Submitted by Mark Spencer and Neelam Dorman, Western District International Directors

The ITE International Board of Direction (IBOD) had its third meeting of the year on May 9-10, 2023, in conjunction with the Northeast District annual meeting in Burlington, VT.

The Board received updates on a variety of current initiatives:

• The Transportation Planner initiative recruitment drive ended with over 850 new planning professionals having joined ITE. Efforts continue to increase membership value for new and existing planners and to enhance engagement between planners and engineers at all levels of the organization.
• The Student to Younger Member initiative resulted in the rechartering of over 140 student chapters and the engagement of faculty advisors and professional liaisons for each. Current efforts are focused on enhancing the younger member experience throughout ITE.
• The Student Engagement at Meetings Committee is developing recommended practices for each level – International, District, Section – of the organization. This year’s International/Western District Annual Meeting will feature two full days of student programming.
• The Traffic Bowl Reimagined Task Force will be making short term recommendations to improve the current Traffic Bowl and longer-term recommendations on a template for a new Transport Bowl that would include a wider variety of professional skills.

The primary focus of the IBOD meeting was a Board work session on the all-member survey and the next Strategic Plan (2024-2026). The Board received a briefing on the all-member survey results and identified a series of short-term actions. Communication of results from the survey and the short-term actions will be presented to members in the July ITE Journal. Districts and Sections will receive “survey snapshots” based on responses from their members. These should be available in June. The Board also discussed potential goals for the new Strategic Plan and provided direction to the Strategic Planning Committee. A draft of the Strategic Plan will be reviewed by the IBOD at its August meeting and shared with members in the Fall.

Other significant updates included:

• Preparations for the ITE International/Western District Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Portland, Oregon, August 13-16 are complete. A record number of speakers have been invited and an excellent set of workshops, technical tours and social events are planned. Registration is open and the host hotel is nearing capacity. Additional GSA rate rooms have been secured for public sector attendees at nearby hotels.
• A high volume of new technical products were delivered to members in the first four months of 2023. Fifteen new resources including two new signature products – the TrafficWiki and the Signal Maintenance Handbook – were produced. More information can be found at the “New Resources” link on the ITE Home Page.
• The IBOD approved two new student chapters, at Western University in Ontario, CN and one in Pakistan.