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WOMEN IN TRANSPORTATION Margaret O'MEARA TITLE VP, Client Services and Business Development, Northeast Region Margaret O'Meara fell in love with tran- sit at the start of her career and never looked back. Graduating from North- eastern University with a bachelor's degree in business administration, she originally thought she wanted to study law. However, after taking a position at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), O'Meara realized she had already found her career path. "I was born and raised in Boston and observed and valued how much tran- sit impacts each of us every day," says O'Meara. "I learned the value and the importance of transportation as an eco- nomic engine and a critical element of our country's quality of life. I liked being a part of making a difference." O'Meara worked for more than 20 years for MBTA, fi rst as an offi ce engi- neer, then as project analyst and project manager. She gained a great deal of fi eld and management experience during this time, but she says the most important lessons she learned — and brought to every job thereafter — were partnering skills, communication and leadership. "Being able to communicate, being a leader that trusts and empowers others, are traits that breed success," she says. During her career, O'Meara has worked on many large infrastructure projects that have transformed com- munities. As assistant area construction manager for the Central Artery/Tunnel (CA/T) at MassHighway, O'Meara pro- vided guidance and direction for the management and coordination of mul- tiple contracts related to the CA/T pro- ject at Logan International Airport. She also served as MassHighway's District 3 highway director, where she was re- sponsible for meeting the transportation needs of 77 towns and cities. Later, she became assistant commissioner, where she chaired an advisory task force for the ORGANIZATION Parsons Brinckerhoff CITY Boston Recently named WTS' Woman of the Year, O'Meara likes to mentor younger employees to help them achieve professional development, both inside and outside of the offi ce. Route 3 North Project, Massachusetts' fi rst horizontal design-build project. Following her public sector career, O'Meara began working in the private sector, fi rst as VP for a Boston-based engineering consulting fi rm, where she was responsible for offi ce operations, and now as VP, client services and busi- ness development, Northeast Region, at Parsons Brinckerhoff, where she is responsible for client services, strategic planning and business development within the New England region. She's currently Parsons Brincker- hoff's principal-in-charge on the Whit- tier Bridge/I-95 Improvement Project, which will replace the bridge over the Merrimack River between Newburyport and Amesbury, Mass., and add two lanes to a section of I-95 in the Newbury- port-Salisbury area. She's also Parsons Brinckerhoff's principal for the ConRAC project to expand car rental facilities at Logan International Airport. "I'm taking the larger snapshot and providing infl uence for the bigger pic- ture," says O'Meara. "I can work with the project team to resolve issues before 52 < mETRO mAGAZINE SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 they become problems, in anticipation of meeting the client's goals." O'Meara recognizes the importance of giving voice to the transportation industry in the public policy realm. As well, she promotes the advancement of women in transportation through her active leadership with Women's Transportation Seminar International (WTS). She currently serves on the WTS International Advisory Board and chairs the appointments committee. She previ- ously served as president of WTS Boston and is active in MassGAP, a non-partisan collaboration of women's groups that work to increase the number of female cabinet positions in Massachusetts. She was recently named WTS' Woman of the Year for 2012. Both inside and outside of her offi ce, O'Meara mentors younger employees to help them achieve professional develop- ment. "It's important to my company and it's important to me personally," says O'Meara. "As a senior person for Parsons Brinckerhoff, I take that on as an impor- tant role." metro-magazine.com