MV Founder Feysan Lodde Named Among List of COMTO's Women Who Move The Nation

February 10, 2016 - MV Transportation, Inc. is pleased to announce that the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) will honor MV founder and owner Feysan Lodde, with a "Women Who Move The Nation" award during its 5th annual Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation (CWWMN) breakfast on Wednesday, March 16 in Washington, DC.

Held annually in observance of Women's History Month, the CWWMN awards recognize and salute outstanding women for their contributions to the transportation industry. Nearly 500 attendees, representing all sectors of the transportation industry, including government and private firms, are expected to join in the celebration.

Feysan is a pioneer in the transportation industry. She, along with husband Alex Lodde, founded MV Transportation in 1975 in their studio apartment in San Francisco specifically to provide transportation services to seniors and people with disabilities. Fifteen years before the Americans with Disabilities Acts was enacted, the Loddes offered door-though-door paratransit services throughout the Bay Area.

Because elevators were scarce in the 70s and 80s in San Francisco, Feysan often carried riders up and down several flights of stairs in her arms to ensure they did not miss critical medical appointments. In many instances, Feysan, MV's first driver, would be the only person some of her riders would see in any given week and she oftentimes would assist in getting them dressed and making sure they had meals.

"I never really thought Alex and I were doing anything extraordinary because we were simply doing what needed to be done," Feysan said. "We were providing a service for people who otherwise couldn't get the medical care they needed to improve their quality of life."

Feysan continued, "I am honored to be recognized by COMTO and to be among such a distinguished list of honorees."

Said Mioshi Moses, COMTO President and Chief Executive Officer, "COMTO is very excited about this year's class of honorees. They are extraordinary woman with amazing accomplishments who reflect the diversity in modes of transportation in this country. I look forward to celebrating each of them in March."

COMTO inaugurated its Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation awards in 2012, starting a new tradition of recognizing the accomplishments and influence of today's outstanding women in transportation. This year's list of recipients brings the total number of honorees to 62. As in years past, these leaders represent a broad cross section of the industry.

2016 Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation Honorees:

Ms. Deborah Ale-Flint – Executive Director, Los Angeles World Airport

Ms. Kimberly Avery – Southwest Region Engineer, Michigan Department of Transportation

Ms. Flora Castillo – Vice President of Community and Strategic Engagement, UnitedHealthcare

Ms. Grace Crunican – General Manager, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)

The Honorable T. Bella Dinh Zarr – National Transportation Safety Board

Ms. Polly Hanson – Chief of Police, Amtrak Police Department

Ms. Bryna Helfer – Director of Public Engagement to the Secretary, US Department of Transportation

Ms. Grindly Johnson – Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)

Ms. Feysan Lodde – Founder, MV Transportation

Ms. Valarie McCall – Chair, American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

Ms. Margaret O'Meara – Vice President, Boston Office, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff

Dr. Karen Philbrick, Executive Director, Mineta National Transit Research Consortium

Ms. Leanne Redden – Executive Director, Chicago Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)

Ms. Mary King – Formerly of AC Transit – Posthumous Award

About MV Transportation, Inc.
Headquartered in Dallas, MV Transportation, Inc. is the largest private provider of paratransit services and the largest privately-owned passenger transportation contracting firm based in the United States. The company employs more than 18,000 dedicated transit professionals in 146 locations around the world.