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Table Of Contents
Message from the
Chairman
What a Difference Two Years Make
By Allan C. Wulkan, Parsons Brinckerhoff
It is difficult to believe my two year term as chairman of
your Business Member Board of Governors (BMBG) will be over
following the APTA Annual Meeting and International Exposition
in Las Vegas, During the past two years, your board and I have
tried to make a positive difference for business members in
the transit industry. Following are some of the many
accomplishments and activities we have under-taken. Hopefully,
some of the activities listed below have made some difference
for the industry and your business.
Legislative Advocacy
Supporting the transit industry in its effort to increase
federal, state and local funding has been one of the most
important BMBG activities. With the leadership of Sharon
Greene, our Legislative Committee chair, the BMBG funded two
reports by Paul Weyrich that provided a Conservative political
case in support of public transit. In addition, we funded a
monthly retainer for Paul and his team to provide local
election support for communities holding funding initiatives I
believe it is no coincidence that the industry has seen a
dramatic mm around in recent years, winning more transit
elections than losing, by a substantial number.
The number of APTA business members attending and
participating in the APTA Legislative Conference dramatically
increased over the past two years. In 2002 for the first time,
we organized Hill visits for business members to lobby on
behalf of the industry. Armed with a new product, "Transit
Means Business," also funded by the BMBG, congressmen could
see the economic impact transit investment makes in their
congressional districts.
Member Communication
Business in Motion is the first newsletter designed
to increase the flow of information between the BMG and the
industry. Kim Green and Frank Di Giacomo, along with others on
our Outreach Committee, have done an outstanding job raising
the industry's awareness of what business members are doing to
support 0 activities in the industry.
Last March, the BMBG conducted the first-ever
Transportation Business Seminar in conjunction with the APTA
Legislative Conference. More than 125 people attended a
day-long seminar explaining the many challenges facing our
business members. The BMBG Meetings Committee, chaired by Rich
Clair, along with Larry Miller, Reba Malone and Jerry Premo,
did an outstanding job of creating on of the most interesting
and programs I have seen in my30 years in transit.
(PT)2
In June business members exceeded the $10 million
contribution goal for (PT)2, APTA's Public Transportation
Partnership for Tomorrow advocacy campaign. The BMBG took a
leadership role in the design and fundraising for this
critical program. Stephanie Pinson, Dave Turney and others on
the board served in the business member cabinet chaired by
Gary Griggs of Parsons Brinckerhoff and John Dionisio from
DMJM+Harris.Their efforts will pay dividends for all of
transit for years to come.
Procurement
No single issue directly impacts all business members more
than the procurement rules used to acquire the goods and
services in our industry. The BMBG Procurement Committee,
under the leadership of Annemarie Chenoweth and Bob
Brownstein, has made great progress in working with FTA and
Administrator Jenna Dorn in this area. The FTA recently
published changes to federal rules which dramatically improve
the procurement environment. We have established an excellent
working relationship with the FTA and more positive change is
on the way.
International Opportunities
Dave Turney and the BMBG International Committee have
worked with the FTA to create exciting international
opportunities for our members. Organizing trade missions to
Europe, Asia and Mexico, this committee pioneered the concept
that APTA can help open doors around the world for business
opportunities. Last year I had the opportunity to participate
in the first APTA international study tour attended by both
public sector general managers and transit business members.
Joint study missions are now held each year by APTA.
Business Member Participation
Finally, what I may be most proud of over the past two
years is the role business members now play throughout all
APTA activities. Business members represent more than 60% of
APTA membership. We support and participate in every APTA
committee, conference and activity. We have more business
members attending APTA conferences and activities and directly
participating in the business of APTA than ever before. The
upcoming EXPO in Las Vegas will be the largest display of
transit products and services ever held in the world and could
not happen without the industry's business members.
The BMBG liaison Committee, chaired by Brigid Hynes-Cherin,
is working hard to insure that business members are integrated
into APTA. It is also encouraging business members active in
APTA to seek seats on the APTA Executive Committee so the
policy groups of APTA better reflect the organization's
membership.
If it sounds like I am proud of what has been accomplished
over the past two years, it is because I am. We have had great
support from the APTA staff, including Fran Hooper, Bill
Millar, Ingrid Tomasek and Tony Kouneski. It is also clear
that none of this could have been possible without a great
Business Member Board of Governors, committee chairs and the
leadership of Stephanie Pinson, past chair, and Bill Lochte
and Kim Green, our vice chairs.
It has been great. Thank you everyone for the opportunity
to serve you.
