Submitted by Neelam Dorman and Peter Koonce, Western District International Directors

The ITE International Board of Direction (IBOD) had its first meeting of the year on January 7, 2024, at the ITE Headquarters office in Washington, DC.

The Board took several important actions:

• The Board received a briefing on the 2023 finances that included a preliminary end-of-year estimate, and then approved a final budget for 2024 that considers the implementation actions from the new Strategic Plan as well as an additional staff position (returning to having a full-time communications director).
• A new Chapter was approved by the Board, for Central Kansas/Wichita area, as requested by the Missouri Valley District.
• Student chapter charters were approved at Rensselaer Polytechnical University (Northeastern District) and South Carolina State (Southern District).

Significant updates included:

• The Board approved a request from ITE Canada to restructure its Executive Committee and associated changes to the Charter and Bylaws needed to enact this change.
• As reported previously, 2023 was an exemplary year for membership as ITE exceeded 18,000 members. We offered free memberships to 850 planners and projections for renewals among those additions are looking strong. Also new for 2024: members can join multiple Sections when renewing or joining.
• Past President Rosana Correa held outreach sessions with young professionals during her visits to each of the Districts during 2023. A number of recommendations were developed from her outreach, including an ambassador program, mentoring, a young professional poster session at the Annual Meeting, and encouraging young members to engage in Councils and Committees.
• During 2024, staff will be working with the Board and various groups throughout the organization to begin advancing elements from the 2024 Strategic Plan, including transition to using ITE-A Community of Transportation Professionals more consistently throughout the organization.
• Also during 2024, ITE will be developing a “roadmap” to help us elevate ITE’s voice concerning Safety.
• The Collegiate Traffic Bowl is an important topic for 2024. ITE is exploring the future of the Traffic Bowl to increase participation and value.
• With the recent release of the new MUTCD, several Councils and Committees will be evaluating the new final rule and exploring where clarifications, corrections, or enhancements might be needed. ITE Headquarters will also be developing a new training curriculum to help enhance awareness of how to best utilize the MUTCD.
• The Parking Generation Manual (6^th Edition) was released in Mid-October of last year and attention now turns to updating the Trip Generation Manual, targeted for release in Mid-2025.

Other important actions included:

• The 2026 Annual Meeting will be held in Detroit, Michigan (in partnership with Great Lakes District annual meeting). Locations and dates beyond 2026 have not yet been finalized.