New Orleans, LA – Today, the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) hosted a virtual Women’s History Month forum celebrating iconic women in transit. This forum featured Lona Hankins, Deputy CEO of Planning and Infrastructure at the RTA, Carolyn Flowers, Managing Principal and Partner at InfraStrategies, and Grace Crunican, Consultant, Crunican LLC., and Retired General Manager, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).   

As the RTA is focused on transit equity and delivering world class transit service, we know that this work begins at home.  The RTA is committed to building workforce that represents the diversity of New Orleans and our nation, including gender equity. Join us as our dynamic panel discusses the important role of women in the transit industry and the benefits of including women at the table in key leadership roles as we recover from COVID-19 and build equitable transit systems for the future. 

“Women’s History Month is the perfect time to celebrate women who have impacted the transit industry,” said Alex Wiggins, RTA CEO. “Both Grace Crunican and Carolyn Flowers are personal mentors, and I am pleased that they have agreed to share their time with the RTA staff and partner agencies about their personal experience in the transit industry and the importance of women in transit leadership”.  

The panelists focused on the diverse routes of their respective fields and discussed the future of transit across the country. The future of transit organizations will be as varied as the communities served, ensuring that women have a valued voice at the table is essential for the survival of the industry as a whole.  

"It is important that as we rebuild and progress in transit an intense focus on equity remains paramount," said Lona Hankins, RTA Deputy CEO of Infrastructure and Planning. " As an agency and nation, we must strive to include all marginalized voices in every conversation to ensure that the future of transit includes input from every stakeholder in order to enhance the transit experience and the community as a whole." 

"From the beginning, articulating your values is important as a leader, said Grace Crunican, Consultant, Crunican LLC., and Retired General Manager, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). “Treating people fairly through building programs and policies that advance communities provides avenues that produces the best talents and organizations.”  

“Women are continuing to evolve in leadership roles and prominence in STEM and Transportation,” said Carolyn Flowers, Managing Principal and Partner, InfraStrategies. “Today we are spotlighting and celebrating the accomplishments of women. We are affirming the significance of ‘her-story’ in shaping the course of the future.”