Former NTSB Chairwoman Hersman to Keynote Women in Transportation Conference
Former National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Deborah Hersman is scheduled to keynote the inaugural Women in Transportation Seminar at Virginia Tech on Sept. 1.
Hersman, the National Safety Council’s CEO, will focus her remarks on “Five Leadership Lessons — How You Learn from Crashes, Collapses and Chaos.”
“This seminar is a down payment on the future of transportation safety,” Hersman told event organizers. “I look forward to engaging with the next generation of champions whose work will save lives and prevent injuries on our roads and rails, in our skies and throughout our waterways.”
During her stint as NTSB chief from 2009 to 2014, Hersman stressed the dangers of distracted driving and promoted child passenger safety and other safety initiatives.
Ann Brach, director of the technical activities division of the Transportation Research Board, also is scheduled to speak at the seminar. Brach, who manages conferences and workshops, will speak on “Doing Great Things: Myths, Partial Truths, and What It Really Takes.”
“Our goal during this seminar is to inspire the next generation of transportation researchers and leaders,” Brach said. “The ability to come together in this type of collaborative setting and to really see how these students can help shape the future of transportation is energizing.”
The conference will be held Aug. 31. to Sept. 1 at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center in Blacksburg, Virginia. The day before the conference, the institute will host its Fifth International Symposium on Naturalistic Driving Research at the same location.
