Latest news with #Mejia
Business Wire
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Wire
Gatik's Brenda Mejia Honored Among 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry
BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gatik, the market leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics is proud to announce that the company's Head of Operations, Brenda Mejia, has been named among 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry by Automotive News. This prestigious list of honorees was first initiated by Automotive News in 2000 and is only assembled every 5 years, recognizing the remarkable achievements of women reshaping the future of mobility and transportation. Honorees are chosen for their bold vision, problem-solving skills and ability to bring about lasting change in the sector. The list is composed of CEOs, Engineers, Managers and Founders — all strategic thinkers of the highest calibre who are reshaping the automotive industry during a period of radical transformation. Those included were chosen following a months-long nomination and judging process that attracted hundreds of entries from the United States, Canada and Mexico. 'Leading the Operations Team at Gatik is a tremendous privilege, and I'm extremely proud of our accomplishments since joining Gatik over eight years ago in 2017,' said Brenda Mejia, Gatik's Head of Operations. 'Being named by Automotive News among the 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry is not only an incredible honor, but serves as validation for the industry-defining work we're undertaking at Gatik to establish a safer, more efficient and more sustainable supply chain for our customers.' A graduate of both Cornell College and San Francisco State University, Mejia is responsible for overseeing Gatik's entire operations landscape, from market expansion and customer satisfaction to operational efficiency and employee engagement. She is responsible for managing a diverse team of over 100 employees across North America, which includes overseeing the company's central Operations Team, as well as the daily tasks of Autonomous Vehicle Operators and Dispatchers, Remote Supervisors and Regional Managers. As Gatik's first-ever employee, Brenda has been integral to building the company from the ground up, and has played a foundational role in seeing Gatik become the first and only autonomous trucking company worldwide to operate driverless, middle-mile commercial deliveries in 2021, which was achieved with Walmart in Arkansas. Today, Gatik operates a fleet of over 100 autonomous trucks, proudly demonstrating an outstanding safety record and operational reliability for North America's largest grocers, retailers and eCommerce companies. 'Over the last 25 years, on six lists of Leading Women, Automotive News has honored 442 executives,' said Mary Beth Vander Schaaf, Automotive News senior director of editorial operations. 'Our selection committee made many difficult decisions – it gets tougher every time. The talented, powerful executives on this list are at the forefront of thousands of successful women in the auto industry.' Today's announcement comes hot on the heels of Mejia being named a 2025 Top Woman to Watch in Transportation by the Women In Trucking Association, and a winner of the Rising Stars category for this year's Pros to Know award, presented by Supply & Demand Chain Executive. About Gatik Gatik AI Inc., the leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics, is revolutionizing B2B supply chains by enabling safe, consistent, high-frequency freight movement. Gatik's AI-Driven Autonomy is transforming short-haul logistics for Fortune 500 retailers, and in 2021 the company launched the world's first driverless commercial transportation service with Walmart. Gatik's medium-duty autonomous trucks are commercially deployed in multiple markets including Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, and Ontario. Gatik partners with industry leaders including Isuzu Motors, NVIDIA, Cummins, Ryder, and Goodyear. Founded in 2017 by veterans of the autonomous technology industry, the company has offices in Mountain View, Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix, Bentonville and Toronto. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, statements regarding future business strategies, plans, objectives, and anticipated performance. These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Gatik and are subject to various risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Factors that could impact these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, changes in market conditions, economic factors, competitive dynamics, regulatory developments, and unforeseen operational challenges. Gatik undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Landis Elementary teacher wins Billman Excellence in Teaching Award
