President’s Message
Greetings!
When I am asked where I grew up or where I’m from, I always answer Patterson Park. My neighborhood was home to people of many nationalities. The splendor of St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church’s five iconic golden domes is magnificent and can be seen throughout the park. Thinking and praying for all the people of Ukraine, may peace soon return to Eastern Europe and to all of our troubled world.
March is full of excitement for the WTTC as we resume in person meetings. We thank Louis Campion from the Maryland Motor Truck for rescheduling his presentation to the March 9th business meeting at Squires. There is still time to RSVP. We look forward to seeing everyone again.
Thank you also to Suzanne Stadler for working so hard to make sure the WTTC continues celebrating our past presidents. Join us as we continue this tradition at a fun-filled luncheon on March 26th.
The WTTC has not been able to hold our annual Shrimp feast since 2019!! SO LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL! On April 22nd, the annual SHRIMP FEAST will be back!
The Shrimp Feast is in the planning stages, but we still need you! This event has been a huge success every year only because of everyone’s generous donations, which include your time volunteering at our event. Themed basket raffle items, liquor for the plant wheel, and door prizes are some of the items needed. Please email us at wttcbaltimore@gmail.com to get involved as a committee member.
Hope to see and hear from you soon,
With kindness,
Karen
wttcpresident@gmail.com
Member Spotlight
Shannon Monaghan, Baltimore International/Allways Transportation
Meet new WTTC member, Shannon Monaghan. If that last name sounds familiar, that’s because she’s the daughter of longtime industry leader and WTTC member, Sue Monaghan of Baltimore International/Allways Transportation (BIWT). Shannon graduated from Catholic High School of Baltimore in 2016, then enrolled at Towson University with a major in Early Childhood Education. She started working part time in 2015 at BIWT and continued to work there in her spare time while at Towson. Attending classes remotely during her last semester because of COVID, allowed her to complete her studies and graduate in 2020 while working full time at the company. Shannon explained, “I continued to finish my degree and graduated, but over time became more interested in the family business than going into childcare”.
During COVID, the staff of 11 at BIWT reduced to only three people, so Shannon’s help in the family business became crucial. “My mother likes to say I had a ‘trial by fire’ experience, learning more
information about the company at a quick pace”, says Shannon. This experience helped her have a better understanding of the business and industry. She successfully covered the office when others were out and spent a lot of time in dispatch, learning the ways of the port, and who to contact when there were challenges. Working in dispatch was the key factor in connecting the dots for Shannon. There she learned how to send out trucks to pick up loads that would then come back to the company to either be delivered or unloaded at their warehouse; and all the other associated tasks, such as entering products in inventory, invoicing and creating the Bill of Lading. Now, all the other tasks she had been doing before started to click.
In her free time, Shannon likes to run and play volleyball. “Being active has always been a big part of my life”, Shannon added, as the family members try to outstep each other with the FitBit. Because of her new appreciation for the transportation and logistics industry, Shannon is now considering returning to school for an associate degree in logistics.
Recognizing Women’s History Month
During this unfortunate time of war between Russia and Ukraine, it seems fitting to honor the American wartime heroines of World War II, collectively known as Rosie the Riveter. Since the 1940s Rosie the Riveter has stood as a symbol for women in the workforce and for women’s independence. Beginning in 1942, as an increasing number of American men were recruited for the war effort, women were needed to fill their positions in factories. Initially, women workers were recruited from among the working class, but, as the war production needs increased, it became necessary to recruit workers from among middle class women. Since many of these women had not previously worked outside the home and had small children, the government not only had to convince them to enter the workforce, but it also had to provide ways for the women to care for their households and children. To accomplish this end, the U.S. Office of the War produced a variety of materials designed to convince these women to enter into war production jobs as part of their patriotic duty. Rosie the Riveter was part of this propaganda campaign and became the symbol of women in the workforce during World War II.
The first image now considered to be Rosie the Riveter was created by the American artist J. Howard Miller in 1942, but it was titled “We Can Do It!” and had no association with anyone named Rosie. It is believed that this initial drawing was part of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation’s wartime production campaign to recruit female workers. Miller’s drawing portrayed a woman in a red bandana with her bent arm flexed, rolling up her shirtsleeve.
What the iconic Rosie image doesn’t convey is the diversity of that work force— specifically the more than half-million “Black Rosies” who worked alongside their white counterparts in the war effort. Coming from throughout the United States, these “Black Rosies” worked tirelessly—in shipyards and factories, along railroads, inside administrative offices and elsewhere—to fight both the foreign enemy of authoritarianism abroad and the familiar enemy of racism at home. For decades, they received little historical recognition or acknowledgement. This need for wartime laborers forever changed the role of women in the workforce.
WTTC Business: Message from Working Women Dinner Chair
Person of the Year Nominations
Hello Fellow Members,
It is my pleasure to inform you that the WTTC Board approved to honor a Person of the Year at the upcoming Working Women Dinner on May 11, 2022 and I need the membership’s assistance to find that “Person of the Year” for 2022. Below find the criteria for such a Nomination:
- Any active member (or posthumously awarded to one) who is a leader, and has given unselfishly of her or himself without personal gain or recognition may be a candidate for this honor.
- The immediate Past President shall not be eligible for the award until the following year. The award will be made at the discretion of the committee.
- Consideration should not only be given to the work accomplished within the framework of the Club, but consideration should also be given to the work the individual may be doing outside the Club, which would indicate the type of citizen the transportation industry has. For example, consideration should be given to her or his involvement in other transportation related organizations to promote the industry in general and her or his efforts and zeal to get younger people interested in giving of her or himself, her or his energy and time to church, community and service activities, as well as extending her or his hand in friendship to those in need, whether it be advice, council, assistance in locating employment, or just saying a kind and encouraging word, or giving a smile.
- Any member can nominate another member for this award. However, nominations must be in writing, stating the reasons why, etc.
The criteria for this award, now adjusted to “Person of the Year”, was created by Virginia M Young, our belated and much respected member, who was herself a subsequent recipient of the award.
If you know of someone who exemplifies the honor of “Person of the Year”, according to the Women’s Traffic Club Criteria, please submit your nomination, in writing, as soon as possible but no later than April 15, 2022 to blowy@dartrans.com, maryjane2111@verizon.net and dhornberger@dartrans.com. Remember that you must state your reasons for your nomination. The committee will review each nomination submitted, and a decision will be made with presentation at the Working Women’s dinner on May 11, 2022. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and ideas.
Sincerely,
Bridget Lowy / Working Women’s Dinner Chair
2022 Nominating Committee Report
The WTTC Nominating Committee, in accordance with the WTTC by-laws, has recently completed the 2022 Officers State for vote at the May meeting when additional nominations may be made from the floor.
The members of the Nominating Committee were: Bridget Lowy (chair), Diane Olszewski, Mary Jane Norris, Doris Hornberger, Suzanne Stadler and Natasha Pavlovich
We met on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, and are pleased to present the following proposed slate of officers for the 2022-2023 club year.
President: Karen Bush
Vice President: Carol Calhoun
Secretary: Katrina Jones
Treasurer: Natasha Pavlovich
Current Governors 2021-2023: Demi Meyer, Cindy Milligan
Incoming Governors 2022-2024: Karen Donato, Suzanne Stadler
I would like to take this moment to encourage everyone, especially our newer members to get more involved. There are plenty of committees to be a part of that are just waiting for your new and exciting ideas for our club.
Respectfully submitted,
Bridget Lowy (chair)