Champions of Change

Champions of Change Blog

  • Advocating for Women Moving America

    Posted by Ellen Voie on July 30, 2012 at 2:20 PM EDT

    Ellen Voie is being honored as a Champion of Change for her time and effort developing innovative ways to help grow and expand the transportation industry.  

    When you hear the words “truck driver,” you probably imagine a big, burly guy wearing a ball cap, with a tattoo below the sleeve of his t-shirt. While it is true that 95 percent of professional drivers are men, there are nearly 200,000 female big rig drivers in the United States.

    We don’t often associate women working in the very male dominated trucking industry. However, women not only drive the trucks, many design the trucks, fix the trucks, dispatch the trucks and own the trucks. Many others work in various roles within the trucking industry.

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  • Reaching Out, Making a Difference

    Posted by Rebecca M. Townsend on July 30, 2012 at 2:07 PM EDT

    Rebecca Townsend is being honored as a Champion of Change for her time and effort developing innovative ways to help grow and expand the transportation industry.  

    I am honored to be selected as a Champion of Change.  The honor is shared with nearly 100 of my students, who fanned throughout their neighborhoods and did the civic work of facilitating transportation planning deliberation.  Together, we worked with community organizations and a regional planning agency to help people share their voices on matters that affect them every day.

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  • Bridging the Technical Gap

    Posted by Veronica Davis on July 30, 2012 at 1:53 PM EDT

    Veronica Davis is being honored as a Champion of Change for her time and effort developing innovative ways to help grow and expand the transportation industry.  

    Being selected as a White House Champion of Change is an incredible honor. From the time I was a little girl, my dad encouraged me to consider civil engineering as a profession. At the time, I did not know what it meant to be a civil engineer; I simply knew was I wanted to improve people’s quality of life and make a difference in the world.  During my junior year at the University of Maryland, College Park, I took a class that taught me being a good civil engineer is more than designing civil infrastructure; it is also about considering the concerns of the people. That same lesson was reinforced in my involvement with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). That class and NSBE helped me find my passion in using transportation as a tool to positively affect people’s lives.

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  • Vision, Leadership, and Innovation: Our Path Forward in the 21st Century

    Posted by Lowell Porter on July 27, 2012 at 5:31 PM EDT

    Lowell Porter is being honored as a Champion of Change for his time and effort developing innovative ways to help grow and expand the transportation industry.  

    My entire professional life has been dedicated to public service, and I am honored to be recognized as a Champion of Change by the White House.  It’s moments like this where leaders dedicated to positive change reflect on their journey as a contributor to something larger than themselves.  Moreover, they also envision how to continue this journey and making a difference in the lives of others in the future.

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  • Being a Sports Diplomat

    Posted by Greivis Vasquez on July 27, 2012 at 10:54 AM EDT

    I am greatly honored and humbled upon being selected as a Connecting the Americas Champion of Change. Growing up in my native Caracas, Venezuela, my family always surrounded me with love and support and helped to instill in me the self-confidence and values necessary to achieve my goals in life. They were very supportive when I decided to attend high school in the United States and I was fortunate to be mentored here by my high school Coach, Stu.

    All of these experiences enforced in me the desire to strive for excellence in my studies and integrity in my personal relationships. These values have also been important tools in achieving success in my professional career. I have learned the importance of working together with people from different backgrounds and different skills to make a positive impact in my life and the lives of those around me.

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  • Goals for a Better Life

    Posted by A. Patricia Janiot on July 27, 2012 at 10:49 AM EDT

    What a great opportunity to showcase the work of so many inspiring individuals that haven't forgotten the communities where they come from and are changing the lives of so many people towards a brighter future.

    I'm thrilled to be part of the Champions of Change program. This is a marvelous occasion to share our successes and learn from the experiences and challenges of other Champions in a very effective way: cooperation.

    I want to convey my gratitude and appreciation for the chance to share with you a few important lessons learned through a decade of intense and rewarding work to improve the lives of thousands of kids in my beloved country.

    We know that by investing in public recreational facilities and free after school programs governments are creating a more equal society.

    One of the main differences between the rich and the poor in Latin America is the way they spend their free time.

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