Meet Kate Whitfield: Profile of a TAC Volunteer

This article is part of a series profiling some of TAC’s volunteers. Learn more about TAC’s volunteer structure, the role of volunteers and the benefits of volunteering.

Introducing Kate Whitfield; TAC Volunteer and lead of Canadian operations at Alta. We interviewed Kate about her experience as a TAC Volunteer and working in the transportation sector.

TAC: Tell us about yourself!

KW: I live in Ottawa with my husband Rob Behrend and our kids, Nicolas (10) and Wesley (7). I am lucky enough to have convinced my parents to move to Ottawa a few years ago, bringing the grandparents closer to home. I grew up in Kingston, Ontario and decided upon the University of New Brunswick for my undergraduate engineering degree and then headed back home for a Masters of Urban Planning from Queen’s University. I have always worked in the private sector and eventually found my way to Alta, leading the Canadian operations from Ottawa. My work connects me to what I love, which is community building with a focus on walking and cycling. My love of cargo bikes is an added bonus that I bring to my work. On a personal front, I am the rink sponsor for a local community rink situated in the park across the street from our house in Ottawa (and this as someone with no desire to ever learn to skate).

TAC: What led you to a career in the transportation sector?

KW: I started my career working on land development projects, as well as projects more focussed on road reconstruction/rehabilitation but without an active transportation spin. I always had an interest in active travel modes but I had to find my way there through learning from others, networking and building a practise. The human side of active transportation was what drew me in; active living combined with utility and an added bonus of environmental protection and community building. I am grateful for how I started my career and worked hard to obtain professional licenses in both engineering and urban planning. I have always been a people person and over time developed a path for myself to truly be a “planengineer.” I am now a Principal with Alta in Ottawa and lead the Canadian operations of a company that focuses on active modes and complete streets including connections to transit

TAC: What professional achievement are you most proud of? 

KW: I started “CITE Career Connect with Kate” this year. This is a virtual networking initiative that I led as a volunteer which is hosted by the Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers. On each episode, I bring together three job seekers in Canada with three people currently employed in the transportation engineering/planning field and host a virtual networking session. The video is then recorded and edited by CITE before being posted to their YouTube channel. I came up with this idea after offering to read résumés and help people with practice interviews at the start of the COVID shutdowns. Immediately I could tell that people needed another option to connect with others during a time where in-person conferences and seminars would be limited (and eventually non-existent). I also wanted to make sure that this effort focussed on breaking down barriers for those having trouble entering the workforce in Canada. I am close to recording episode 10. This initiative has meant that I have opened up my own world to new connections, both from those looking for work and those who are currently employed. As time passes, I am hearing back from people that the initiative has helped them gain confidence in the job search process, including opening some doors. It was exciting the first time I heard back from a participant with news of a job offer.

TAC: Tell us about your history as a TAC volunteer.

KW: I am the CITE presentative on the Mobility Council (formerly Urban Transportation Council). My typical approach to things is when I see an opportunity to join up with great people and learn from them, I put up my hand and see what I can do to participate. Meeting people like Sarah Wells, Geoff Noxon and Craig Stackpole is a testament to that. While not an example of something from a volunteer perspective, I was able to learn more about TAC and its internal workings by being directly involved with the TAC report “Integrating Health and Transportation in Canada” as a member of the consultant team. This was a project led by Urban Design 4 Health with support from Alta.

TAC: How has volunteering with TAC helped you?

KW: Through the CITE Career Connect initiative, a concern that I often hear about is the catch 22 – how to get a job in Canada when you do not have Canadian experience. I often talk about TAC and ways that job seekers can try and learn from the organization in order to better develop their understanding of the Canadian context and guidance. TAC guidance may be discussed and applied in class but if it can become a resource post graduation, along with CITE, then the job seeker might find a way to broaden their network. Of course, the best part of being a TAC volunteer is the people.

TAC: Tell us about a challenge that you would like to help solve.

KW: I find that I am often involved with trying to change the conversation. This isn’t something new and I am in no way alone, but it is definitely a theme in my everyday work. A professional culture where lanes and radii are maxed out to serve the free flow of traffic persists (i.e., take it to the max, not the min). If a discussion is framed around safety, it is generally accepted but still with caveats. Concepts around comfort, convenience and overall user experience for all modes continues to be seen as secondary. We are finding ways to think about and discuss these issues differently whether it is through analytics methods, language choice or the citing of new research studies and guidance. Words around “transportation equity” are also exchanged in various circles but it is not yet an everyday topic incorporated into work conversations. I would like to help move the needle forward as it relates to engineering judgement and the design of safe and inviting streets.

TAC: What advice would you give someone just starting out in the transportation sector?

KW: When looking for a job and trying to connect with people, try and include something in your messaging that represents you as a person and your interests. Often when I am contacted by someone looking for help finding a job, they describe the situation as wanting a job in the transportation engineering/planning field. I recognize that for some it is about any opportunity but the chance of getting a response (and a quality response) is increased if you include something about yourself. Whether it is an interest in complete streets, traffic modelling or a reference to your research (a successful example recently being pedestrian safety), it provides a starting point to build on for a future conversation. When help is offered, take the person up on it. Be open to new opportunities to open new doors.