The students in Eno’s 2014 Transit Mid Manager class met for just one week in Orange County, California almost two years ago, but that week proved to be the starting point for an informal alumni group that has stayed in touch ever since.

The 2014 Eno Transit Mid Manager Class in Orange County, CA

The group was founded and organized by two class participants, Charles Murphy of Boston’s MBTA and Amber Dakan of the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART).

This monthly call is “no-pressure” as Charles Murphy put it. Not all of the students from the 2014 class participate, but for those who do it is a wonderful way to stay in touch, apply what they learned in class, and ask for advice from their industry peers.

The calls cover a wide range of topics. From trading best practices, to sharing career advice, job training, safety solutions, to even solving a case of bed bugs on transit, the 2014 TMM Alums have become a tight knit group. (Ed. note: We are happy to report that the bed bug incident was resolved quickly – all because this alumni group came together and crowd sourced a solution!)

The group holds an hour-long conference call bi-monthly. According to Murphy, there is a core group who joins the calls consistently but others often email with advice, best practices, questions, personal updates, etc.

When asked if he had advice for other Eno Alumni who would be interested in forming their own groups, Murphy had two concrete pieces of advice. First, make sure you have at least two key members who will organize follow-up communication and keep the group organized. Second, he suggested establishing an official photo/file sharing platform for the group. This will help classmates share important documents, photos, and videos.

For those who would like to form their own alumni groups, Eno would love to help. Eno’s Alumni Association hosts an online forum for any Alums that would like to reconnect, ask advice, make new industry contacts, etc.. All you have to do to gain access is sign up for Eno’s free alumni membership here (if you’re not already signed up, which you should be if you are reading this).