MDOT's Kim Avery selected among COMTO's "Women Who Move the Nation"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016
CONTACT: Nick Schirripa, MDOT Office of Communications,
269-337-3927, schirripan@michigan.gov 

MDOT's Kim Avery selected among
COMTO's "Women Who Move the Nation" 

Fast facts:
- MDOT Southwest Region Engineer Kim Avery has been selected as one of 14 "Women Who Move the Nation" by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials.
- Avery will receive the award at a national awards conference on Wednesday, March 16, in Washington, D.C.
- For the full list of COMTO honorees, visit www.comto.org/news/269149/COMTO-HONORS-WOMEN-IN-TRANSPORTATION.htm.

 

March 11, 2016 -- Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Southwest Region Engineer Kim Avery has been recognized among the nation's "Women Who Move the Nation" by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO). Avery will be among the 14 recipients of the honor attending COMTO's 5th annual Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation (CWWMN) awards breakfast on Wednesday, March 16, at the J.W. Marriott in Washington, D.C.

             Avery was named MDOT's Southwest Region engineer in March 2015, responsible for more than 980 miles of state trunkline in seven southwest Michigan counties (Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren), more than 250 employees, a capital program of approximately $100 million, and an annual maintenance budget of more than $30 million.

             A Valparaiso University graduate, Avery has 25 years of experience at MDOT, and was the deputy Metro Region engineer before moving to the Southwest Region. Avery is the Michigan chapter president of COMTO, and a member of the Detroit Greenway Coalition and the Detroit Engineering Society. She also is involved with several MDOT initiatives and teams, including the Autonomous Vehicle Implementation Team, the Strategic Planning Committee, the Great Lakes Regional Transportation Operating Coalition, and the Commercial Vehicle Steering Team.

             "I'm honored to have been selected for this prestigious award. To be recognized among the top 14 women in the transportation field is wonderful. Success comes from hard work and determination. This award proves that hard work does get recognized," Avery said. "Working in transportation fulfills one of my passions to help people and make this world a better place. Transportation truly moves a nation, and it takes a diverse workforce to accomplish the mission. This field is not always easy but it is definitely rewarding to see a problem and know that you helped to fix it."

             The selected honorees represent a diversity within the transportation industry, and are recognized and saluted for their contributions to the industry. Nearly 500 attendees, representing all sectors of the transportation industry, including government and private firms, are expected to join the celebration.

             For the full list of award recipients, visit www.comto.org/news/269149/COMTO-HONORS-WOMEN-IN-TRANSPORTATION.htm.

             "COMTO is very excited about this year's class of honorees," COMTO President and CEO Mioshi Moses said. "They are extraordinary women with amazing accomplishments who reflect the diversity in modes of transportation in this country. I look forward to celebrating each of them in March."

             COMTO inaugurated its Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation awards in 2012, starting a new tradition of recognizing the accomplishments and influence of today's outstanding women in transportation. This year's list of recipients brings the total number of honorees to 62. As in years past, these leaders represent a broad cross section of the industry.

             COMTO was founded in 1971 on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., to provide a forum for senior level minority professionals in the transportation industry. For more information on COMTO, visit www.comto.org/.

             Avery is scheduled to appear this Sunday on Detroit Public Televisions “American Black Journal with Stephen Henderson” in honor of Women’s History Month. She will discuss her career, job responsibilities, and diversity in the transportation industry. The episode is scheduled to air at 9:30 a.m. on Channel 56 with a rebroadcast on Channel 56.2 that evening at 6:30. The episode will be available online at www.americanblackjournal.org following its broadcast. Watch a preview of the episode: http://bit.ly/1Xie8QN.   

 

 MDOT Southwest Region Engineer Kim Avery

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