Candidates for Office

The following are the 2014 Western District Board candidates for office for your consideration. All members are encouraged to vote. Regardless of how you vote, please vote and make your voice be heard. The deadline for voting electronically has been set as late as possible to allow you to meet and/or learn about the Western District candidates before voting. Thanks for helping the Western District serve its members efficiently and effectively!

Candidate for Secretary-Treasurer

Mark Spencer, PE

Click Here for Candidate Brochure

It is an honor to be selected as a candidate for Secretary-Treasurer of the ITE Western District.  I am asking ITE members to allow me the privilege of continuing my service to ITE, our members, and our profession.  I have been actively involved in the Western District since 1988, recognizing the value that ITE provides as well as the challenges going forward.

Since 2011, I have been the managing Principal of the W-Trans Oakland office.  My responsibilities include directing transportation planning projects, business development and mentoring staff.  My professional qualifications will help me achieve the inter-related goals I have identified.

Goals for the Western District

1. Increase Engagement of our members.  Our Annual Meetings are the cornerstone for many of our District initiatives and offer our best opportunity to establish ITE as the choice organization among all transportation professionals.  Increasing attendance at the Annual Meetings is my primary objective, as I believe it will lead to success with many other District initiatives.  To do this we need to articulate the actual and perceived value of ITE at the Chapter, Section, District, and International levels.

2. Improve Collaboration with ITE International and other professional organizations.  We face increasing competition from other professional organizations, the economy, and even within ITE.  By fostering partnerships, we can enhance the services provided to our members.

3. Promote and Support Key ITE Programs.  The Western District can enhance its promotion of the Student Endowment Fund (SEF) and student mentoring programs.  We can help with the transition of students into the profession, while also retaining them as members of ITE.  Other programs, such as Leadership ITE, are also worthy of Western District support.

ITE Leadership Experience

Twenty-five years of ITE leadership experience have prepared me to move up to the next level of ITE service.

• ITE Transportation Consultants Council, Executive Board Member, January 2012-present

• ITE Western District 2010 ITE Annual Meeting, San Francisco, General Chair

• ITE San Francisco Bay Area Section, 1990-present, President 2003-2004

• ITE San Francisco South Bay Area Chapter, 1996-present, President 2000

• ITE Student Chapter, UC Berkeley, 1988-1989, President 1989

ITE Awards

• Transportation Professional of the Year, ITE SF Bay Area Section, 2010
• Visionary Contributor, ITE Western District Student Endowment Fund, 2012 (click here for more information on the SEF)

ITE Publications

• Presented papers at ITE Annual Meetings in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2011

Candidate for Secretary-Treasurer

Matt Weir, PE, TE, PTOE

• Two decades of focused industry experience
• Long-term commitment to ITE, including Section-level leadership in multiple Districts
• Master’s (Georgia Tech) and bachelor’s (Clemson) degrees in Civil Engineering
• From the Sacramento office of Kimley-Horn

These three focus areas…Becoming a Leader in Technology, Changing the Industry’s Perception, and Investing in Leadership…are the foundation and motivation for my pursuit of this District position. As we are faced with legislation such as California’s SB 743, and with the release of the NACTO Design Guide, ITE has the opportunity to represent our industry’s evolving priorities and concerns.

I am sure you also sense what is happening…the transportation profession is changing quickly, far more quickly than most of our comfort levels. Frankly, there is the potential for the current rate of change to out-pace both our and ITE’s ability to adapt. This evolution can be seen in many ways extending from the tools we use on a daily basis and the underlying software that drive them, to legislative actions and significant changes to transportation modes including autonomous and connective vehicles.

While ITE was formed on the fundamentals of traffic operations, the industry is increasingly demanding transportation professionals with a broader range of capabilities. ITE will need to embrace and provide resources that support this shift. Tomorrow’s transportation professional must have an awareness of the environment and sustainability; understand all modes of transportation; be capable of interfacing and collaborating with the public; and understand the role of existing and future transportation technologies.

The recent recession resulted in the displacement of many transportation professionals. Those able to retain their positions experienced little growth opportunity, and now have a strong desire to advance at a pace more consistent with their tenure. Through LeadershipITE we demonstrate our commitment to helping our members advance their careers; we must expand these important learning opportunities as part of our overall commitment to help our members advance both professionally and personally.

I am poised to energetically represent the Institute as we embark on this challenging period during which our foundation is being shaken and our members are demanding more. Together we can accomplish these and many other goals. I want to work with you to bring ITE back into the spotlight of the transportation engineering profession.

www.MattWeirITE2014.com

Candidate for International Director

Alyssa Reynolds, PE, PTOE

I am honored to be selected as a candidate for Western District International Director.  ITE has meant much to me both professionally and personally, and I value every opportunity to give back to the organization.  As Western District International Director, I pledge my time and effort to maintaining the excellent service, programs, and outreach Western District members have come to expect of our leaders.  I also pledge to represent the interests of our District at the International level, and share the innovation that has been the hallmark of our District with all of ITE.

