Executive Director's Report February 2024

General News,

Last month, I was delighted to turnover my monthly letter to ACT’s Board President, David McMaster.  He shared his reflections on the previous year and encouraged you to engage with and experience all that ACT has 

to offer.  I’d like to echo his thoughts and share with you more opportunities ACT is developing to enhance the value of your membership.  Not a member? Let me invite you to join over 1,500 of your colleagues and peers in this tremendous community.

ACT’s Board of Directors met in early February for the first in-person meeting of the year in Anaheim, during our ImpACT! Leadership Seminar.  During the meeting, the Board approved the launch of the proposed Carpool Council, providing a great new opportunity for individuals interested in this core TDM strategy to gather, network, and advance best practices.  My appreciation goes out to all the individuals that helped make this council a reality.

The Board also spent time reviewing activities of ACT’s chapters and councils, which serve as important touch points for members.  Most often the place that members engage with each other, our chapters and councils are vital in our efforts to provide members with local engagement, focused learning, and meaningful networking.  I want to remind all members that you can join and participate in as many councils as you’d like by selecting them in your Member Compass.

The Board also discussed some exciting changes to ACT’s popular TDM Forum, which will be held in Charlotte, NC this November. Looking at new ways to enhance the event, we are moving forward with a new program structure that will guide participants through a deeper dive into significant TDM topic areas, enabling you to gather a greater understanding of key issues, policies, funding, and programming. Stay tuned for how you might be able to assist us in this effort.

While in Anaheim, I had the great pleasure of meeting and getting to know members of our 2024 ImpACT! Leadership class.  The group is a wonderful cohort of members from across the country, bringing together a wide range of experience and sectors within the field of TDM.  I look forward to watching and working with all of them over the next year.  Hopefully they have all dried out from the atmospheric river we sent them into during our evening scavenger hunt at Disneyland. 

Lastly, I want to remind you that ACT has two important calls to action in need of your support.  The first is to add your organization’s name to our letter requesting House and Senate negotiators finalizing language within the FAA Reauthorization bill to include ACT’s language within the House bill supporting a GAO study on the use of TDM at airports in the final bill.  The other is building support of Congressman Auchincloss’s effort to restore tax deductibility of commuter benefits for employers.  I encourage you to use the template letter we have developed to reach out to your member of congress.