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From Bus Driver to Finance Manager – Jerry Garcia’s Drive to Succeed
Having moved from Mexico to Idaho as a teenager and later working in a handful of different roles at Mountain Rides in Blaine County, Idaho, Manager of Finance and Administration Jerry Garcia has embraced change and transition in his life. Read about how he has stayed motivated while cultivating a satisfying transit career in our…
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Elevating Insights – ATU Local 689 Executive Board Member and Former WMATA Elevator/Escalator Journeyworker Leah Anderson
Growing up in Washington D.C., Leah Anderson knew she wanted to be an electrical engineer when she first attended weekend and summer classes in electronics at the University of the District of Columbia. She pursued her love of electronics in trade school, and she started working at Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA, Washington, D.C.)…
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OT Orozco – Showcasing the Role of People With Disabilities in Transit
OT Orozco is so much a part of the fabric of MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA), where he has worked in its call center since 2011, that he has three titles: call center assistant manager, scheduler, and transportation coordinator. As is the case with so many others who have made transit a career, OT didn’t…
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Rich Diaz – Embracing the Power of Mentorship
Getting Started and Finding His Way As a college student, Rich Diaz was daunted by choosing a career path, overwhelmed by the endless options. When he decided to take his uncle’s advice to start working for Golden Gate Transit as a stepping stone, he didn’t realize he would be entering into a full-blown career that…
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TWC Releases BEB Familiarization Course
In its latest contribution to support the industry’s critical workforce transition, the Transit Workforce Center (TWC) has released its comprehensive Battery Electric Bus Familiarization Course, designed to equip transit workers with baseline knowledge of electric vehicle fundamentals, safety practices, and charging technologies. Transitioning from work with 12- and 24-volt electrical systems in traditional diesel and CNG…
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Dionna McCane – Mentoring With Heart
Wearing a dress in the same shade of green as the outfits of her Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1070 counterparts who have gathered at the new, gleaming IndyGo (Indianapolis) headquarters for its recent bus operator graduation, Dionna McCane exudes a palpable energy: bright, strong, and not to be ignored. Dionna’s deep understanding of a…
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Transit Apprenticeship Gaining Momentum
Over the last two years, the transit industry has made significant gains in establishing apprenticeship programs for frontline workers. As George Fields, General Manager for Human Resources at Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority notes, “Building out our apprenticeship programs helps us to answer the long-term training needs for the future of our workforce.” Adds Amalgamated…
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Gwendolen Gibson – A Rail Mechanic Leading the Way
Gwendolen Gibson on site at her SEPTA facility The first in a series of Transit Career Stories videos produced by TWC featuring frontline transit workers, this video provides a glimpse into the career of Gwendolen Gibson, a First-Class Rail Equipment Mechanic with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and a member of Transport Workers Union…
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Unbreakable Bond – An Apprentice Mechanic With the Drive to Succeed
With this inaugural blog post, Transit Workforce Center presents the first installment of Transit Career Stories, part of TWC’s in-progress national career awareness campaign. This series will feature workers describing what they do, their career pathways into and throughout the industry, and what makes their work interesting, exciting, and rewarding for each of them and the community.…