Since 1987, Women’s History Month has been observed each March to honor and celebrate the contributions, achievements, and stories of women worldwide. This year, the City’s Transportation Department is honoring Women’s History Month by sharing the career stories of women in our department who prove that all roads can lead to a successful future in the transportation industry.
Women in Transportation, what are the numbers?
The numbers show that women have historically been underrepresented in the transportation industry. However, in recent years, the number of women pursuing careers in the industry has slowly increased as they have entered engineering, planning, bus operations, fiscal analysis, and other fields. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics released a 2023 report showing that women make up 24.9% of the transportation and warehousing industry. In public transit, women represent 28% of managers and directors. Globally, 12% of women are in the transportation and storage workforce. Ultimately, one in every four employees in this industry is a woman.
The data shows there is still a significant opportunity to increase the number of women working in transportation. In our department, however, women make up 33.6% of the workforce. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we are proud to highlight how women’s innovation, leadership, and representation are helping shape the future of transportation.
Meet Darlene Gay, our Executive Assistant. Darlene graduated from Howard University with her Bachelor of Science. Her career experience at the Department of Justice and as a medical assistant prepared her for a career in the transportation industry. In her current role with the City, Darlene helps our department function by serving as our human resources liaison, payroll representative, and talent management representative for new hires. She works directly with managers across our department and enjoys helping them understand personnel, pay, and benefits, and ensuring they can adequately focus on achieving our department goals. Darlene shared that in her role, she focuses on learning more about each job in our department to anticipate needs and help staff reach their goals. Her message to women and girls seeking a career in transportation is to acknowledge the numerous opportunities within the industry to serve the public. From engineers and planners to line staff who build and install the infrastructure, and support staff in between, each role contributes to our mission.
Meet Sharon Zeigler, our Parking Services Administrator. Sharon’s path into transportation is unique, showing that no matter where you begin, the industry offers a chance to restart your career. After graduating from North Carolina State University with a degree in animal science, she pursued a 30-year career in veterinary medicine. Sharon worked with over 300 exotic animals, including tigers, sun bears, and even binturongs. Her journey with Park Durham began five years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic because, like many others, she wanted a fresh start in a new industry.
Sharon previously worked as the Senior Administrative Technician at Park Durham. In that role, she helped to organize Park Durham’s communication and organizational structure and performed administrative duties supporting the day-to-day operations of the City’s parking division. Being new to the public sector, Sharon deeply appreciates what she’s learned about working in government and the complex components of the parking industry, primarily through the technology that runs our systems. Late last year, Sharon was promoted to the Parking Services Administrator. In her new role, she is more hands-on within our parking division. She is actively working to improve the customer service experience for City of Durham employees, residents, and visitors, and to identify innovative solutions to address parking industry challenges. Sharon wants women who find themselves with similar desires to take on new careers, to go for what they want, and represent!
We are proud to have Darlene and Sharon as part of our team. By learning their stories, you can learn how all roads, no matter what your career path, can lead to a successful career in the transportation industry. Our department works to keep the Bull City moving, and we could not achieve that goal without the drive, vision, and dedication from all our staff. We are proud to celebrate the women who make it possible and help to inspire others along the way. Happy Women’s History Month. Share this article with a future female transportation leader.