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    1. Management

    Editor's Notebook: 2022 40 Under 40 Honorees Bring New Momentum to the Industry

    Aug. 23, 2022
    The magazine’s 14th iteration of this signature recognition program spotlights the individuals pushing the transit industry to new levels.
    Adobe Stock/477985382
    Adobe Stock 477985382

    Welcome to our 14th annual 40 Under 40 issue. Since 2008, Mass Transit has compiled a list of emerging leaders within the transit industry to showcase the drive, ambition, entrepreneurship and can-do attitudes of individuals who will be tasked with carrying the industry forward.

    This year brought a record number of nominations, and the result is a group of professionals who represent the breadth of specialties required to keep transit a competitive and innovative industry. The Class of 2022 includes mechanics, operators, engineers, data specialists, planning and policy experts, safety professionals and transit-oriented development experts.

    Close to 70 percent represent public entities from a mix of large, medium, small and tribal networks; 45 percent of honorees are women and the average number of years working in transit is around nine. Approximately half have earned professional, graduate or doctoral degrees or professional certifications.

    Several honorees are pushing the envelope on best practices by piloting new and more reliable ways to integrate services, spearheading new service options and figuring out how to better engage with both their communities and colleagues.

    Beyond their professional development, honorees are involved in dozens of mobility-centric and urban planning associations with various aims and non-profits – some not attached to transit specifically – but all with missions that encourage the advancement of various groups of people. Mentorship is also a focus of this group with many involved in at-work or industry programs.

    Outside of work, you’ll find this group to be comprised of musicians, cooks and bakers, two former D1 football players, parents, an Eagle Scout and several world travelers.

    All are positive change agents within their individual organizations and the transit industry. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading about this year’s class as much as our team enjoyed getting to share their stories. Please visit the 40 Under 40 page on our website, masstransitmag.com/40-under-40; where you’ll find additional facts about their work, deeper first-person viewpoints and more information about their accomplishments.

    A full list of 2022 40 Under 40 honorees is available at www.masstransitmag.com/40-under40. 

    About the Author

    Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

    Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

    Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content. 

    She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

    She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.

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