Media Contact Marcia Ferranto President and CEO, WTS International mferranto@wtsinternational.org 202-955-5085 Marcia Ferranto is responsible for the overall administration, management, and operations of WTS International and WTS Foundation. Her responsibilities include the oversight of business operations, planning and evaluation, international programs and events, policy development and implementation, fiscal management, and the growth plan for WTS. Involved in nonprofit executive management for more than 10 years, Marcia also served as the Executive Director of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation in Delaware. Among her accomplishments with the Foundation, Marcia refocused the organization’s mission and vision to an educational establishment, spearheaded a new master plan, and managed more than 300 staff and volunteers. Marcia also held posts with the Delaware Art Museum, including Acting Director, Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance and Human Resources, and ran two of her own accounting and payroll firms. Marcia received her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Widener University in Chester, PA, and is also a 2006 graduate of the Museum Leadership Institute (MLI), Getty Leadership Institute. She is Chairman of the Board for Sandy Spring Museum in Sandy Spring, Maryland, a member of ASAE, and of the American Association of Museums. Marcia has also been a guest speaker at the New York University, Masters Program, Steinhardt School of Education, Department of Art & Art Professions. Marcia resides in Washington, DC, and Chicago, IL, with her husband, Larry. Topic Expertise / Story Ideas The future of the transportation industry in the U.S. and around the globe. Demographics of professional talent supporting the nation’s infrastructure. The case for developing interest in science, technology, engineering and math among children in general and girls specifically. Job and career opportunities and future prospects for transportation industry experts. Challenges of women at the skilled expert and executive management levels in transportation. © Copyright 2013, WTS International. All Rights Reserved. (p) 202-955-5085. Industry Fact Sheet: Women in Transportation There’s a dearth of qualified people with expertise in STEM disciplines. By 2018, there will be 1.4 million computing job openings in the United States, but only 29% of those jobs will be filled by U.S. graduates. 40 states produce fewer computing graduates than needed to fill projected openings in their states. The number of girls studying computing has declined 13 percent in the past 10 years. Women and information technology by the numbers: http://www.ncwit.org/pdf/BytheNumbers09.pdf Women only make up 6% of today's pilots. Women are underrepresented in the workforce in technology areas—there are more than 60 million women in the labor force today, yet women make up only 8% of engineers, 18% of engineering technicians, and 30% of natural scientists. People with an associate's degree in a STEM field earn more than those with a bachelor's degree in education or liberal arts, according to data released Feb. 23, 2012, by the United States Census Bureau: An adult with an associate's degree in engineering earned an average of $4,800 monthly in 2009; someone with a bachelor's degree in education earned an average of $3,800. Men vastly outnumber women in STEM fields. Nearly 90 percent of all engineering degrees are owned by men. In the physical sciences, math, and computer science, the difference is less pronounced, but men still outnumber women about 3 to 1. There are signs that women are slowly closing the gap: Among people age 25 to 39, women hold about 1 in 5 engineering degrees; between the ages of 40 and 65, they hold only 1 in 10. © Copyright 2013, WTS International. All Rights Reserved. (p) 202-955-5085. WTS Mission Building the future of transportation through the global advancement of women. WTS Vision WTS promotes lifelong careers in transportation—attracting, retaining, and advancing women in transportation. It is recognized worldwide as a network of transportation subject matter experts. Attraction By the year 2015, there will be thousands vacancies in the transportation industry for qualified professionals, and while women account for more than half of the world’s workforce, they are a very small minority in transportation disciplines. Retention Women employed in technology and engineering leave their mid-level positions at much faster rates than men. Losing professionals at this career point is a threat to the future of world economies and commerce, which are reliant on superior transportation infrastructure and technological advances. Advancement Successful companies and agencies are those with equal distribution of women and men in executive roles and board positions. © Copyright 2013, WTS International. All Rights Reserved. (p) 202-955-5085. WTS Fact Sheet WTS is an international organization dedicated to building the future of transportation through the global advancement of women.. Founded in 1977 when there was no federal funding for women-focused associations—but there was funding was available for educational programs for women—WTS was created as “Women’s Transportation Seminar.” As of January 2012, WTS boasts more than 5,000 members—both men and women— worldwide. WTS helps women find opportunity and recognition in the transportation industry through its professional activities, networking opportunities, and unparalleled access to industry and government leaders. In 2009, the WTS Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, was created to further the mission of WTS and has provided more than $1,000,000 in scholarships to deserving women throughout the transportation industry, supporting the next generation of transportation professionals. Transportation YOU was created as the joint initiative of WTS International and the U.S. Department of Transportation. This was launched with the 2010 signing of a memorandum of understanding by US Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood. WTS provides unprecedented access to the highest levels of the transportation industry (in fact, many WTS members are top leaders in the industry). © Copyright 2013, WTS International. All Rights Reserved. (p) 202-955-5085.