ITE Journal – December 2019 - 25

the next generation of transportation leaders. This year, through
a combination of Legacy Fund donations and the generosity of
members Kenneth Voigt and Hibbett Neel, P.E. (H), ITE was able
to name two Diversity Scholars-Jouselyn Lopez, the ITE Legacy
Fund Diversity Scholar, and Sebastian Velazquez, the Neel/Voigt
Diversity Scholar. Their incredible stories can be found in the
September issue of ITE Journal.
Industry Council. This past year ITE successfully launched the
Industry Council, chaired by Abbas Mohaddes, president and COO of
Econolite. This Council provides a home for companies that provide
solutions in the traffic control, new mobility, communications, and
data analytics spaces. It has focused its initial efforts on updating
procurement guidance so that potential buyers of industry products
can most effectively engage in the marketplace. A recent Industry
Council sponsored webinar featured a member company and demonstrated how their products and services were being used by a public
agency member. Future efforts will focus on educating public sector
members and consultancies on emerging solutions so they can make
informed regulatory, management, and purchase decisions.
Road Safety Professional (RSP) Exams. In 2017, the Transportation Professional Certification Board (TPCB) announced it would be
launching the RSP Level 1 and Level 2 certifications to recognize road
safety as a profession, to establish a recognized level of practice and
knowledge, and to incentivize safety education. Over the past two
years the RSP has been brought to fruition. The RSP Level 1 certification debuted in October 2018 and over the past year more than 300
transportation safety professionals have been certified. In October
2019 the RSP Level 2 exams were given for the first time in the areas
of Behavioral and Infrastructure Safety, respectively. Sixty roadway
safety specialists took the exams during the first certification period.
Women in ITE and Young Members. Two new affinity groups
were established within ITE in 2019-the Women in ITE Subcommittee and Young Members. Both groups are actively developing
resources to benefit the industry. The Women in ITE Subcommittee
fosters gender inclusion among transportation professionals and
the communities ITE serves through testimony and research. The

Attendees enjoy the Welcome Reception at the Annual Meeting in Austin,
TX, USA in July.

The ITE joint student chapter of Florida A&M University and Florida
State University was the winner of the 2018 STEM competition.
group launched a successful blog within the ITE website and have
written on issues such as access to healthcare, gender and public
transit, and human trafficking.
The Young Members Committee originally developed and has
helped to enhance the Matson and Hammond Mentoring Program,
which has resulted in more than 85 mentoring relationships. In
addition, they have developed ideas on best practices to share with
our Districts, Sections, and Chapters and will be working next year to
enhance participation and leadership opportunities throughout ITE.
STEM Activities. STEM outreach to children plays a critically
important role in continuing the legacy of the transportation
profession. In 2018, the ITE STEM Subcommittee developed a
wide range of new age-appropriate, transportation-oriented STEM
resources. These materials have been widely utilized and in November
2019 a STEM competition among its Sections and Chapters is being
conducted to encourage members to engage in K-12 STEM-related
classroom activities. The competition provides a way to celebrate
National STEM month annually in November. Additionally, many
resources were developed or identified in 2019 and are now available
on ITE's website to assist with K-12 STEM classroom activities.
Member Survey and Listening Sessions. In the spring of
2019, ITE leadership conducted a survey of current, former, and
prospective members. The survey was designed to identify opportunities to increase ITE's relevance and value to members, as well
as understand how ITE can better provide value to the profession.
In addition, ITE President Bruce Belmore, P.Eng., PTOE, AVS (F)
and members of the Executive Committee conducted Town Hall
listening sessions at each of the District Meetings and at the 2019
Joint ITE International and Texas District Annual Meeting. ITE
headquarters staff and the IBOD have been reviewing the survey
results along with input from the Town Halls to identify areas where
solutions can immediately be put into place to address member
needs. The results are also being used by the Strategic Planning
Committee that is developing the 2021-2023 ITE Strategic Plan.
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D e cember 2019

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ITE Journal – December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ITE Journal – December 2019