As a bilingual graduate from the Logansport Community School Corporation, Karina Mejia is now giving students opportunities she never had as part of the Dual Language Immersion Program at Landis Elementary. 'We only had languages from our freshman year to senior year and now they can start at a younger age,' Mejia told the Pharos-Tribune in 2022. 'They are becoming more affluent in the language, too.' For her passion and hard work, the Cass County Community Foundation on Wednesday announced Mejia as the 2025 recipient of the Elizabeth A. Billman Excellence in Teaching Award during the end of school year awards at Landis. Deanna Crispen, CCCF president & CEO, and Luke Gangloff, CCCF chairman, made the announcement and commended Mejia for her dedication to her students and their families, ability to create an equitable learning environment and her passion for teaching and community. 'Elizabeth Billman was an educator, administrator, mentor and role model for young women and teachers,' Crispen said. 'When we thought about ways to honor her legacy, this award, to encourage teachers early in their careers, was the result and we know Liz would be proud we are continuing her legacy through the award.' Mejia, who teaches the second-grade Spanish portion of the Dual Language program, was nominated by her assistant principal, Ashley Gangloff. 'Karina forms genuine connections with her students, taking time to understand their backgrounds, their families, and what inspirers them to learn,' Gangloff said in her nomination. 'She creates a warm and welcoming classroom where all students feel valued and supported.' Mejia just completed her fourth year as an educator at Landis. She is the fifth recipient of the award. The Excellence in Teaching Award was established in 2021 to honor the long legacy of Billman, who served on the Board of Directors of the Cass County Community Foundation for 16 years, including two terms as chairman of the board of directors and was on the board of directors at the time of her passing. Billman retired as principal at Thompson Elementary School, now known as Lewis Cass Elementary. She also taught in the Southeastern School Corporation, beginning her teaching career at Washington Township School. She was a member of the Lewis Cass Alumni Association where she received the Distinguished Service Award. In total, she served in the Southeastern School Corporation for 38 years. Mejia was selected for the award from a pool of nominees — submitted by elementary building principals of kindergarten through sixth grade from all county schools — who most exemplify Billman's commitment to the students. The award consists of a $500 stipend for the teacher for their classroom and a commemorative plaque. A permanent plaque is on display at the CCCF office to honor each year's recipient.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 arrested for menacing couple, Weld County deputy and barricading inside home
DENVER (KDVR) — A 37-year-old man and his wife were arrested in Weld County after the man allegedly menaced a deputy and a couple while driving in the early morning hours on Monday. The Weld County Sheriff's Office first encountered the man, identified as Jose Mejia, at 3:30 a.m. on Monday. A deputy reported that he was being tailgated by a blue sedan. 2 suspects arrested on first-degree murder charges in deadly Aurora parking lot shooting The man behind the wheel was allegedly driving aggressively, speeding up and slowing whenever the deputy sped up or slowed, and failed to stop at the stop sign at the corner of 25th Avenue and O Street. The deputy continued to the sheriff's office and reported the driver pulled up alongside him, driving eastbound in the westbound lane. The vehicle was last seen by the deputy on Monday morning near the Platte Valley Detention Center and heading west. 'Minutes later' a couple called law enforcement and said a man in a blue sedan had pointed a gun at them and followed them on O Street. He allegedly followed the couple to 8th Avenue and D Street, pulled alongside their vehicle's passenger side and pointed a handgun at the passenger. The couple 'sped away,' according to the Greeley Police Department, but heard several gunshots at the same time. Nearby officers heard the gunshots as well. The department reported that an officer saw the blue sedan pull into the gas station at the corner of 35th Avenue and 4th Street and tried to pull the vehicle over. The man fled, according to Greeley police, driving south on 35th Avenue. The agency said that Mejia was driving at a high rate of speed and flattened both passenger-side tires during the pursuit. Mejia pulled into a townhome subdivision in the 2100 block of 35th Avenue, ran into one of the townhomes with a door already open, and shut it behind him, the Greeley police reported. Aurora police issue street racing warning: 'You will be caught' At 4:25 a.m., the department sent a Reverse911 call to the neighborhood's residents. Local schools were placed on a secure status. The safety precautions were lifted at 10:34 a.m. Mejia was arrested at 9:25 a.m., according to the agency, and is facing charges of menacing, vehicular eluding, illegal discharge of a weapon, reckless endangerment, obstruction of police and failure to leave premises upon request of a peace officer. Mejia's wife, Elena Garza-Mejia, 41, was also arrested. She is facing charges of obstruction of a police officer and failure to leave premises upon request of a peace officer. The agency is still investigating the incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Elizabeth Finch at 970-350-9682. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Children as young as six are finding porn online as teachers report surge in 'sexual innuendos' in classrooms
