The exhibition show floor provided a welcoming setting for the launch of Paul Comfort’s latest book, Conversations on Equity and Inclusion in Public Transportation.
The book features 20 top public transportation officials from across America and Australia discussing practical steps on how they are improving their services and providing more equity and inclusion both in their agencies and the communities they serve.
The launch event highlighted several of the book’s contributors including Alex Wiggins, CEO of New Orleans Regional Transit Authority; Terry White, general manager of King County Metro; David Kim, past Secretary of Transportation in California; Inez Evans, CEO of IndyGo; Freddie Fuller, vice president of Jacobs and past Chair of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials; Bridgette Beato, CEO of Lumenor Consulting; India Birdsong, general manager of Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority; Julie Timm, CEO of Sound Transit in Seattle and Bacarra Sanderson Mauldin, chief of staff of Memphis Area Transit Authority.
The transit leaders emphasized the importance of being intentional with equity and inclusion efforts with Terry White adding that “we try” is not good enough.
Bacarra Sanderson Mauldin concluded the presentation portion of the event by reading a portion of the book’s forward, which she contributed, “Diversity is a fact. Equity is a choice. Inclusion is an action. Belonging is an outcome.”
Additional contributors to the book include Veronica Vanterpool, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Federal Transit Administration; Brad Miller, CEO Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority in Clearwater, Fla.; Robbie Makinen, past CEO of KCATA; Natalie Loughborough, general manager of Metro Trains Melbourne; Adelee Le Grand, CEO of Hillsborough Area Regional Transit; Paul Toliver, APTA Hall of Fame; Noah Berger, CEO Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority; Rod Jones, Portfolio Leader of Modaxo; Norah Kamal of Proterra Bus; executives from the American Public Transportation Association and others.
The e-book is available for pre-order now on Amazon and the paperback version will be available Nov. 17, 2022.
