Kerri Barile, President of Dovetail Cultural Resource Group and ACRA's Conference Committee Chair, has been awarded the Woman of the Year Award by the Central Virginia chapter of WTS International. Since 1977, WTS International, then called Women’s Transportation Seminar, has focused on promoting the advancement of women in the transportation industry.

From the WTS Central Virginia:

Dr. Barile has more than 27 years of experience in the transportation industry- including serving as a Preservation Program Coordinator for VDOT prior to opening Dovetail Cultural Resource Group (Dovetail). Dovetail is a small, woman-owned business/DBE that garners more than 60 percent of its revenues from the transportation industry. Dr. Barile personally has supported the full gamut of surface transportation projects such as new road/alignments, road widening, interchange improvements, bridge/culvert replacements, drainages, bridge rehabilitation, stormwater management facilities, parking areas, bus rapid transit corridors, all forms of rail services, aviation facilities, and space-related launch sites. Dovetail (as a prime or sub) has open-end contracts with numerous transportation agencies (e.g., VDOT, NCDOT, MDOT, DelDOT) and has worked with other federal, state, and local transportation agencies for more than 14 years. She recently completed the nearly 5-year Southeast High Speed Rail project, for which she received commendations from clients and regulators.

In addition to her commitment to the transportation industry, she is an ardent supporter of community involvement. She volunteers hundreds of hours each year to local, state, and national organizations and offers staff a paid day each year to volunteer. She donates company services pro bono to at least one major preservation project each year- typically between $20,000 and $40,000 of labor annually. This year, she is working with the Fredericksburg Nationals baseball team to develop a history pavilion in their new stadium and associated educational materials. As a result, thousands of patrons and school children will be educated about America’s favorite pastime, from Civil War soldiers playing games together while in camp to America’s first female playing in the minor league. Lastly, Dr. Barile ensures that 10 percent of Dovetail's annual profit goes towards charitable donations - Dovetail has donated almost a quarter million dollars to dozens of very deserving charities.

Congratulations to Kerri, and you can view all of the award winners on the WTS website. Please add your congratulations to Kerri in the comments below!