An inquiry has found kids as young as six are finding pornography online while female teachers are becoming the subject of inappropriate sexual innuendos. Teachers speaking on behalf of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools Australia (NSW), made the shocking disclosures during a NSW Parliamentary inquiry into the 'impacts of harmful pornography on mental, emotional, and physical health'. The findings were based on the school work kids were producing in the classroom and speculated that students were accidently accessing pornography online by clicking on ads, sometimes on gaming websites. The inquiry also heard that specialised government supports for children who engaged in harmful sexual behaviours were being delayed due to high demand. Principal at Montgrove College in Sydney 's west, Lourdes Mejia, said the impacts of the exposure to pornography played out in the classroom. 'You can see that they have had some access to pornography, from perhaps the stories that they tell or even sometimes the drawings or things that they write, the little notes that they pass to each other, that I have seen recently, that's quite surprised me,' Mejia told the inquiry, as reported by The Australian. Hunter Valley Grammar School Principal Rebecca Butterworth said primary school students sharing sexualised images with each other was concerning. 'I'm quite surprised by the age sometimes. It's started in our school, sometimes around Year Six, and then accelerated in Year 7,' she told the inquiry. Nowra Anglican College principle Lorrae Sampson said she had seen an increase in the 'objectification of girls' by boys, as well as an surge in boys making 'inappropriate sexual innuendos or noises' towards teachers. Violence prevention organisation Our Watch has shared a guide for teaching Respectful Relationships Education (RRE) in Australian schools. The RRE would give students the skills to reject destructive behaviours and harassment and challenge stereotypes like gendered-violence in schools, including towards female teachers, and sexualised bullying. The behaviour towards female teachers was localised to certain groups of students and clusters of boys. The inquiry also found that early exposure to pornography and prolonged exposure to damaging pornography was putting local health services under the pump. Professor Dale Tolliday told the inquiry that pornography contributed to a high demand for health services across the state, including services for children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviours. He said there was a 'significant delay' in services to ensure adequate government responses to students and their families in New South Wales.
Los Angeles Times
06-05-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
L.A.'s 'Create Your City Budget' tool is good for transparency but has one big flaw
Buenos dias. I'm California columnista Gustavo Arellano, writing this here newsletter from Orange County for the next two weeks. Here's what you need to know to start your day. Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia has revolutionized his historically staid position. He has combined viral know-how, CPA smarts, a millennial's love for self-aggrandizement, a corgi cabinet and a progressive's love to serve the people to demystify the city's byzantine finances. That's why I was excited when Mejia announced a few weeks ago the launch of 'Create Your City Budget,' an app that allows users to, well, create their own L.A. city budget. Because, not sure if you've heard, but L.A.'s financial outlook is a headache worthy of Psyduck. With a projected budget shortfall of nearly $1 billion, Mayor Karen Bass' plan to fix it is pleasing nobody. Layoffs and reduction in services not just expected but have essentially been promised. Expect a lot of negotiations, protests and meetings until we know the final damage in the summer. Mejia's app at least lets people create their own version in the meantime. The top part of 'Create Your City Budget' shows the current proposed allocations broken down by departments complete with a pie chart that allows users to see what percentage of the $6,591,708,935 total a department takes up. (The library's $257 million? 3.89%. LAPD's 1.98 billion? 