Mar 18, 2016
WASHINGTON, DC -- The American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF) Board of Directors has established the Valarie J. McCall Scholarship in honor of the 2015-2016 American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Chair, Valarie J. McCall, who is also a board member of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA).
At the APTA Legislative Conference here, the APTF Board of Directors thanked McCall, who served two two-year terms as a member of the APTF board, for her support of the foundation and her commitment to the future leaders of the public transportation industry.
“APTF is honored to create this named scholarship for Valarie McCall,” said APTF Chair Jennifer Mitchell, director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. “As chair of the APTA Board of Directors, she has focused on building collaboration in the transit industry, and she has long been a leader within the City of Cleveland. This APTF scholarship will recognize her contributions to APTA and to the entire transit industry for years to come.”
The Valarie J. McCall Scholarship will be awarded for the first time in 2016 to a deserving applicant who is pursuing studies in urban transportation planning or public administration with a focus on transportation.
“I am humbled to have an APTF scholarship named after me,” said McCall. “Developing the next generation of leaders is an issue that is extremely important. This scholarship will be awarded to public service-minded students who want to be transportation leaders.”
The scholarship, which totals $59,000, was made possible by 105 individual contributors.
“I want to thank everyone who contributed to this scholarship, including the APTA Business Member Board of Governors, the HNTB Corp., HDR Inc., the Solis Group, Legacy Resource Group and Olivier Incorporated,” said McCall. “All the sponsors of the scholarship should be commended for their generosity.”
Background
The mission of APTF is to retain and increase the number of individuals choosing a career in public transportation by providing scholarships and engagement opportunities to deserving students and transit professionals. Since its founding in 1988, APTF has awarded more than 250 scholarships totaling more than $800,000. The cumulative impact of nurturing a new generation of public transit professionals has been immeasurable. In 2015, 32 deserving recipients were awarded $110,000 in scholarships—the highest single-year amount in APTF history.
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a non-profit international association of 1,500 public and private sector organizations, engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and high-speed passenger rail. This includes: transit systems; planning, design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of transportation. APTA is the only association in North America that represents all modes of public transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services and products. More than 90 percent of the people using public transportation in the United States and Canada ride APTA member systems.
Media Contacts
Virginia Miller, APTA
202-496-4816
Linda Krecic, RTA
216-566-5211
216-390-9605, cell