By Kaitlyn (Kenan) Zhang, USC MPP 2017

On Wednesday, April 20th, METRANS and Young Professionals in Transportation – Los Angeles welcomed three experienced professionals working in the transportation industry to discuss hiring processes in different transportation sectors- public, private, and nonprofit. The event was moderated by Ryan Johnson, Senior Planner at Alta Planning + Design. Panelists included Jessica Meaney, Managing Director and Founder of Investing in Place; Greg Maher, Principal and Los Angeles Manager for Alta Planning + Design; and Tham Nguyen, Transportation Planning Manager for Countywide Planning & Development at Metro. This panel discussion was part of the Spring 2016 METRANS Practitioner Speaker Series,  which brings practitioners to campus to add practical knowledge to the students’ academic training.

Both students and professionals attended the event. Speakers shared their stories of how they found their first job and why they chose to work in the field of transportation.

These resonated with students, who were especially fascinated with the hiring process happening behind the scenes, and how the process varies for jobs in private, governmental or non-profit sectors.

Speakers also shared some tips and suggestions as to how to keep up with events and trends in transportation. They advised students on how to prepare for interviews and how to make the most of their personal strengths. Nguyen emphasized the need for planners to have strong interpersonal skills, as they will need to cooperate with different departments and deliberate between different contractors. Maher weighed in on how to find one’s passion in the workplace. Meaney emphasized the importance of taking risks when making career-changing decisions.

Noel Castellanos, an engineer at Metro, commented, “This should be very helpful to students. They can get a clearer idea of the expectations of employers in different sectors. Also, the story of Greg [Maher] hiring a person that did not fit the skill set they were looking for, but showed the real passion of active transportation, also set a good example of how hiring managers make decisions.”

Vy Phan-Hoang, former METRANS Student of the Year and Transit Planner at Foothill Transit, noted that “Working at a public agency, I could relate to a non-profit like Investing in Place, understanding what they are looking for. It is nice to know what kind of talent is recruited for private companies and non-profits. This will help me to understand the mindset of my working partners from those sectors.”

Panelist Greg Maher is a Principal and the Los Angeles Office Manager at Alta Planning + Design. Greg desires to work in a stimulating and creative environment on urban planning and design issues that involve equity and opportunities for multi-modal transportation. He has a strong connection to making Los Angeles a more integrated and sustainable city through the application of complete street methods and community involvement and believes in small-scale neighborhood empowerment to advocate for those changes and that we can live the change we want to see. Greg is the leader of the Los Angeles design team and working as a project manager on a variety of design and planning projects, duties include developing, designing and implementing Complete Streets, Streetscapes, Greenways, Trails, and Master Plans.

Panelist Jessica Meaney is the Managing Director and Founder of the non-profit Investing in Place. She is a committed transportation advocate who has been living car-free in Los Angeles for close to 17 years. Academically trained as a sociologist, Jessica’s approach to transportation policy began with looking at the key roles public transit, walking, and bicycling play in social cohesion and community health. Jessica’s policy approach has focused on using transportation finance research and advocacy efforts to achieve those outcomes. Investing in Place advocates for social equity and public health in transportation policies and public investments in Los Angeles County.

Panelist Tham Nguyen is the Transportation Planning Manager for Countywide Planning & Development at Metro. Tham will discuss how the Countywide Sustainability Planning Program provides leadership for the implementation of a regional transportation system that supports mobility, a cleaner environment and a thriving economy. The program seeks to achieve the greatest possible community and environmental benefits from Metro's various projects and services. The program is guided by the overarching principles of partnership & collaboration, lifestyle, and community.

Writer Kaitlyn (Kenan) Zhang  is a first year MPP student at Sol Price School of Public Policy. Her interest is in transportation policy and planning, urban development and public economics. She is also working towards a certificate in Transportation Systems from the Viterbi School of Engineering.