Some of the most valuable benefits of ITE membership affords are the networking opportunities and connections to colleagues.  The District should continue to provide high-quality meetings, training, services and information exchange that facilitate networking while keeping costs affordable.  Also, during these challenging times, fiscal responsibility should be a primary consideration of the District.  District funds should be used efficiently and prudently, while maximizing relevancy to members.    Efficient and regular communication through appropriate and accessible mediums can assist in this effort.  Extra communication effort should be focused on outreach to students, younger members, and agency members to ensure connectedness and continuity within the Institute.

I have been a member of ITE since my undergraduate years at Montana State University where I served as the student chapter president in 2000/2001.  Shortly after arriving in Nevada, I was elected to the Nevada Chapter Board, and following my service in Nevada, I was elected to the Intermountain Section Board.  The geography and structure of our section is unique to the District, which affords extra years of ITE experience as well as experience dealing with both local and region-wide ITE issues.  In addition to serving as an officer, I was appointed to be the Western District Student and Faculty Initiatives Chair in 2005, which allowed me to continue my contact with students and young professionals.  During my service with ITE, I have had the good fortune to attend ITE conferences at the Section, District and International levels and to learn firsthand how positive and beneficial those experiences can be for all members.

I am currently employed with the City of North Las Vegas.  The entire Vegas Valley has been hit hard by the economic downturn, meaning that a lot of creativity, efficiency, and teamwork is needed to continue to provide necessary services to our citizens.  Prior to joining the City I worked for Orth-Rodgers & Associates performing a variety of duties from travel demand forecasting to traffic signal design. My employer fully supports and encourages ITE participation.

Candidate for International Director

Dongho Chang, PE, PTOE, ITE Fellow

I am honored to be a candidate for International Director.   My decision to be actively involved in ITE has been one of the best investments personally and professionally.  I am amazed by the generous spirit that our members bring to further our profession and improve vibrancy and livability in our communities.  ITE is truly the umbrella organization that brings engineers and planners together to meet the long term needs of our diverse societies.

I have been very lucky and survived couple of near-death experiences.  This changed my perspective on fulfilling things that are important to me and the urgency to tackle them as opportunities arise.  In my 22 years in the transportation engineering field, there has been no better time than now to embark on transformative change in our transportation service delivery.  Some of the pressing issues that will be my priority as an ITE Director will be engaging the membership on:

• Funding for our transportation system is broken.  The highway trust fund and the way that we generate revenues for maintaining our streets need a radical change.  We must prioritize our limited resources to maintain and enhance our most critical and most important infrastructure.
• Our customers and their desires are changing.  Younger population are driving less and our older (65+) residents will experience 36% growth in numbers from 2010 to 2020. There is a shift of people moving into urban centers where jobs and services are concentrated.   We must ensure our society provides transportation options that are inclusive and serve those that do not and cannot drive.
• The standards that our highways and streets are built and maintained must be revised to provide more flexibility for practitioners, especially in our urban environment.  NACTO is filling the void that has been left unaddressed for some time.  ITE must be the technical bridge that provides the urban standards and guidelines currently not addressed by AASHTO.

I am active locally serving as the section president and have served in many elected and volunteer roles.  I am currently in the inaugural class of 2014 Leadership ITE, which has been an incredible program that helped me understand the governance and leadership within ITE.  I also understand the non-profit organization serving as the vice-chair for Board of Directors for four years at the largest and oldest cooperative preschool in Seattle.  Thank you for your consideration.

Officer Elections

Electronic Voting
The Western District is again offering its members the convenience of on-line voting. Your on-line ballot to vote in the Western District election will be accessible beginning Monday, May 19, 2014, and on-line voting will close Monday, June 30, 2014 at midnight EDT. If you are a voting member of ITE and had a valid email address on file with International Headquarters as of May 1st, you will receive an email message from Elections OnLine with instructions on how to vote electronically. Login at www.electionsonline.us/election with your username and the password provided in the email message from “election” with the subject of “Vote Now!”

Paper Ballots
Members wishing to vote by paper ballot can request them via phone (808) 946-2277, fax (808) 946-2253, e-mail: cleong@wilsonokamoto.com, or by regular mail to:

Cathy A. Leong, P.E.
ITE Western District Secretary-Treasurer
Wilson Okamoto Corporation
1907 South Beretania Street, Suite 400
Honolulu, Hawaii 96826

Paper ballot requests must be received no later than Monday, June 16, 2014, and completed ballots returned to the Secretary-Treasurer no later than Wednesday, June 25, 2014. Completed ballots may also be returned in person at the Annual Business Meeting on Tuesday, July 1, 2014. If you need help voting electronically or have questions on the electronic or paper ballot, please contact the District Administrator, Rory Grindley, at (253) 798-7250 or rgrindl@co.pierce.wa.us.

Don’t Mix Them Up
Elections for ITE International officers may be occurring simultaneously as Western District’s, so you may receive multiple messages from ElectionsOnLine. Please be sure to read each one to ensure that you vote in both elections.