Salt Lake City will be honored tonight, May 24, as “Employer of the Year” by the Women in Transportation Seminar Northern Utah Chapter at its annual gala.

The group cited the city’s commitment to hiring more women in leadership positions and non-traditional jobs, including in transportation, engineering, and finance, as a key factor in giving the award. Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski will attend the event at the Orangerie at Red Butte Garden.

“Our Transportation Division consistently ranks as one of the best in the nation, and that is due in large part to Director Robin Hutcheson’s leadership and mentoring skills,” Mayor Biskupski said.

Robin Hutcheson was appointed Salt Lake City’s Transportation Division Director five years ago, after working for 15 years on city projects as a transit, streets, and urban planning consultant. The Women in Transportation Seminar noted that as director, Robin has more than doubled the number of female employees within the division and has “created an environment highly supportive of professional development and excellence.”

More than 41 percent of Salt Lake City leaders and administrators are women, while the average for other cities along the Wasatch Front is less than 36 percent, according to the Women in Transportation Seminar.