APTA Reauthorization Task Force Nears Final
Recommendations to Board
By Cliff Henke, North American Bus Industries
Culminating a multi-year effort, the APTA Reauthorization
Task Force is planning to tender to the Board of Directors its
package of final recommendations hammered out in its meeting
in New York in August. If adopted at the APTA Annual Meeting
in Las Vegas, they will become the association's positions
with respect to reauthorization of the federal public
transportation assistance program.
For APTA's business members, these proposals will, among
other things, mean a doubling of the marketplace for public
transportation equipment and services. The task force has
recommended that the federal program grow to more than $14
billion for Fiscal Year2009, up from the $7.2 billion proposed
by the Bush Administration in FY 2003. That is consistent with
the guaranteed funding under the last year of the current
authorization legislation, the Transportation Equity Act for
the 21st Century(TEA 21).
In addition, the task force pro-poses that the funding
guarantees contained in TEA 21 be continued. These so-called
"funding firewalls," which by law protect most of the annual
authorized funding amounts from the threat of budget cuts,
have been instrumental in ensuring that the program grows
predictably each year. This predictability has been especially
important to many business members planning new product
development and other risky strategic decisions based on
future market demand.
All this will come about, that is, if APTA's positions are
enacted by Congress and signed into law by the President. It
is, of course, the overarching reason why business member
input has already been active - and why it is even more
important that supply-side members get involved in the
legislative advocacy process to see that such a prospect
become reality.
Beyond the growth in the federal program that both
suppliers and operating agencies seek, however, there are
other important aspects of the reauthorization recommendations
that business members should know. For example, the task force
proposed that the five-year limitation on rail and bus rolling
stock procurements be lifted to reflect a recent change made
for other types of contracts.
Another action was that bus rapid transit must include
exclusive right-of-way or other fixed-guideway design. Task
force members thus stayed away from defining vehicle
characteristics that might have foreclosed certain designs
from funding using New Starts assistance.
While the Task Force recommendations represent a consensus
after lengthy deliberation, these positions are not cast in
stone. Business members are invited to give input to their
colleagues who sit on either the Business Member Board of
Governors or APTA Board of Directors prior to final adoption
of these policies.
Final adoption only ends the beginning of the
reauthorization campaign. The real work begins in selling
these ideas to our legislative representatives next year, when
the Congress is expected to take up TEA21 renewal. As Senator
Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) so eloquently urged at the APTA Rapid
Transit Conference in June, if you haven't become involved in
the reauthorization effort yet, there is no better time than
now to do so.
Getting a Good Understanding of Buy
America
By Fran Hooper, APTA
Meetings with the Federal Transit Administrator and Dear
Colleague letters have helped to solidify the Federal Transit
Administration's (FTA) Commitment to Buy America.
Bill Lochte, first vice chair of the Business Member Board
of Governors, and Annemarie Chenoweth, chair of the business
member's procurement committee, recently met with FV
Administrator Jenna Dorn to discuss the FTA's Buy America
program. APTA President Bill Millar and Scott Culbertson
joined them in expressing the industry's support for the
program and the need for the FTA to enforce the program.
The meeting took place following a March 13 letter that
Millar sent to the Administrator "urging the FTA to make
special efforts to assure that the federal Buy America program
is appropriately understood and fully enforced." The letter
noted that "the supply side of our industry is financially
strapped and too weak to fight subsidized foreign competition.
U.S. workers an(the U.S. economy are suffering as a
result."
Following the recent meeting, Dom and the FTA staff took
two actions related to the program. First, on June 10, the
Administrator released a new Dear Colleague Letter emphasizing
the administration's intent to vigorously enforce Buy America
requirements. She notes in the letter that the program was
established to insure that "federal tax dollars are used to
purchase domestically produced products." The full text of the
letter can be found at http://www.fta.dot.gov/office/public/2002/cO9O2.html.
A second action that the FTA initiated following the
meeting was to solicit private sector comments when they
consider Buy America waiver requests. Two such requests have
been made in the last month which APTA transmitted to its
private sector members. FTA posts waive:requests and its
letters of interpretation on the FTA Website at http://www.fta.dot.gov/library/legal/buyamer/inltrs/batoc.html.
Additional information on Buy America can be obtained from
Meghan G. Ludtke in the FTA's Office of Chief Counsel at BuyAmerica@fta.dot.gov.
Las Vegas is a Must for DBES
By Pam Boswell, APTA
The first EXPO of the new millennium in Las Vegas features
a host of programs, events and activities designed especially
for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).
As part of APTA's Mainstreaming Diversity Task Force's
recommendations approved by APTA's Board of Directors in 2001,
the programmatic responsibilities of the former Minority
Affairs Committee for DBE-sponsored programs during EXPO has
been integrated into the work program of APTA's Procurement
and Materials Management (PMMC) Committee.
