Executive Director's Report April 2024
Greetings!
April was an active and exciting month for the association. Kicking off the month with the ACT West Coast Regional TDM Summit in the Bay Area, we welcomed nearly 200 people to the campus of Genentech for a day and a half filled with important TDM issues for the region. The event represented an important strategic shift for the organization, implementing a decision made by the board last year to host more localized programming in partnership with our chapters.
The summitwas a tremendous success and will provide the Northern California Chapter with new resources to support additional programming, professional development, and member scholarship opportunities. Many thanks go out to all of the Northern California Chapter members who helped plan and host the summit. I encourage all chapters to consider hosting similar events in the future.
ACT’s Board of Directors also hosted its spring meeting at the event. During its four-hour meeting, the board heard and approved a membership-led proposal to launch a new Transit Council, making it the second new council added this year. The meeting also featured a detailed update from the Professional Development Committee on the hosting of our virtual Transportation Career Fair in collaboration with AASHTO, approval to move forward with ImpACT! Leadership in 2025 (stay tuned for opportunities to learn more), and approval to develop a new program to recognize the next generation of TDM leaders.
The Board also heard updates from the Future of Chapters Task Force, which is in the process of developing new policies for the establishment of new chapters and how to ensure chapters are delivering consistent value to members. The meeting closed with a brainstorming session by the Events Oversight Committee on topics for this year’s TDM Forum in Charlotte, which will feature a new program structure that aims to deliver more in-depth content and interactive sessions on four strategic themes. Stay tuned for a great new opportunity to volunteer as a member of the TDM Forum Program Committee!
Before I close, I want to remind everyone that we are hosting a virtual Transportation Career Fair on May 21. This event is a great opportunity for your organization to not only promote career opportunities but to showcase the tremendous work you are doing and demonstrate the breadth of the field. I hope you will consider hosting a booth and promoting your organization.
This week is National Volunteer Appreciation Week and I want to extend my personal thanks to all of the amazing volunteers we have within ACT. As an organization, we are truly lucky to have so many individuals who are willing to dedicate their time to helping us advance our mission, plan events, advocate for shared policy outcomes, and most importantly support each other as a community – and for that I am greatly appreciative.
Best regards,
David