About this Event
Join us for WTS-DC's premier event of the year!
Our Annual Holiday Party launches the season with an opportunity to network and celebrate the achievements and advancement of women and minorities in the transportation industry.
WTS-DC will recognize local transportation professionals whose contributions have transformed the industry and advanced women in transportation. John E. “Jack” Potter, President and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), will present the 2026 WTS-DC Recognition Awards to this year’s recipients:
- Woman of the Year: Michelle Shropshire, Deputy District Engineer at Virginia Department of Transportation
- Honorable Ray LaHood: Michael Sakata, President and CEO of the Maryland Transportation Builders & Materials Association
- Member of the Year: Polly Hanson, Senior Director of Security, Risk and Emergency Management at American Public Transportation Association
- Rosa Parks: Cipriana Patterson, Mid-Atlantic Regional Operations Director at Toole Design
- Employer of the Year: VHB
- Innovation Transportation Solutions: NextGen Acela Launch, Amtrak
- Immediate Past President: Sophie Guiny, Partner, InfraStrategies
To support educational advancement, WTS-DC will award scholarships to deserving female-identifying professionals studying transportation in community college, undergraduate, and graduate programs in the Washington, DC area. Odessa Phillip, President and CEO of Assedo Consulting, LLC, and Chair of the WTS International Foundation Board, will present the 2026 WTS-DC Scholarship Awards.
Guests may support the WTS-DC Scholarship Fund by donating at the Holiday Party’s scholarship tree. All donations are tax-deductible.
Online registration closes November 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Walk-in registrations will not be accepted.
Registrations are refundable during the online registration period only. To request a refund, please email [email protected] by November 27, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. If you are unable to attend after the registration period ends, you are welcome to transfer your ticket by notifying [email protected].
Dress Code:
Business Attire / Festive Holiday!
Location:
National Press Club (13th Floor – Large Ballroom)
529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20045
*You will need a QR code to pass through the security gates at the entrance of The National Press Club on the 13th floor. You will receive an email with the QR code the day before the Holiday Party.
Transportation:
By Metro
Take Metro to Metro Center.
Take the 13th Street Exit, take escalator to 13th Street; you should be at the corner of 13th and G Streets.
Walk one block south to F Street.
Turn right (West) and walk one block to 14th Street
Turn left and walk downhill to the National Press Building lobby.
Enter and take the elevators to the 13th Floor.
* Also Metro accessible via Gallery Place-Chinatown (Green, Yellow)
Parking
For Guaranteed Parking Reservations we recommend booking convenient and affordable parking in advance through SpotHero, the nation's leading parking reservations app.
Valet Parking Options
Valet Parking is available at the JW Marriott hotel (next to the Press Club) or the Willard Hotel (across the street from the Press Club).
Sponsorship:
Please email Shelley Johnson at [email protected] for more information on sponsoring the WTS-DC Holiday Party.
Event venue & nearby stays
National Press Club (13th Floor – Large Ballroom), 529 14th Street Northwest, Washington, United States
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