Western District Elections

Western District members may vote online; voting opens May 28 and online voting will close June 29 at midnight.  If you are a voting member of ITE and have a valid email address on file with ITE Headquarters as of May 1, you should receive an email message with instructions on how to vote electronically.  If you do not receive an email notification on June 1, please check your spam filter or contact the District Administrator, Dalene Whitlock at dwhitlock@w-trans.com.

Members wishing to vote by paper ballot can request them from Dalene via phone (707) 542-9500, email, or by regular mail to: Dalene J. Whitlock; c/o W-Trans; 490 Mendocino Avenue, Suite 201; Santa Rosa, CA 95401.

Paper ballot requests must be received no later than June 1 and completed ballots returned to the District Administrator no later than June 19. Completed ballots may also be returned in person at the Annual Business Meeting on June 30.

If you need help voting or have questions, please contact District Administrator Dalene Whitlock.

Candidates for Office

The following are the 2021 Western District 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. Thanks for helping the Western District serve its members efficiently and effectively!

Candidate for Vice President: Kimberly E. Leung, P.E., T.E.

It has been a privilege to serve the Western District as Secretary-Treasurer, and I am thankful for this opportunity to continue serving as Vice President. As a District officer, I have deeply appreciated working alongside our District Board and Committee Chairs, and I look forward to collaborating further with these committed leaders to advance our District’s initiatives in the upcoming year.

As Vice President, I will continue to focus on my key goals of student initiatives and the member experience. I have always been passionate about the development and mentorship of our students and young professionals and will continue to advocate for programs to support them. This past year, we have found ways to remain connected virtually, and going forward, I would like to explore how we can make our ITE programs even more accessible for members, particularly those from smaller Sections and the public sector.

I am an Engineer at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, and I am grateful that the SFMTA fully supports my longstanding commitment to ITE. I have been involved with ITE since co-founding UC Berkeley’s Cal ITE student chapter in 2008 and have served as Cal ITE President, SF Bay ITE President, the 2019 District Annual Meeting LAC Co-Chair, and the District’s Student Funding and Initiatives Committee Chair. I also continue to serve as the Professional Liaison to the Cal ITE student chapter.

I hope to have your continued support and the opportunity to serve the Western District as Vice President.

Candidate for Secretary-Treasurer: Doug Smith, P.E.

I am honored to accept the nomination to stand for election as Secretary-Treasurer of WesternITE. I believe my experience and involvement in ITE over the last 30 years provides me with unparrelleled knowledge to fulfill this role. I have been an active member of the SoCal ITE section, Western District of ITE and ITE International. I held the position of President of the SoCal ITE Section. I have also been involved in initiatives, acting as chair of the technical committee for the Palm Desert District meeting and as Editor of the WesternITE newsletter for 3 years. I look forward to representing all Sections on the WesternITE board. I understand the commitment and look forward to this new challenge in my ITE career.

VISION

The last two years have required the District to meet significant challenges. The reorganization of the District to focus on five western states and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have challenged our ability to serve membership. My goals for the coming four years include:

ENGAGEMENT: Develop plans and programs that will increase engagement and involvement of all sections and chapters within the Western District. I will make a concerted effort to reach out to the Sections and Chapters in Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon and California;

INNOVATION: Improve and increase the virtual meetings and seminars available to our members to provide expanded programs. We will have to become more innovative and consider providing multi-media meetings and conferences that can be attended in person or virtually;

TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE: Provide technical content and technology sharing so that our members are the most capable in the industry. ITE as an organization must continue to try to attract and engage young members;

COLLABORATION: Focus on continued improvement of our Annual Meetings, technical webinars and virtual learning tools. The District meetings with a smaller District will require improved teamwork.

I am most proud of the number of ITE members I have mentored, supported and encouraged to participate more extensively. Over the years, I have worked with members who have developed into leaders in ITE at the Section, District and International level. I have always emphasized the role of ITE involvement in career development.  I am committed to serve the District in elected office and I look forward to working within the organization to develop a stronger Western District.

I would be honored to receive your vote in the 2021 election.

Sincerely,

Doug Smith, PE
(714) 425-4020 (mobile)

douglas.smith@hdrinc.com

Candidate for Secretary-Treasurer: Justin Link, P.E.

I am excited to be a candidate for ITE Western District Secretary-Treasurer. As an organization and community I value profoundly, the chance to serve at the District level would be deeply fulfilling.

Having participated in several professional organizations over the years, I am often asked why I am so heavily involved in ITE. The simple answer is that no other organization has provided the level of community that ITE has for me and so many others. I owe much of my career and career advancement to ITE, having developed so many professional relationships and made so many lifelong friends at Chapter, Section, and District meetings.

It is for this reason that I hope to bring that sense of community to more individuals, both inside and outside ITE, with greater opportunities to actively participate. A sense of community is not developed without a sense of ownership, built on an organization’s transparency. With the tools gained from our current, virtual world, we can enable more Members (and Future Members) to participate or get involved by:

• Provide opportunities for all of us to participate at Annual Meetings with a track (or tracks) of virtual sessions and tours going forward, for inclusive and more economical access to students and professionals alike.
• Providing support to Sections and Chapters for hosting virtual meetings going forward.
• Providing transparency and openness to our members by broadcasting all future Board and Business meetings, enabling you and I to see and hear the decisions made on our behalf.

In spite our current situation, we’ve managed to maintain our community virtually, often with greater attendance of meetings. By continuing our virtual reach indefinitely, we have the opportunity to allow more Members to participate, and attract Future Members to the Western District. I hope to make Western District a community not just for a few, but for all.

Candidate for International Director

It has been a privilege to serve on the Western District board for the past 4.5 years and I am grateful to continue to serve the District as Past President this year. I am thankful for the trust put in me by the leadership and our members to give me another opportunity to serve the District and ITE as International Director. In serving as a District officer, I’ve learned a lot about our District and about our dedicated members and how much we all value this organization and how hard we are all willing to work for its success.

I have had the chance to work with ITE Board of Direction and staff in my past ITE roles. In serving on the International Board of Direction, I hope to represent the Western District and learn more about ITE at the International level. I hope to help ITE continue to provide value our members and to grow with the new generations of transportation professionals.

I am a Principal Transportation Planner with the City of Anaheim in Orange County, California. I am grateful to have the support of my agency to continue to serve ITE. I have been honored to serve ITE in many other roles including as UC Irvine Student Chapter President, Southern California Section President, District Career Guidance Chair, and as a District officer.

I hope to have your support and the opportunity to serve the Western District and ITE International as International Director for the next three years.