02/05/2026
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Casino Royale evening at the WTS Inland Empire 21st Annual Scholarship & Awards Benefit Dinner. The sold‑out event, hosted on January 22, 2026 at the Riverside Convention Center, brought together nearly 300 attendees for a celebration of leadership, partnership, community, and the next generation of transportation professionals.
This year, over $60,000 in scholarships were awarded to sixteen deserving students pursuing degrees in engineering, planning, and public administration—future leaders who will shape the next era of transportation. We are incredibly proud of these students and the bright futures they represent.
WTS‑IE was honored to recognize the following 2026 award recipients for their exceptional contributions:
🏆Member of the Year Award: Becca Hamilton, Mott MacDonald
🏆Employer of the Year Award: Caltrans District 8
🏆Innovative Transportation Solutions Award: Zero‑Emission Multiple Unit (ZEMU), San Bernardino County Transportation Authority
🏆Honorable Ray LaHood Award: Juan Uribe, HNTB
🏆Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award: Nisa Hester, Bechtel Corporation
🏆Woman of the Year Award: Joy Buenaflor, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority
We also are incredibly grateful for our incoming board and committee volunteers. Your leadership and service are the heartbeat of our chapter, shaping the programs, events, and mentorship opportunities that uplift our members and cultivate the next generation of transportation professionals.
Nights like this remind us why our transportation community in the Inland Empire is so uniquely strong. We look forward to an exceptional year ahead and to continuing our mission together.
Don’t forget to check out our virtual program and photo booth pics in our bio!