President’s Message: December 2011

by Alyssa Reynolds, Western District President

Reconnecting:

Ten years ago I was newly employed in the Las Vegas Valley. I attended the local ITE chapter meetings, but as I considered my own fledgling ITE career it was difficult to imagine serving on the board anytime soon.  A few months later, I was invited to run for the Nevada Chapter board, and now I am serving as Western District President.  I am so grateful for this opportunity, and a feel a lot of responsibility to do a good job.

As I have moved through the leadership positions in the Nevada Chapter, the Intermountain Section, and the District, I have noticed a phenomenon that concerns me.  I believe that the average ITE member has become disconnected from the Western District.  Did you vote in the last election?  Do you know who won the election?  Can you name all the officers on the Board? 

What do the committee chairs do? What are your dues used for? Do you know what the District President is supposed to do (besides write this column)?

If you can’t answer these questions, you’re not alone.  I don’t believe we’ve done a good job at sharing that information, so, over the next year, we plan on changing that.  Expect more outreach from our committee chairs and officers.  Anticipate more information in the WesternITE newsletter regarding District functions and activities.  Look for opportunities to participate.  We’ll do our best to reconnect.

Arizona Section Travels

My travels so far have taken me to St. Louis, Missouri; Sacramento, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; and Albuquerque, New Mexico.  In each of these places, I was pleasantly reminded of the dedication and enthusiasm of ITE members.  Some of the highlights included: witnessing Brigham Young University’s success in the student traffic bowl, attending the awards ceremony where two District members, Brian Hoeft and Gang Xie with RTC FAST, won the Management and Operations/ITS Council Best Project Achievement Award, learning about Northern California’s efforts to recruit and retain membership, touring the 2013 conference site in Phoenix, and witnessing the innovative efforts to involve all members in meetings in the Colorado-Wyoming Section.  I’m looking forward to future section and chapter visits.

In the spirit of information exchange, please share your activities, successes and concerns with us.  And make sure that you update your contact information with ITE headquarters (www.ite.org).