Latinos in Transit takes first place in APTA AdWheel award for Workforce Development Marketing Campaign
Latinos in Transit (LIT) has been named first place winner in the 2026 American Public Transportation Association (APTA) AdWheel Awards for Best Marketing and Communications Workforce Development Initiative, Comprehensive Campaign, Business Member.
The AdWheel Awards recognize excellence in marketing, communications and customer experience efforts across the public transportation industry.
LIT was honored in person at the 2026 APTA Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience (MCX) Workshop in Savannah, Ga. The award was accepted by LIT Vice President of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Marketing and Communications Committee Megan Perrero.
Grand Award winners will later be selected from among the first-place recipients and will be recognized at APTA TRANSform & EXPO in Chicago, Oct. 4–7, 2026.
Award-winning campaign
LIT says its winning campaign, “Ignite. Empower. Evolve. The Latinos in Transit Rebrand Shaping the Future of Workforce Development”, targeted emerging and mid-level professionals across the U.S. transit and mobility industry—individuals entering or advancing in their careers who sought mentorship, leadership training and affordable workforce development opportunities.
Designed to be young, energetic and vibrant, the organization notes that the rebrand captured the optimism of the next generation of transit leaders. To do so, LIT says it used modern visuals, bold messaging and accessible programming, positioning itself as the national incubator for workforce development.
“This recognition is a powerful milestone for LIT,” said LIT Executive Director Christina Villarreal. “Our rebrand was more than a new look—it was a declaration of who we have become as a national workforce development leader. We are igniting opportunity, empowering professionals at every career stage and evolving the future of public transportation leadership.”
After a decade of rapid growth, LIT says it faced a pivotal moment as it had expanded beyond advocacy for Latino professionals into a national leader in workforce development, yet its brand no longer reflected its broader mission. To communicate the expanded innovation, connection and accessibility to the entire transit industry, LIT launched an identity transformation in an attempt to capture its evolution.
LIT says the objective of the rebrand campaign was to reposition the organization as a dynamic, national workforce development incubator for the entire mobility sector. The organization notes that the campaign aimed to modernize its image, expand awareness beyond its traditional audience and attract emerging and mid-level professionals seeking mentorship, leadership training and career advancement.
Through what it calls an energetic and accessible brand identity, LIT says it sought to ignite professional growth, strengthen industry partnerships and unify all workforce development programs under one message: when LIT ignites, change begins.
Campaign leadership
The award-winning rebrand was developed under the direction of Villarreal, in collaboration with the LIT Marketing and Communications Committee, chaired by Perrero (Mass Transit magazine). Committee members include Jose Hernandez (Metrolink), Jose Feliciano (Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority), Oscar Gomez (El Metro Transit System), Dietter Aragon (Omnitrans) and Rosa Medina-Cristobal (Dallas Area Rapid Transit). LIT says the campaign was further strengthened through private consulting services from the marketing firm Vega & Jaramillo, which provided market analysis, research and strategic brand guidance.
“To undergo a successful comprehensive rebrand at this scale in such a short amount of time is a testament to the passion and energy we all share in furthering LIT’s mission,” Perrero said. “Our committee dedicated countless hours to create something that honors our legacy while positioning us for growth and solidifying our role in serving the public transit industry. Thank you to everyone who helped see this campaign through and thank you to the selection committee for recognizing the work that went into it.”