Class of 2013 - The 16th Leadership APTA Class
Leadership APTA is the American Public Transportation Association’s premier professional development program designed to develop and support the next generation of APTA leaders and the public transportation industry.
Leadership APTA is committed to identifying and selecting a diverse, broad-based group of industry professionals from among our members for this highly recognized leadership program. Leadership APTA is the path to preparing yourself to join the next generation of APTA and public transportation industry leaders.
Each year, the Leadership APTA Committee selects 25 individuals from among APTA member applicants to participate in a year-long program that includes skill-building workshops, conferences, executive roundtables, class leadership projects, teleconferences, online meetings, and web-based events.
Preparing Tomorrow's Leaders Today
For APTA and the Public Transportation Industry
A letter from the committee chair
The Leadership APTA Committee and APTA staff members are responsive to the changing industry needs for the professional development of our future leaders. Over the past few years we significantly enhanced the Leadership APTA program. We re-tooled and re-engineered the curricula and its offerings. We added highly regarded industry leaders and prestigious university professors to our faculty. We refined the scope and purpose of the class leadership projects. We provided formal speaking opportunities for class members to share with the class their own leadership challenges in their home organizations. We increased the number of agency site visits and executive leadership roundtable sessions.
In addition, we provided expanded opportunities to showcase class members and their projects at the APTA Annual Meetings, modal conferences, and APTA industry workshops and sessions throughout North America. Continuing a new tradition, our most recent Class of 2012 graduates were given a prime-time opportunity to deliver highlights of their leadership projects during their high-profile Leadership APTA graduation program held this past fall in New Orleans in conjunction with the 2011 APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO.
Leadership APTA is very proud of our graduates. Several graduates have risen to top executive positions in the industry. Several serve as members of the APTA Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, and one recently was named president and chief executive officer of APTA – Michael P. Melaniphy.
The Leadership APTA Committee is encouraged that despite a tough economy, the number of applications has remained high. And as such, the application process has become more and more competitive as the Committee selects a 25-member class representing the richness and diversity of our industry.
- John M. Lewis, Jr., chair, Leadership APTA Committee
Program Highlights
Eligibility Requirements
Only employees of organizations that are APTA members are eligible to apply.
Target Audience
Class of 2010 members Inez Colon, Port Authority of Allegheny County, and Jaime Becerra, Foothill Transit, in a workshop session. Each class benefits from highly customized intensive workshops in presentation and communication skills, media relations, labor relations, business ethics, negotiations, diversity, career development, and much more.
Candidates can be assistant general managers working for public transit services providers, middle management personnel aspiring to executive leadership positions, and other individuals with strong leadership potential working for public transportation systems, private sector businesses supplying goods or services to the public transit industry, or other organizations related to the industry.
The Leadership APTA Committee strongly recommends that individual organizations submit only one candidate as an applicant for the Leadership APTA Class of 2013.
What To Expect
-
Highly recommended attendance and full participation in 2012 APTA Annual Meeting that precedes the program year including Leadership APTA orientation program and customized workshops for incoming class members; participation in committee meetings, conference sessions, and class member introduction during Class of 2011 graduation program.
-
Required attendance and participation in multi-day workshop sessions in December 2012, March 2013, and July 2013.
-
Required attendance and full participation at the 2013 APTA Legislative Conference.
-
Required attendance at the 2013 APTA Annual Meeting to present class team leadership projects at committee meetings, conference sessions, and Leadership APTA graduation program.
-
Full and active participation in class workshops, activities, assignments, presentations, leadership team projects, teleconference and online activities, and other related program events.
Class of 2011 member Raymond Robinson, Charlotte Area Transit System, at one of the many Leadership APTA workshops held throughout the year.
Additional Benefits
Members of the Leadership APTA Class of 2013 receive complementary registrations to attend the 2013 Bus & Paratransit Conference and the 2013 Rail Conference. (Note: No formal Leadership APTA workshop sessions are held at either of these conferences).
Sponsorships
Leadership APTA participants are sponsored by the public transportation system or organization where they are employed. An organization’s sponsoring a candidate, providing the monetary resources, and allowing the time necessary for candidates to participate in the related events and activities are critical to the success of Leadership APTA.
Program Costs
Program tuition for the Class of 2013 is being reviewed and will be announced shortly. Tuition includes Leadership APTA workshop sessions, related workshop books & materials, and some meals. Fee also includes registrations for the 2012 Annual Meeting, 2013 APTA Legislative Conference, and the 2013 APTA Annual Meeting.
Agencies and organizations sponsoring participants are responsible for the tuition; travel costs to and from the Leadership APTA sessions and workshops, Legislative Conference, and Annual Meetings; hotel expenses; some meals; and related miscellaneous expenses.
Sponsoring Organization Commitment
Members of the Class of 2011 proudly display an EXPO 2011 Rally Towel while posing in front of the White House during the APTA 2011 Legislative Conference.
General managers, presidents, CEOs sponsoring candidates recognize that sending participants to Leadership APTA is extremely valuable to their organizations. Since the first Leadership APTA Class of 1998, public transit leaders have watched their investments in this program return great dividends.
The executive leadership of sponsoring organizations understand that their commitment and support means allowing their Leadership APTA participant to attend the required workshops and conferences:
- December 2012 workshop session;
- 2013 APTA Legislative Conference and class workshop session;
- July 2013 workshop session; and
- 2013 APTA Annual Meeting that honors the graduating class and features them at committee meetings, conference sessions, and their graduation program to present their leadership projects.
The Leadership APTA Committee highly recommends that incoming class members attend the APTA 2012 Annual Meeting, including related class workshops and orientation programs.
These executive leaders recognize that their Leadership APTA participants will spend time over the year, from about March to September, working on their projects and will participate in related conference calls, online meetings, and web-based events. Upon graduation, Class of 2013 members will also serve as program coaches and mentors to the incoming Class of 2014.
One of the goals of Leadership APTA is to develop future leaders of APTA. APTA strongly recommends that each sponsoring organization actively support at least one additional year of APTA committee involvement from its Leadership APTA participant after he/she graduates from the program.
In addition, APTA supports general managers and CEOs in leveraging their Leadership APTA participants as valued resources within their respective organizations.