ITE Journal - June 2021 - 26

| ite section profile

Supporting Members at Every Stage
The Illinois Section of ITE (ILITE) takes pride in incorporating new initiatives and its willingness
to incorporate positive changes to encourage member activity. A look at its activities and
accomplishments over the past several years, as well as how it has adapted to the pandemic,
demonstrates the Section's dedication to its members, the transportation industry, and the
continued success of ITE.
To promote public agency participation at the Section's events and provide more streamlined access to ILITE member benefits, the Illinois Section ITE created the Public Agency
Partnership (PAP) program in May 2019. The Section recognizes that public agencies have a
different budgetary process that can make it more difficult to register for individual events.
Under the program, public agencies make a one-time annual financial commitment, and in
turn may register for events such as luncheons, in-person webinars, and the Annual Banquet
at no additional cost, alleviating any financial hurdles public agency employees often face.
In addition to supporting public agency members, the Section actively encourages
younger members to pursue leadership positions. Nearly two-thirds of leadership positions on
the ILITE board and committees are held by members under 35 years-old. ILITE is also a major
supporter of the LeadershipITE (LITE) program. The Section provides partial financial support
for all LITE participants, setting aside $2,000 USD last year to support LITE candidates. It also
looks for monthly updates from its LITE participants at each of the monthly board meetings.
The Section currently has two committee leads, Justin Effinger, P.E. (M) and Karyn Robles,
AICP (M), enrolled in LeadershipITE 2021. When they share their experiences at monthly board
meetings, it not only encourages others to consider applying for an upcoming LITE class, but
also provides quick lessons-learned and helps other improve their careers.
The Illinois Section holds an Annual Awards Banquet in January as a commemorative event
to present student awards, Section awards, and to install the new Section board. The banquet
also provides an opportunity to raise funds for student scholarships. ILITE is honored to have
notable keynote speakers every year, including industry leaders representing Illinois transportation agencies like the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Chicago Department of
Transportation (CDOT), local county DOTs, and other influential member organizations within
the state of Illinois.
The Section continues its longstanding tradition of hosting luncheons with guest speakers
discussing current projects and transportation initiatives. Attendees have the opportunity to
network, enjoy a good meal, stay abreast
of current industry news and projects,
and earn Professional Development Hours
(PDHs). Events in recent years include
the Midwest High Speed Rail Association March Luncheon, the ITE/WTS/ITS
Midwest Autonomous Vehicle Luncheon,
the Chicago Regional Automated Traffic
Signal Performance Measures (ATSPM)
Workshop, and tours of the Illinois Tollway's
Traffic Management Center (TMC) and the
recently constructed I-90 Jane Adams Smart
Road project, in addition to several other
presentations. The Section also organizes
numerous technical webinars throughout
ILITE held a Traffic Engineering Workshop presented by Northwestern University Transportation Center.
26

J u ne 2021

i te j o urnal
ITE Journal - June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ITE Journal - June 2021
