Discussion Facilitator:

Kathleen Stein, principal, Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc., Boston, MA

Panelists:

Mattie P. “M.P.” Carter, commissioner, Memphis Area Transit Authority, Memphis, TN

Joni Earl, chief executive officer, Sound Transit, Seattle, WA

Lunch on Your Own

Moving Toward Sustainability

Puget Sound’s transportation leaders show how sustainability is changing the way transit and local governments operate.

Increasing public concern about climate change has made it more apparent that public transit is a key part of the solution.  Come hear ideas that you can use in your transit system from our seminar hosts, King County Metro and Sound Transit, recognized leaders in environmental management and sustainability initiatives.

Moderator: 

Fred Butler, deputy council president, City of Issaquah; member, King County Regional Transit Committee; and board member, Sound Transit, Seattle, WA

Presenters:

Why: Sound Transit’s Commitment to Sustainability
Ric Ilgenfritz, executive director, Policy Planning & Public Affairs, Sound Transit, Seattle, WA

How: The Nuts and Bolts of a Sustainable Transit Agency
Perry Weinberg, manager, Environmental Affairs and environmental legal counsel, Sound Transit, Seattle, WA

Achieving King County's Vision of a Clean Energy, Climate Resilient Government
Jim Lopez, deputy chief of staff, office of King County Executive, Seattle, WA

Transit's Role in Addressing Climate Change:
European and Local Perspectives
Jim Boon, manager of fleet maintenance and fleet procurement, King County Metro Transit, Seattle, WA

Sounder Commuter Rail Trip ─ Seattle to Mukilteo

Sound Transit welcomes you to experience Sounder Commuter Rail for scenic views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains and insiders’ views of innovative marine and terrestrial ecosystem mitigation projects in this fragile and important coastline corridor; track and signal improvements; and capacity developments.  See the new Mukilteo (Muck’l-TEE-oh) Station, a multi-modal transit hub with Washington State Ferry and Community Transit service. Enjoy a dutch treat dinner and ride back to the hotel on an ST Express bus. 

Please sign-up for the tour by Sunday at noon in the APTA registration room at the host desk in the Marriott.  Buses depart the hotel for King Street Station at 3:45 p.m.  The Sounder leaves the station at 4:30.  At 7:30 p.m., the bus will depart Mukilteo for the return to the hotel, arriving about 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday July 22 – Transit Board Members

Today’s Presiding Officer: 

Gloria Leonard, secretary, APTA Transit Board Members Committee, and secretary of the board, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA

 Federal Surface Transportation Authorization

To advocate for public transportation as board members, you’ll need full information to speak for the industry with a unified voice.

With the federal surface transportation authorization law (SAFETEA-LU) expiring on September 30, 2009, plus a new Congress and new President, you’ll want to hear about the efforts of APTA’s Authorization Task Force to develop the industry’s recommendations.  With APTA’s Legislative Committee, the task force is crafting a strong, clear, and commanding set of recommendations for the next authorization bill.  This complex, important process aims to reach consensus among the industry modes and interests to speak in a unified voice.  How can board members help advance APTA’s recommen-dations as Congress considers the new authorization bill next year?

Facilitator and Speaker:   

      
Greg Evans, board member, Lane Transit District, Eugene, OR

Panelists:

Alan Wulkan, Co-Chair, Authorization Task Force, APTA and managing partner, InfraConsult LLC, Scottsdale, AZ

William W. Millar, president, APTA

Parliamentary Procedure*

Have you ever been at a meeting when a parliamentarian was needed?

When was the last time your board meeting seemed snagged on an element of procedure?  Bring your questions, examples, and memorable board meeting moments to this session that will highlight the basics of parliamentary procedure and address any of your more difficult moments.  Attend this session to learn more about making productive motions and strategic amendments.  Build your knowledge of Roberts Rules and the reasons for them, so that meetings become more productive and offer even more opportunities for open participation.    

Presenter:

Sarah E. Merkle, CPP, PRP, certified professional parliamentarian, professional registered parliamentarian, Greenville, SC

*Sessions and events at which board members and board support staff participate together.

Meetings that Move with Efficient Presiding Skills*

Conduct and support more productive meetings. 

Come learn how to move meetings faster with advanced parliamentary procedure.  Transform your meetings by learning how to better focus discussion, keep members on task, and make strategic motions.  Understand how others become even more effective as presiding officers by using parliamentary procedure as a key tool. 

Presenter:

Sarah E. Merkle, CPP, PRP

Lunch on Your Own

Mobile Workshops*

Sound Transit Link Light Rail Alignment

Take a guided tour of the Link Light Rail alignment from Downtown Seattle to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Along the way, Sound Transit staff will discuss the challenges of building a new transit right-of-way in Seattle’s diverse Rainier Valley, transit-oriented development, and environmental mitigation including an innovative rainwater dispersion system on the elevated guideway.

