On January 23rd, the New York Chapter of the Young Professionals in Transportation hosted the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation as part of our series of leadership events. Commissioner James P. Redeker led an intimate discussion for an audience of about thirty young transportation professionals about what lies ahead for Connecticut’s transportation system. He offered advice as well as his lessons learned to those seeking to advance in the industry.
Commissioner Redeker, who was appointed Commissioner by Governor Daniel P. Malloy in 2011, began his career at the New Jersey Department of Transportation and spoke fondly of his early experiences helping to create New Jersey Transit – a system that is now the third largest transit network in the country. YPT-NYC members heard about the challenges of transportation planning in an environment with ever changing leadership, growing capital investment needs, complex jurisdictional issues, and increasing service demands. Additionally, as a department head facing the difficulties of maintaining a highly trained workforce in the face of high attrition rates, Commissioner Redeker spoke of available opportunities for those starting out in their careers. He also noted ongoing efforts to update and streamline the state’s current hiring processes in order to make it easier for the DOT to attract and hire talented workers.
Commissioner Redeker wants to bring new ideas to develop a comprehensive vision for Connecticut’s transportation and encouraged attendees to reach out to him directly if they were interested in lending a hand. “It was inspiring to hear a leader speak so passionately about the nature of transportation and his vision for the future,” said one YPT-NYC member in attendance.
Thanks to Julia Kerson for summarizing this event. YPT-NYC hopes to continue providing members with the opportunity to engage the region’s transportation leaders. Visit www.yptnyc.org to learn about future events.
Julia Kerson is a Project Manager at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, where she is responsible for managing the federal environmental review process for the Bayonne Bridge Navigational Clearance Program. Julia serves as the Treasurer of the YPT New York City Chapter.