One of the main goals of APTA's 2002 Diversity Plan is to
increase the number of minority and female-owned businesses,
including DBE firms, at EXPO '02. In Las Vegas, 52 DBE firms,
spanning 10,400 square feet, will be participating in the
EXPO.
APTA's PMMC, led by Chairman Paul Como, is coordinating a
series of events and activities with the annual meeting host,
the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern
Nevada/Citizens Area Transit, and a steering committee
comprised of transit operators, manufacturers, suppliers,
consultants and contractors.
On Sunday, September 22, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., you
are invited to join APTA officials and representatives from
governmental agencies for DBE USA!, a networking session and
forum for DBEs to find out about DBE programs and procurement
opportunities in every region of the country. Transit
operators will have an opportunity to showcase their
respective outreach programs and certification processes.
From Monday, September 23, to Wednesday, September 25,
visit APTA's DBE Headquarters(Booth #350) at the EXPO to
obtain the latest information on procurement opportunities and
"what's hot" in the world of DBES.
On Tuesday, September 23, from 10:15a.m. to 11:45 a.m.,
APTA's PMMC is sponsoring a session tided "Effective Models
for Building Strategic Business Alliances," in Room N-227-230
of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The session, designed for
DBEs and major contractors, will provide a firsthand view on
the merits of establishing strategic partnerships between
large and small businesses to perform in transit industry
contracts, as well as the benefits.
The session will feature Paul Como, vice president of
procurement at the Houston Metro; Patricia A. Biedar,
president/CEO of Priority Manufacturing Inc.; Robert Dezzi,
regional manager for the Northeast region of Wabtec Corp.,
WABCO Transit Division; and Robert Nixon, DBE & Buy
America coordinator for ALSTOM Transportation Inc. From each
panelist's perspective, the audience will be able to envision
workable models with essential elements required to develop
proactive, on-going business relationships with win-win
solutions.
Your New BMBG
Here is the new leadership team for APTA's Business Members
Board of Governors.
Chair: William D. Lochte, senior advisor to the president,
Bombardier Transportation
First Vice Chair: Kim R. Green, vice president, sales &
marketing, GFI GENFARE
Second Vice Chair: Delon Hampton, chairman, Delon Hampton
and Associates
Past Chair: Alan C. Wulkan, sr. vice president, Parsons
Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas
Newly Elected Members of the BMBG:
Linda Bohlinger, HNTB Corporation
Raul Bravo, Raul V. Bravo + Associates Inc.
Don Nelson, Washington Group Jim Ray, LUMINATOR
John Satterfield, Cubic Transportation Systems Inc.
Jim Srygley, S&A Systems Inc.
Franny Yuhas, Orbital TMS
BMBG Members re-elected to a new two-year term:
Pat Biedar, Priority Manufacturing
Rich Clair, First Transit lnc.
Frank Di Giacomo, METRO Magazine
Larry Miller, Gannett Fleming Inc.
Jerry Premol DMJM+HARRIS
Jean-Pierre Ruiz, TALGO
Continuing BMBG Members
John Andrews, Motor Coach Industries
Annemarie Chenoweth, NEOPLAN USA Corp.
Nuria Fernandez; Earth Tech
Sharon Greene@ Sharon Greene and Associates
Brigid Hynes-Cherin; Parsons Transportation Group Inc.
Reba Malone, Reba Malone and Associates
Brian McMurray, Daytech Manufacturing Ltd.
Jolene Molitoris, GeoFocus LLC
Chuck Wochele ALSTOM Transportation Inc.
Past Chairs of the BMBG that serve on the BMBG:
Bernard J. Ford, McDonough Associates Inc.
Robert L. Graham, EPRI
Del D. Komejan, O'Straint
Brian Macleod, GILLIG Corp.
Stephanie Pinson, Gilbert Tweed Associates
Claude G. Robinson, Robinson & Associates
David L. Turney, RTI Inc,-, a DRI Co.
Nominations to the 25-rnember Business Member Board of
Governors are invited every year in the spring. The slate of
nominees is presented to APTA's business members in a meeting
that will be held in June 2003 at the APTA Rail
Conference.
For more information about serving on the BMBG, contact
Fran Hooper at fhooper@apta,com or 202-496-4876.
A Look at APTA's Mentoring
Program
By Helene Brett, APTA
PTA's Mentoring Program was developed last year and
implemented Jan. 1, 2002, by the Member Services Committee
under the leadership of Committee Chairman Dennis Louwerse,
executive director/CEO of Berks Area Reading Transportation
Authority in Reading, Pa.
