ARLINGTON, VA Diana Mendes, AICP, HNTB Corporation Transit/Rail Practice Leader and Senior Vice President, was named 2017 Training Professional of the Year Award by the National Transit Institute. The award was presented at the NTI 2017 Transit Trainer's Workshop in Nashville, Tennessee.

"I am honored to be recognized by the National Transit Institute and support its mission of providing training and educational resources to practicing transit professionals," Mendes said. "Trainers play a critical role in the industry and people's lives by opening new possibilities for our workforce, our customers and our organizations. It is through training that we can recharge, renew, refresh and recommit. We learn from each other, and remember we are better together."

Mendes has provided training nationwide for the NTI and the Federal Transit Administration for more than 15 years. She has aided personnel from transit agencies, state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations to better manage the environmental review process for federal transit projects. Mendes has reached more than 1,200 participants through more than 40 course offerings.

"It is a great honor to give this award to Diana. She is an outstanding trainer for NTI and many other programs that she works with," said Paul Larrousse, NTI Director. "More importantly, she is recognized as a mentor to many individuals, particularly the new generation of leaders in our industry. Diana represents the best of those who are committed to advancing public transportation into the future."

According to NTI, the Training Professional of the Year Award recognizes the exceptional contribution and sustained impact of a transit training professional on his or her organization and the industry as a whole. The Training Professional of the Year is chosen based on an applicant's innovation, impact, professional development and reference letters.

In her role as HNTB's transit/rail practice leader, Mendes is responsible for strategic planning and implementation, industry representation, business development, service delivery and client satisfaction. She is based in the firm's Arlington, Virginia, office and works with transit clients across the country.

In addition to NTI, Mendes is active in a number of professional associations, including the American Public Transportation Association and the American Planning Association. She regularly speaks at a wide variety of conferences, including Women's Transportation Seminar, Transportation Research Board, Rail~Volution and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials. She has delivered more than 40 presentations to share results of her project work and research.