So today, I found myself riding one of these new subway cars, when I caught a piece of garbled voice coming in through my hearing aid.  I eagerly looked up to the screen to see what the announcement was, and this is what the screen said: “Please listen to TTC personnel announcement.”

I sat there, stunned.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Seriously, to fix the problem of people not being able to hear announcements, you’re just going to ask them to listen?  You’re not going to SAY what the announcement is?  What about people who are completely deaf, who happen to look at the screen without knowing that there’s an announcement on the speaker, and realize that they are being told to “listen” as though it’s nothing much to ask?  That’s kind of a big slap in the face.  The stupid person who designed this system needs to do a SERIOUS face-palm.  They messed up.  And probably wasted a lot of money on a system that is useless for deaf and hard-of-hearing riders.

Stokes is a veteran business development and marketer who has extensive trade association experience dedicated to leading change and driving organizational excellence. At SMC Business Councils, Stokes will perform the lead role for membership acquisition and growth and create new opportunities to ensure that SMC Business Councils remains the leader in providing Pennsylvania small businesses with the services and products needed to ensure their growth. She will report to Tom Henschke, SMC Business Councils president.

“We are very excited to have Gretchen on board,” Henschke said. “She’s a seasoned pro who will build on SMC Business Councils’ offerings in human resources, advocacy and insurance. SMC has a strong value proposition for Pennsylvania small businesses, and with Gretchen aboard, it will be even stronger.”

Before her tenure at SMC Business Councils, Stokes was internal sales director at Leed’s, responsible for the strategic and operational objectives of a global team responsible for $180 million in sales. She has been trade show business unit director and held other positions at the Society of Automotive and Aerospace Engineers International, where she developed the strategic direction for the organization’s 25 international technical trade shows; business development manager for the Air & Waste Management Association; and most recently was a project consultant for Medrad Inc., where she applied Six Sigma methodology to marketing and sales initiatives.

She earned a B.A. in communications from the Pennsylvania State University.

For more than 65 years, SMC Business Councils has been the leader in providing Pennsylvania small businesses with the services and products needed to ensure their growth. With offices in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, SMC offers HR, advocacy, insurance and other business-development services to its members in manufacturing, small business and home-based entrepreneurs throughout the Commonwealth.