Verra Mobility partners with Marinship Development to empower the Bay Area for safer communities

At Verra Mobility, we’re committed to creating safer roads for all communities. We know that safety extends beyond technology, that community is based on authentic relationships, and that more significant equity begins with greater opportunity. That’s why we’re proud to partner with Marinship Development Interest, LLC, a California-based African American MBE, that leads heavy building and construction innovation for civil and energy infrastructure initiatives in the Bay Area.

A barrier-breaking legacy

Founder and Managing Member Derek Smith realized that building a sustainable future for California required an intersectional approach to development. As a field engineer, estimator, and project manager with a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Stanford University, he brings more than 30 years of experience.

Derek is a third-generation skilled tradesman. His grandfather, a sheet metal worker lent his talents to the Marin Shipbuilding Division of W.A. Bechtel Company during WWII. At the same time, Grandmother Bessie was a welder and one of the first African American women to enter the workforce and earn a wage independently.

His family’s legacy of building ships in support of the U.S. defense effort of WWII – the inspiration behind the company’s name – has guided the company’s mission beyond completing high-quality projects on time and under budget.

Partnering for a safer Bay Area

Verra Mobility and Marinship share the belief that empowering communities leads to safer, healthier communities with a higher quality of life. Marinship works to continuously uplift California communities by focusing on local recruitment efforts, providing on-the-job training and internship opportunities to STEM students and professionals, and pursuing a greener, sustainable future for California.

By working with MBEs, we bring together a diverse and qualified workforce and contribute to the economic and social well-being of the communities we serve. We look forward to continuing this successful partnership and working together to make roads safer for everyone.

Stay tuned for more stories of impact and collaboration as we continue to drive forward with our mission to build safer, healthier, and more equitable communities.