Members of the Council of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) Jacksonville chapter partnered with Children Enriched with Opportunities (CEO) to facilitate this year’s Garrett A. Morgan Shadow Day presentation. Students from the program along with the Executive Director of CEO, Mary Davis-Johnson attended the event to learn about Garrett Morgan’s contributions to the transportation industry. Students participated in a transportation exercise and prizes were awarded for correctly answering questions. In addition, students learned about the wide variety of careers available in the transportation industry.
One young participant, Kolin (pictured above), was so excited by what he learned from the presentation that he told his mother, “I have so much to teach you and dad from what I learned today.” His parents were pleased with his enthusiasm to learn and his desire to educate them on what he learned about transportation.
This month we are featuring presentations focused on small business opportunities, growth and development with a keynote address from Mr. Opio Sokoni.
Opio Sokoni has completed several documentary films but may be best known for “Bessie Coleman Flying the Blues,” a documentary about the life of the first black woman to fly an airplane. She died tragically in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida in 1926. Opio Sokoni is a renaissance man with a plethora of skills and accomplishments. He is an author many times over. His books include, “I Want to Be a Lawyer When I Grow Up,” “Controlling Blue: Race Media and Policing” and “Bessie Coleman Flying the Blues”; to name a few. He is a law school graduate and an adjunct Professor at Jacksonville University where he teaches criminology.
Opio is the past president of a local branch of the SCLC – the organization Dr. Martin Luther King helped to found. He has also been in radio since 2003. His documentary films are as follows: Small City Big Hip Hop (feature), Meth Around (30 min. short), Turn Off Channel Zero (feature) and Bessie Coleman Flying the Blues (30 min. short). Sokoni has registered several screenplays including a feature on the life of Bessie Coleman. He has signed with an investment company to secure the finance needed to place her life on the big screen as his current and biggest project. Finally, Opio Sokoni is an FAA certified drone unmanned aircraft pilot and provide drone services via his company Scholar Research Academy, LLC.
Ever dreamed of owning your own franchise? John Wyche, Business Development for Triton Franchise will discuss the many exciting franchise opportunities available in the Jacksonville area.
JAXPORT’s Lisa Diaz, Manager, FTZ and Logistics Services, today addressed attendees at the Conference of Minority Transportation Professionals (COMTO) Jax monthly meeting.
Lisa shared what led her to work in the transportation industry and how she earned her position at JAXPORT. She provided attendees with three steps to reach their personal and professional goals in 2018: believe and push yourself, find your inner motivation and show up each day.
COMTO is the nation’s only advocacy organization for minority professionals and businesses in the transportation industry.
For the fifth year, members of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) Jacksonville Chapter facilitated a community outreach effort to support the local senior community.
Members boarded a Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) trolley to deliver holiday gifts to the residents of Peterson’s Assisted Living facility in Springfield. The gifts largely consisted of basic need items like warm clothing and personal care products. Peterson provides full support and housing to low-income senior citizens. Community champion, Mrs. Mary Peterson, has been providing these resources in the greater Jacksonville community for 46 years.
Very special thanks to JTA for allowing use of the trolley, our gracious sponsors and the holiday outreach committee chair Sherman Rothwell. They worked tirelessly to organize and facilitate a another successful outreach initiative.
The chapter also hosted its annual holiday social at The Candy Apple Café on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 from 5:00 – 7:00pm. The event was an opportunity to thank our sponsors and for members to network with a wide range of transportation agency leaders and representatives. Pictured above is Holiday Social Chair, Martini White; Platinum Sponsor, Gregory Mundy, President and CEO of IMDC, Inc. and Chapter President, Aisha Eccleston
The COMTO Jacksonville November Membership Meeting featured a presentation on the autonomous transportation revolution by Robert Hooper Jr., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Atlantic Logistics. Autonomous vehicle technology is here and already changing transportation, the logistics industry and the world. This is a once in a lifetime revolution which will save thousands of lives and transform millions of jobs. Buckle your seat belts!
During the meeting, the COMTO Jax Executive Board recognized COMTO National Past Board Chairman Bob Prince on his recent induction to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Hall of Fame.
The September meeting featured a keynote from Mr. Tony Cugno, AAE, IAP, Chief Operating Officer of the Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA). He provide an in depth overview of airport operations and discussed business opportunities. Jacksonville International (JAX) has been ranked third best airport in North America by Airports Council International, an advocacy group.
At the 46th National Meeting and Training Conference in Detroit, Michigan on July 18th the Jacksonville chapter of Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) and its members were recently honored with three awards at the annual COMTO Industry Awards Dinner during the organization’s National Meeting and Training Conference.
The organization’s highest honor, the Thomas G. Neusom Founders’ Leadership Award, was presented to Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr., JTA’s Chief Executive Officer.
Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr.
COMTO Jax member Christopher Macklin, DBE/Diversity Compliance Officer/Diversity & Equity Program at JTA, received the emerging leader award.
Christopher L. Macklin
The Jacksonville Chapter received the award for best membership recruitment and retention activities.
At the June monthly meeting, Kevin J. Holzendorf provided members an update on new funding in Washington, D.C. and how the changes affect transportation and infrastructure initiatives. Holzendorf is an Account Manager at CISCO Systems, Inc., JTA Board Vice Chairman and APTA Board Member.
Also, the Jacksonville chapter awarded a $1,500 scholarship to Marcus K. Rentz. Rentz is an incoming freshman at Armstrong State University.
JAXPORT marketing expert Aisha Eccleston has been named one of Jacksonville Business Journal’s 40 under 40 recognizing Jacksonville’s most successful young business leaders.
Aisha has served in positions of increasing responsibility during her 10 years at JAXPORT, working in business development as well as sales and marketing. In her current role, Aisha provides guidance and assistance to freight forwarders and customs brokers looking to grow existing business opportunities and attract new business through JAXPORT. Last year, Aisha was nominated to participate in the country’s first U.S. Department of Transportation’s Every Place Counts Leadership Academy, held in Washington D.C.
Aisha is currently president of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO Jax). She also gives her time to numerous community efforts, including serving as a JAXPORT mentor through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
The Premier Organization for Education, Empowerment and Engagement of Minority Transportation Professionals in Northeast Florida