30.06%.) Below that, widgets allow you to increase or decrease each department's funding to your desire; another pie chart grows and contracts based on your moves. Once users have created the budget of their dreams, they can submit the final amount — but it can't go over $6,591,708,935! — and have it sent to council members in the hopes they can sway pols. City Controller office director of communications Diana Chang told The Times they've received 88 submissions — a good start. The tool is simple to use and easy to understand. It's great to see Mejia try different ways to engage residents about matters far too long the domain of insiders and lobbyists. But 'Create Your City Budget' doesn't go far enough. Mejia is probably too young to have played 'Oregon Trail' in elementary school. The pioneering computer game was supposed to teach my generation about the hardships faced by those who helped to conquer the American West. Players could hunt buffalo, talk to Swedes and slowly make their way across the Great Plains and Rockies with pixelated graphics and old-timey music rendered weirdly futuristic by the Apple II's primitive music card. I had fun playing it, though I couldn't tell you today anything I learned about those pioneer days except one thing: how to budget. Spent all your money in the beginning of your trek? Good luck buying supplies when they run out. Spent too much money on food instead of bullets? Good luck trying to hunt a buffalo with your extra axle. Too cheap to pay a ferry to take you across a deep river so you decided to ford your covered wagon instead? Now your supplies are soaked, silly! 'Oregon Trail' taught young minds the consequences of their decisions really quick (raise of hands, Gen Xers: how many of you digitally died of dysentery?). Mejia's 'Create Your City Budget' app needs to let its users experience the same — the good, the bad and the WTF. What actually happens if every department kicked over $100,000 to El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, thereby doubling its $2-million budget? If the DSA dream of defunding the LAPD actually happened? If the L.A. Zoo and Animal Services combined their departments? Allowing people to do the municipal version of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic doesn't accomplish much if they can't see the ship sink — or, maybe even survive. Hey: if 'Dungeons and Dragons' can help people beat monsters with a 20-sided die, I'm sure Mejia's office can create a role-playing game out of L.A.'s budget worthy of Baron Haussmann — or at least Bloomberg CityLab. Freddy Escobar, center, president of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, speaks at a news conference. Top LAFD union officers have been suspended The president and two other top officers were suspended Monday after an investigation by the union's parent organization found $800,000 in credit card purchases that were not properly accounted for. A former top officer of the union was also removed from his post earlier this year over allegations that he engaged in financial improprieties involving the union's charity for injured firefighters, including using $5,000 for personal expenses. Don't worry, the weather is turning around This week is kicking off with more showers and cool temperatures, but Southern California will slowly transition into a period of warm, dry weather. 'If you're sick of the cold weather, you'll like this week,' said Ryan Kittell, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard. More on Trump's call to reopen Alcatraz Trump's call to reopen Alcatraz fell flat with tourists at the prison, who asked: Why and how? What's really behind President Trump's order to reopen Alcatraz as a prison? It's about empowering authorities to act without fear of consequence, columnist Anita Chabria wrote. Speaking of Trump What else is going on L.A. County has declared a Hepatitis A outbreak. Here's what you need to know. An L.A. County firefighter assaulted his neighbor. But his bosses couldn't fire him. Indigenous tribes without federal recognition fiercely opposed a bill that would treat tribes with and without federal recognition differently during land development disputes, prompting the author to pull it. The Manhattan Beach-based footwear company Skechers will be sold to investment firm 3G Capital for $9.4 billion. Three people are dead and nine others are missing after a 'panga-style vessel' overturned in Del Mar early Monday, authorities said. Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here. Overwhelmed by the world? Glennon Doyle says focus on staying human at heart. In 'We Can Do Hard Things,' Glennon Doyle and her co-authors chart a road map to navigate the many difficulties of life. How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Going out Staying in — Reader Rocky Booth wrote in 'My mother woke me up and said 'go out an get a job.'' — Reader Alan Michaels wrote 'Met another American who said, 'Come to Japan!'' Email us at essentialcalifornia@ , and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they're important to you. Before and after look at 2900 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Altadena. Today's great photos are from the L.A. Times staff: These before and after photos show Pacific Palisades and Altadena right after the fires, and then post cleanup. Have a great day, from the Essential California team Gustavo Arellano, California columnist Karim Doumar, head of newsletters Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on
