Transit California sat down with Melissa Figueroa, the new Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the California Transit Association.
Transit California: You came to work as the Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Association in September 2024. What do you envision for the Association’s internal and external communications goals in 2025 and beyond? 
I come from a visual storytelling background, and I plan to carry that forward with work that the California Transit Association is doing broadly. You’ll definitely see more engagement across our digital platforms, more opportunities to partner and work with member agencies to amplify work and themes that are important to transit riders and supporters. Photos, videos, and graphics are such a fantastic way to convey a message and increase awareness, so you will certainly see more of that in the coming weeks and months.
Transit California: You oversee everything about the Association’s communications – from statewide and national media coverage, to targeted opinion pieces, to social media platforms, to this trade publication. What do you want Association members to know about working with your department?
First and foremost, we are here for YOU! The work that the Association is doing touches people of all ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds in California. Collectively we have great, impactful stories to tell, and our team wants to help amplify that in creative and meaningful ways. We would love to be your partners in this great work.
Transit California: You are a longtime advocate for women and minorities in the transportation career field, and you’ve been recognized by numerous organizations, most recently as Woman of the Year for the Sacramento Chapter of WTS. Can you talk about some of your work in this area?
When I began working in transportation it became clear to me very quickly that I was in the minority. Frequently, I’d be in a meeting or gathering and be the only woman, or only Latina. While women make up more than 50% of the population (and transit riders) we represent just 15% of the transportation workforce. Instead of sitting back and accepting that statistic I committed to doing something about it. You can't expect meaningful change unless you’re willing to lean in and be a change maker. Sometimes the conversations are hard, sometimes they’re uncomfortable but they’re always needed. Through my work at both CalSTA and the California High-Speed Rail Authority I helped spearhead efforts to increase outreach to disadvantaged communities, create pathways for internships and fellowships, advocate for promotions for well deserving female and minority colleagues, establish bilingual positions and work product for the Authority and most of all just be vocal about the need for more representation from the most entry level positions all the way into the C-suite.
Transit California: You serve as a mentor for several higher education and career programs, including UC Berkeley’s Cal in Sac program and the Sacramento Capital Fellows Program, as well as the Dean’s Advisory Council and the Journalism Department Advisory Board for your alma mater, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. How do you see this work being an important part of transportation policy and public policy generally?
Mentorship has always been a priority for me, personally my two biggest champions and mentors have helped guide me through various points in my personal and professional life. I want to make sure I’m paying that forward for those who are coming up in their careers. Not only does mentorship allow us to help guide someone’s future path, and guide the next generation of leaders, but it also gives us a chance to see, learn and hear about new areas emerging in our professional field. Communications and public affairs are constantly evolving, there are many years where I feel like I'm learning just as much from my mentees as they are from me.
Transit California: Prior to your current role, you served for five years as the Chief of Strategic Communications at California’s High Speed Rail Authority, where your leadership was central to securing a multibillion-dollar federal grant and dramatically improving public perception of the ongoing project. What were some of your successful strategies to help the Authority reach these milestones?
Our team’s primary focus at the Authority was transparency. There were no hidden or gotcha questions we answered it all, in whatever forum it was asked. Public trust is imperative on a project that size and we worked hard to regain that. We completely revamped our approach to social media with a strong emphasis on showing the public what was being delivered on the project and engaging with people. With a project 500 miles long, there is no better mechanism to show progress than photos and video. We worked to personalize the project, highlighting the hard-working men and women not only in the field but around the state working to bring high-speed rail to California, whether that was on social media, in the field during site visits, in classroom visits or in the news. Finally, we celebrated the wins – all of them. Internally, staff were proud to see their work highlighted, externally the public appreciated being kept informed about what progress was being made. I was fortunate to work with some really talented people and look forward to seeing the great work continue.
Transit California: You served in public sector communications leadership roles during several major infrastructure project efforts, including the passage and early implementation of 2017’s Senate Bill 1 and the demolition of the Bay Bridge’s old span. Can you talk a bit about some of your most successful media efforts with these projects, as well as some of the challenges you faced?
For Senate Bill 1 – we were talking about a tax increase, never an easy area to sell the public on. It was a multi-year effort that required a lot of coordination between our Agency, the Legislature, the Governor, and stakeholders like all of you. We faced some very vocal opponents, lots of media attacks and plenty of legislative attention. It required our partners to be on message with crisp, easy to understand talking points, compelling visuals and rapid responses, we were fortunate to have an amazing coalition of support that felt lucky to help lead the communications effort for. For the Bay Bridge, I began at CalSTA shortly after the new east span opened, the integrity of the structure was being called into question which required a lot of work with engineers so that we not only understood the issue but could clearly convey to the public and the press in terms they understood. Clear messaging from experts was key to success for this effort. One my proudest days was seeing a headline in a Bay Area media outlet declaring the new span “The safest bridge in the country.”
Transit California: Throughout your service at state agencies, you led communications efforts for interagency emergency responses to a wide range of natural disasters, including wildfires, flooding, landslides, and the pandemic. What communications advice would you give to transit operators preparing for emergencies?
The absolute most important thing to remember is to lead with compassion and empathy. During times of crisis, our job is to make sure information is easy to understand, simple and clear. This is a digital age – people expect information as soon as you have it, but our job is to make sure that information is correct so we’re not spreading fear or concern to an already vulnerable group of people. Also, plan ahead! Make sure you know what the approach is for a multitude of scenarios that could impact your organization. Planning for a crisis while it’s happening will never lead to success.
Transit California: Earlier in your career, you worked as the Press Secretary in a state legislator’s office at the Capitol. Can you share some ideas about how Association members should work with legislative communications staff to their advantage?
Comms staff, whether it's public or private sector, likes to be kept in the loop, it’s really as simple as that. If you have a listserv, make sure they’re on it. If you’re on social media make sure you follow each other. If your press person for your agency is in Sacramento or a District Office a member's press staff might be located in, reach out to say hello. Establishing relationships makes it so much easier when it comes time to make an ask.
Transit California: You once worked as a news producer for local television news stations. What is your best advice to Association members who want to develop positive relationships with their local journalists?
Meet deadlines. Reporters are working more now than ever before, often getting interviews, writing stories, shooting video and website posts and social media promotion. If they’ve asked for a comment or an interview, make sure you know when they need it. If you won’t be able to make it happen – be honest. You never want to be the entity that a reporter quotes by saying “xyz agency failed to respond for comment.” Also, help journalists with the top 3 or 4 points you want them to know for your story. They’re not going to have time to read an entire report, so if you’re going to send them one, point them to exactly where they need to look. Also as a press lead I always appreciated when a boss would turn to me at the end of an interview to ask me if there was anything they missed, or anything that needed clarification. Often times we’ve done a lot of legwork that led to that interview, and appreciate making sure nothing was overlooked.
Transit California: How can Association members get in touch with you?
Easiest way is always email – melissa@caltransit.org. Of course I’d love to connect on social media as well!