2026 FPTA/FDOT/CUTR PDW & Transit Safety and Operations Summit: Full Schedule

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8:00am EDT

2026 Florida Transit Safety and Operations Summit

Monday June 8, 2026 8:00am - 5:00pm EDT

The 2026 Florida Transit Safety and Operations Summit, sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Florida Public Transportation Association (FPTA) and hosted by Florida’s Transit Safety and Operations Network (FTSON), will once again bring a slate of expert speakers, opportunities for interaction and engagement with your peers, and enlightening conversation.
This year’s Safety and Operations Summit, which precedes the two-day Professional Development Workshop, brings together transit safety and operations professionals in a forum to discuss critical issues confronting Florida’s public transportation industry. Topics will include apprenticeships and mentorships; accident investigation; maintaining contract compliance; cybersecurity; and more!
We look forward to meeting you at the 2026 Florida Transit Safety and Operations Summit and urge you to register early.
Strengthening the Transit Workforce: The State of Apprenticeship and Mentorship in Florida
As transit agencies across Florida and the nation face growing workforce shortages and increasing skill demands, registered apprenticeships and structured mentorships are emerging as powerful, scalable strategies for attracting, developing, and retaining talent. This session provides a timely look at the state of public transit apprenticeship, highlighting both innovation and practical implementation tools for agencies of all sizes.
The Transit Workforce Center (TWC), the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) technical assistance center for workforce development, will open the session with an overview of national trends and a discussion on Florida’s progress in building apprenticeship pathways and supportive mentorship across critical frontline occupations. Miami-Dade County will share insights from launching its newly registered Bus Maintenance Apprenticeship Program, including lessons learned in curriculum development, labor–management partnership, and creating sustainable advancement opportunities for technicians; and progress towards bus operator program.
To demonstrate the scalable nature of mentorship and apprenticeship programs, TWC will also present examples of various program models, with a particular focus on bus operator mentorship programs at smaller and rural agencies. Bus Operator Mentorship Programs are an approach designed to support new operators, reduce turnover, and improve service quality. Representatives from Star Transit in Terrell, Texas will attend and present to talk about how they have implemented mentorship across a large rural area.
Attendees will leave with concrete examples, implementation strategies, and adaptable tools to enhance their own apprenticeship and mentorship efforts, contributing to a stronger and more resilient transit workforce across Florida.

Moderators

Paul Goyette

Project Manager, CUTR

Paul Goyette served as the Deputy Director for Lee County Transit in Fort Myers, Florida for several years. With over 25 years of public transportation experience, Paul conveyed a cohesive leadership style to the employees at Lee Tran to support a cross-functional and efficient transit... Read More →

Speakers

Maurice Beard

Contractor, ITLC/TWC

Maurice Beard has more than three decades of experience in the transportation industry. He began his career as a bus operator with the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in San Jose, California. Throughout his career, Maurice advanced through several roles, including Line Instructor... Read More →

Karitsa Holdzkom

Senior Policy Analyst, International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center

Karitsa Holdzkom’s work focuses primarily on providing technical assistance to agencies around key workforce development policies and funding sources available to support them. Ms. Holdzkom also leads work on the Transit Workforce Center’s national apprenticeship network, the... Read More →

Brianna Paauwe

Antonio Harris

Transportation Director, STAR Transit

Antonio Harris has more than 17 years of experience in public transportation and currently serves as Transportation Director for STAR Transit, the fourth-largest public transit agency in North Texas. He also serves as key staff for the agency’s Public Transportation Agency Safety... Read More →