The San Mateo County Transit District has been recognized as the Public Sector Employer of the Year by the Northern California Chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials. The honor was one of only five presented at the third annual industry awards reception in San Francisco.

COMTO is a multi-ethnic, non-profit national organization whose vision is to provide full access to employment, career and contract opportunities to minorities and women in the transportation industry. The local chapter is one of 35 across the United States.

“The chapter has experienced significant growth in the last couple of years,” said Lee Davis, chapter president, “and SamTrans has been a leader in that resurgence.” SamTrans employees are active members of the organization and have played a significant role in attracting new members.

The District has a long track record of supporting diversity in the workplace by encouraging minority and women applicants through aggressive recruiting campaigns. As part of its ongoing outreach efforts, the District distributes job announcements to minority and women’s professional associations. In addition, the District works to retain its diverse workforce by promoting an all-inclusive environment through training and opportunities for advancement.

The agency’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise office works to engage and encourage minority- and disadvantaged-owned businesses to compete fairly for contracts awarded by the District. In 2006, more than 1,500 notices advertising contracts were distributed to minority businesses. On a regional level, the agency has sponsored DBE training workshops featuring key representatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

To introduce young people to careers in the transportation industry, the agency participates in Jobs for Youth, the county’s youth employment program. Since 2001, more than 30 young people, most of whom are minorities, have been placed in temporary positions at the agency.

The District also is an active participant in the Mineta Transportation Institute’s career and internship programs, hosting tours for high school students and providing internships for 35 students since 2002.

The San Mateo County Transit District is the county’s people-mover, operating 55 bus routes throughout San Mateo County and into parts of San Francisco and Palo Alto, providing paratransit service for persons with disabilities and shuttles that link transit centers with major employment sites. The District also is the managing agency for Caltrain commuter rail service and for the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, which administers the expenditure of a half-cent sales tax.