Transit-Oriented Development ─ The Village at Overlake Station

The Overlake Park-and-Ride TOD project in Redmond was the pilot transit-oriented development project in King County.  It combines moderate income rental housing, a day care facility, and a park-and-ride/transit center into a single integrated use.  The first apartments opened in 2001 and the park-and-ride opened in 2002.  Included is a brief tour of the Microsoft campus.

South Lake Union Streetcar Tour and
Walking Tour of the South Lake Union Development

Ride the new South Lake Union Streetcar, serving the rapidly developing corridor between South Lake Union and downtown Seattle.  See the streetcar maintenance facility and take an optional walking tour of the dramatic development in the South Lake Union neighborhood. Guides from King County Metro Transit and the City of Seattle Office of Planning and Development will describe the public private partnership that is transforming an industrial neighborhood into a sustainable urban center.

*Sessions and events at which board members and board support staff participate together.

Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and Link Light Rail Operations and Maintenance Facility

Join King County Metro and Sound Transit on a tour of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, retrofitted for joint bus-light rail operations beginning in 2009. The tour  includes the new state-of-the-art Link Light Rail Operations and Maintenance Facility and a bus ride through the 1.3-mile tunnel.

Please sign-up for your mobile workshop tour by Sunday at noon in the APTA registration room at the host desk in the Marriott.  Buses depart the hotel at 1:30 p.m.  Return to the hotel between 4 and 5 p.m.

Farewell Dinner*

You are invited to enjoy the company of old and new friends and their spouses and guests at dinner in the hotel.

Saturday July 19 – Board Support Staff

Registration

This is APTA:  Realizing the Full Potential of Membership*

Please refer to page 2 for the session description.

Welcoming Reception*

Mix and mingle at this lively welcoming reception that is sure to set the tone for a week of networking and learning. 

Sunday July 20 – Board Support Staff

Registration

 Opening General Session*

Public Transportation:  Wherever  Life Takes You …
Today and Tomorrow

Decision Traps*

 Managing Future Uncertainties*

Board Support Luncheon and Peer Information Exchange

Take your buffet lunch from the ballroom foyer into the Seaport Room for this lunch meeting when board support staff members offer insights, information about procedures, challenges, success stories, and questions for the group. 

APTA Chair & Presidents Roundtable*

Board Support Subcommittee Meeting

Chair, Gina Estrada

The board support subcommittee provides and exchanges information so members become more effective in supporting transit policy makers.  This subcommittee meets during this July workshop and the APTA Annual Meeting in the fall.  Today, the biennial election of committee officers will be held and you will receive a complimentary copy of the new Handbook for Board Support Staff.  Come hear about the Eno Transportation Foundation/ National Transit Institute/APTA curriculum development for transit board members and the related survey on that topic for board support staff. 

Dutch Treat Dinner for Board Support Staff

Monday July 21 – Board Support Staff

The Resilient Clerk: Working in the Wonderful World of Board Support

Acquire skills that are immediately applicable to your life and job. 

This highly interactive and enjoyable day-long training for board support staff members will help you become more effective in your role.  You will learn skills that will:

• help you manage your time and energy more effectively
• clarify your role in any work situation and maximize your value
• manage stress in a surprisingly effective manner
• work better under pressure
• deal more effectively with difficult people
• manage conflict in dramatically more productive ways

Trainer and Facilitator:
Dr. De Hicks, President, SCGI, Silverdale, WA

Lunch on Your Own

The Resilient Clerk:  Skills Applied

Learn to apply the lessons learned this morning in your current context.

Remembering situations you are part of during a given day, join Part II of this workshop to increase your effectiveness.

Trainer and Facilitator:

Dr. De Hicks

Sounder Commuter Rail Trip ─ Seattle to Mukilteo

Tuesday July 22– Board Support Staff

Information Exchange: Board Meeting Agenda Packets

Take home your examples of agenda packets from small, medium, and large transit systems.

How do other transit systems similar in size to yours organize agendas and materials for board meetings?  See and take away samples from other systems and discuss online agendas.

• Small Systems (100 or fewer buses)

Presenter:

Rhodetta Seward, vice chair, Board Support Subcommittee, APTA, and executive services director, Intercity Transit, Olympia, WA

• Medium Systems (101 – 500 buses)

Presenter:

Gina Estrada, chair, Board Support Subcommittee, APTA, and executive assistant/board liaison, Capital Metro Transportation Authority, Austin, TX

• Large (Over 500 buses) and Multimodal Systems

Presenter:

Nancy Johnson, director, board support, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Dallas, TX

Parliamentary Procedure*

Meetings that Move with Efficient Presiding Skills*

Lunch on Your Own

Mobile Workshops*

Please sign-up for your mobile workshop tour by Sunday at noon in the APTA registration room at the host desk.  Buses depart the hotel at 1:30 p.m.  Return to the hotel between 4 and 5 p.m.

Farewell Dinner*

You are invited to enjoy the company of old and new friends and their spouses and guests at dinner in the hotel.