.
Burkholder is one of a small group of women in VIA’s Fleet Maintenance Department, and in 2014 became the only female currently at VIA who graduated the Targeted Maintenance Training Program as a mechanic.

“Being a woman in the shop doesn’t affect my overall job,” Burkholder said. “Initially you’re looked at a little differently because it’s mostly men in the industry. I had to earn my stripes by proving myself. But it’s been worth it.”

Among her primary roles is preventative maintenance and inspection of buses, assuring all fluids, filters, belts, and pullies are current. She’s also charged with inspecting and maintaining the moisture ejector for the buses’ air system – which controls many of the operating components, including brakes, suspension and the feature that allows buses to kneel at the curb for boarding assistance.

Burkholder knew what she was stepping into when she started working at VIA in 2008 as a shop attendant. Her father was a bus operator at VIA for 33 years before retiring the same year she started. She worked her way up, initially working nights, fueling, and cleaning buses and changing tires.

“Yeah, VIA has pretty much been a part of my whole life,” Burkholder said. “But I love it here. There definitely is a bond with your co-workers. If there is something you don’t know or understand, there is always someone who knows and is willing to explain it or teach you.”

.
She was with a friend at a public pool and saw a man and woman arguing. When the argument turned violent, “I told my friend to call police and I ran over, got between them, and asked him what was going on,” Di Constanzo recalls.

Within minutes, police arrived and helped diffuse the situation.

In retrospect, she admits that confronting a much larger man in the heat of an argument was not the wisest decision. But she doesn’t regret it, either. “I know [the woman] was scared. But seeing that, I knew I wanted to be a police officer and protect people that can’t protect themselves,” DI Costanzo said.

As an officer, “you have to be on point at all times and there’s no room for error,” she said. “I have to approach any situation with caution, but I also have to put fear aside.”

Di Costanzo joined the VIA police force in 2016 and became a certified K-9 officer in August 2018. Today, she is one of three K-9 officers with the VIA Transit Police Department, and the handler for Bela, a 6-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer.

“It’s one of the most rewarding jobs anyone can have,” Di Costanzo said. “Who doesn’t love dogs? Bela is the best partner in the world.”

The team patrols transit facilities throughout the VIA service area to ensure the safety of riders and the public.

“I know what I do is not common for a woman,” she said. “But whether you’re male or female, you must prove you can do the job.”

.
Estrada is part of a team of specialists who field between 1,200 and 1,400 inquiries that are received by phone, on social media, online comment form, comment cards on buses, and mail.

“I want to make sure every voice is heard – whether it’s positive or negative,” Estrada said. “We can’t always fix their concern on the spot, but it’s still important to me that they know we’re always going to get their inquiry or concern to the right department.”

Estrada’s husband, Jesse, was a bus operator at VIA, when they enrolled their infant son in the company’s daycare center 21 years ago, primarily so she could look for work. Little did she know her job search would end shortly thereafter. While picking up her son one day, she was alerted of a position that became available, applied, and was hired.

“A lot of what I learned in the daycare working with little ones, I am able to apply today,” Estrada said. “So much of it was about being patient, listening, reasoning, and coming up with solutions. It was about adapting and still is, just at a much higher level.”

She said working in the Customer Information Department also has given her an opportunity to learn varying aspects of the transit industry and how all VIA departments are interdependent.

“It’s not just answering customers who want to know when their bus is arriving or what the fare is,” Estrada said. “It’s knowing how VIA schedules buses; how routes are mapped; what kind of benches can be placed at a specific stop; what the procedure is for procurement bids. I even have to know the kind of solutions maintenance crews use to clean the buses.”

Estrada, who transitioned to VIA’s call center in 2009, also spent four years as a Customer Service Specialist, and three years in the Planning Department, before returning to the Customer Information Department in 2018.

“It’s just interesting how in each of my roles here at VIA, no matter what I was doing, I can always look back to what I did at the day care,” Estrada said. “It really did prepare me to handle situations the right way.”

.

Reflecting on her time at VIA, she said she wouldn’t trade a minute of it.

“I’ve really enjoyed meeting some amazing people from all our different departments,” Garcia said. “l love helping them set up for their events or whatever they need. I always want to make sure everything goes right because it’s a reflection on the company. It’s a sense of pride because it’s a good place to work and I want everyone to see that.”

As the Passenger Amenities Foreman, she is charged with a team of 30 employees who maintain the upkeep, cleaning, and landscaping of VIA facilities, including administrative offices, Transit Centers, and Park & Ride locations. Garcia’s crew also is responsible for the set up and breakdown of all equipment, such as tents, chairs, podium, sound system and signage, for all VIA special events.

She spent 21 years in retail before joining the VIA team in 1996 as a Fleet Shop Attendant. Over the years she’s held various positions, including being the first woman Fleet Foreman in VIA’s Maintenance Department.

Her current supervisor, Lester Johns, describes Garcia as a get-the-job-done person who is successful because she works well under pressure.

“She is able to adjust and overcome to make sure the job is complete,” Johns said. “Becky is very humble and straight forward; when she makes decisions there isn’t any doubt what the expected outcome is to be.”

She attributes much of her work ethic to VIA supervisors, including Johns and former boss Glenn Kuzniar, who retired in 2018.

“Glenn was my mentor and taught me so much about this job,” Garcia said. “He was kind but demanded quality work. If something wasn’t right, he pointed it out. And one time is all it would take. I’d make sure it was done correctly the next time. He always treated coworkers, really everybody, with respect. And that’s how I try to do my job.”