By Jheri Hardaway
Staff Writer
Raleigh, NC - Transportation leaders, public agency officials, private industry partners, and emerging professionals gathered on Hillsborough Street last Thursday, July 23, for the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) North Carolina 2026 Summer Social. The evening combined networking, community investment, and a pivotal milestone for the chapter’s leadership: the official swearing-in of the incoming Executive Board of Directors.
The evening opened with recognition for the chapter's steady growth and community-focused initiatives. Attendees celebrated the foundational efforts of immediate past leaders, notably Ebony Benton, whose instrumental leadership helped establish and build the North Carolina chapter into a premier transportation network. A major highlight of the gathering was the announcement of COMTO North Carolina's upcoming educational investments. Thanks to the generosity of corporate sponsors and industry partners, the chapter announced it will award five $1,000 scholarships in November 2026.
In addition to scholarship funding, COMTO NC's ongoing initiatives include:
Workforce Development Programs: Connecting students and young professionals across the state to career paths in transportation.
Technical Tours & Site Visits: Providing behind-the-scenes access to major infrastructure projects, ports, ferries, transit systems, and aviation facilities.
Lunch & Learns: Hosting continuous professional development sessions for members statewide.
The centerpiece of the evening was the formal oath of office for the incoming COMTO NC Executive Board of Directors. Tammy Hall-Roberts, Chair of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority (RDU) and the first female chair in RDU's history, served as the official swearing-in officer. Before administering the oath, Hall-Roberts highlighted the dynamic transformations currently underway across the state's transit networks, including RDU’s active $4 billion building program, "It is truly an honor to lead an organization where we have right about $4 billion in building going on," said Tammy Hall-Roberts. "I get it right now, it may be a little painful as you navigate through all the changes, but just think of what this airport will mean in terms of 20 years down the road, we will certainly be a leader in the aviation industry." Following her remarks, Hall-Roberts led the incoming officers through their solemn oath to execute their duties, uphold COMTO’s mission, and champion an efficient, multimodal transportation system that serves all North Carolinians.
The event brought together a broad cross-section of the industry from summer interns and state DOT representatives to private engineering partners, municipal transit leaders, and aviation executives. Closing out the program, chapter leader Troy Creasy NCDOT Branch Manager emphasized the critical role transportation plays in maintaining North Carolina's standing as one of the fastest-growing states in the nation and a top state for business. Creasy noted, "Delivering the future transportation network that we need is really going to come from the folks that are in this room being together and unified through COMTO," during his closing remarks. "North Carolina continues to be a top state for business, and transportation is the biggest reason why we are able to grow at the rate we do."
Members left with a challenge to continue expanding the chapter's reach by inviting new partners, students, and colleagues to future site visits, lunch and learns, and professional development opportunities across Charlotte, Raleigh, and beyond.