The program is designed to establish good member-to-member
communication about the programs and services available to all
members. Peer-to-peer contact is a powerful way to share
information, establish broad business networks and to help
ensure member satisfaction that will lead to strong membership
retention. This mentoring pro-gram fits in well with daily
business activities and offers opportunities to network and
facilitate membership retention.
The Member Services Committee split into two teams to focus
on two major membership areas - transit and business. Rollo
Axton, CEO of the Greater Richmond (Va.) Transit Co. leads the
transit team effort while Jim Srygley, CEO of S&A Systems
Inc. in Rockwall, Texas, leads the business team.
In addition to the committee members who serve as mentors,
the program recruits volunteer mentors from the APTA
membership. All committee and subcommittee chairs are invited
to support and facilitate the program by seeking volunteers
from their respective committees to participate.
Two programs were developed. The resource materials for
each program, although similar, are tailored to emphasize
those services and programs of greatest interest to the
membership group being targeted - either the transit or
business. Both mentoring programs include: a mission
statement; outcomes and indicators for the program; insider
information and peer tips; key products and services; and
mentor assignment and response forms.
APTA membership staff supporting the Member Services
Committee handle new member assignments, data collection,
dissemination and reporting. The transit and business
mentoring teams are encouraged to conference via telephone to
discuss the program and to provide input for program changes
as may be necessary. Volunteer mentors may be assigned up to
three new member organizations.
Whenever possible, mentors are matched with recent members
in the same region who may share other common elements
(similar business, firm size, etc.).This program is aimed at
developing long-term contact over the course of the
weeks/months to come. A primary goal is that new members will
feel comfortable getting in touch with volunteer mentors
whenever they need to connect with an industry expert.
As of July 10, the Member Services Committee, with 28
members, agreed to reach out to 81 recent members and 18
volunteer mentors have agreed to participate by mentoring
another 41, for a total of 122 new members.
To be a volunteer mentor, contact the APTA Membership
Department at (202) 496-4837/4822 or by e-mail at hbrett@apta.com or slebeau@apta.com.
Staff Advisor Is More Than Supervising
Meetings
By Fran Hooper, APTA
Business in Motion's edi-r Kim Green said, "Write an
article about what you do for business members," it was just
part of my job. As staff advisor to APTA's Business Member
Board of Governors (BMBG) I'm responsible for supporting their
activities, including the newsletter.
As we all learn early in our careers, the important parts
of a job are often "other duties as assigned." There are days
that means anything from taking pictures and finding extra
chairs at a meeting, to writing an article for Passenger
Transport about business issues or drafting a letter to the
FTA Administrator, to finding a business member who would be a
good speaker about bus route planning.
My primary focus is assisting the BMBG's officers and
committee chairs in developing a successful business member
agenda for APTA. I bring knowledge of APTA's organization,
procedures and resources that are used to develop activities
and identify issues that support our private sector members,
and enhance business opportunities for them.
A critical component of my job is communications: answering
questions about APTA programs and services or figuring out how
to solve a member's problem, letting people know when meetings
will take place and putting the meeting materials together and
promoting what APTA's business members are doing. That means I
send out a lot of e-mail, write a lot of memos, speeches and
letters and am always on the phone.
Member service is fundamentally customer service. My goal
is to have the APTA business members walk out of the room
saying, "Gee, that was a good meeting," feeling that they got
a lot accomplished, picked up some good ideas or made a great
new contact. And, with APTA's more than700 business members,
that means that I have lots of customers.
Every APTA committee has an APTA staff member that supports
its activities and is up-to-date on the committee's subject
matter. These are the people that you can call to join a
committee or to find out what APTA is doing in such areas as
fare collection or bus technology issues, pending legislation,
or training. They are also the people that plan APTA's
seminars and conferences -- the people that are always
interested in hearing about topics that can be developed into
provocative program sessions and great speakers that keep the
audience on the edge of their seat.
APTA staff member committee assignments are identified in
the APTA directory and on the APTA
Committees webpage.
As the activities of APTA's business members have increased
in the last few years, my job has gotten much more
interesting. I am frequently looking for business members who
are interested in meeting international transit officials or
want to participate in a trade mission. And I am often asked
to suggest business members who would like to serve on a
special task force or represent APTA's business members at a
special industry meeting or seminar. Now I am responsible for
organizing an annual seminar about transportation business
issues. The bottom line on the staff advisor's job is that
when you have a question about APTA, just call any of APTA's
staff advisors, and we'll be glad to help you
out.
