CSU staff member Erika Benti of Parking and Transportation Services has won the Emerging Leader Award from the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT).
Benti was presented with her award at ACT’s international conference, held in Anaheim, California, on Aug. 1.
Benti graduated from CSU in 2007 with a degree in Natural Resource Management and pursued a career in providing sustainable transportation. She has worked in the transportation demand management field for eight years, in Portland, Denver and Los Angeles, where she served as the executive director of a nonprofit organization that promoted sustainable transportation.
‘A great team’
“I’ve always been interested in the ways that people can live more sustainably, and since transportation is something most people use every day — whether it’s driving, walking, biking or taking the bus — it’s an area where we can make a great impact,” Benti said. “I work on a great team, and we’re all really passionate about sustainable transportation, and making CSU a great place to go to school and work.”
After returning to CSU as an employee in 2017, Benti was tasked with connecting students with all of the transportation options that CSU and Fort Collins provide to them. In accordance with this task, she manages several programs, including new CSU Moves online transportation training for students, the Rambassador program for peer-to-peer safety education, and the car share (ZipCar) and bike share (Pace) programs on campus.
“Congratulations again to Erika for being awarded the 2018 Emerging Leader award from ACT,” said Rob Henry, president of ACT. “This award is given to one individual who, through their actions, is helping to lead the association forward. Erika is one of those rare volunteers who step into leadership roles, and in a few short years she has shown her willingness to lead by taking on the presidency of the Rocky Mountain Chapter and by co-chairing the 2017 awards program at our international conference. We’re all looking forward to watching Erika continue to grow and lead our association into the future.”
