FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LIT

Contact:

Christina Villarreal

Executive Director

LIT Announces Diana C. Mendes of HNTB as Keynote Speaker for the 2026 Leadership Summit

National transportation leader to headline the Leadership Luncheon in Columbus as LIT marks its 10th anniversary.

(Columbus, Ohio) — July 31, 2026 — Latinos In Transit (LIT) today announced that Diana C. Mendes, FAICP, Corporate President, Infrastructure and Mobility Equity at HNTB Corporation, will deliver the keynote address at the Leadership Luncheon during the 2026 LIT Leadership Summit. The luncheon takes place Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Hilton Columbus Downtown and is sponsored by HNTB.

The Leadership Luncheon — "Leaders Who LIT the Way" — is one of the Summit's signature gatherings, bringing together transit executives, agency leaders, small business partners, and emerging professionals from across the country for a shared conversation on leadership in public transportation.

Mendes brings more than 35 years of experience in the infrastructure industry. As HNTB's Corporate President of Infrastructure and Mobility Equity, she works with federal, state, and local agency leaders to shape transportation and mobility policy. An HNTB Fellow, she previously served as the firm's Mid-Atlantic Division President, overseeing operations and client service across six states and the District of Columbia, and as HNTB's national transit and rail market sector leader. Earlier in her career she led the largest transit design and consulting practice in North America as a senior executive at AECOM.

Mendes was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to serve on the U.S. Department of Transportation's Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity. She has taught the National Transit Institute's Advanced Environmental Justice seminar as an adjunct professor at Rutgers University and is a frequent speaker at national industry convenings. She holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from Mount Holyoke College and a master's in city planning from the University of Pennsylvania.

"Diana has spent her career lifting up the people around her — mentoring colleagues across this industry and, from her seat at one of the nation's largest prime firms, opening real doors for small and disadvantaged businesses," said LIT Executive Director Christina Villarreal. "Transit-oriented development represents significant economic opportunity, and Diana has been intentional about making sure small businesses are positioned to compete for that work rather than watch it pass them by. That is the kind of leadership we want our members to see up close in our 10th anniversary year, and we are grateful to HNTB for sponsoring the Leadership Luncheon and standing alongside LIT in this work."

The 2026 Leadership Summit takes place September 10–13, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio, hosted in partnership with the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). The Summit closes out a yearlong celebration of LIT's 10th anniversary and features four days of programming across networking, technical training, and leadership and workforce development.

Registration is open atwww.latinosintransit.org.

About Latinos In Transit

Latinos In Transit (LIT) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advances workforce development and economic development across the public transportation industry. LIT delivers national training programs, professional development pathways, mentorship offerings, and strategic partnerships that equip transportation professionals with the skills, resources, and networks needed for career success. As LIT marks its 10-year anniversary in 2026, the organization continues expanding its national footprint and strengthening its impact on America's mobility workforce.