By Doug Smith, P.E. Western District President

As we start winding down the year, I have been reflecting on the year in ITE. I would like to first thank our 2024 ITE Western District sponsors. The support of all our sponsors allows us to provide all the programs the district provides to our members! I also need to thank my employer, HDR Inc., and all the employers that support the volunteers that lead and organize this great district.

Since the District meeting, I have spent some time focusing on the health of the Sections within the Western District. I have met with many of the section leadership of many of the sections and they are working so hard to provide viable events and great content. If you enjoy your involvement in ITE and you want to build a career that makes you proud, I ask you to get involved with your local ITE Section or the Western District! It is a great way to jump start your career development and you will get more out of it than you ever imagined.

Looking to the end of 2024 and into the new year, there are several activities that all our section and district members should be aware of including:

1. The ITE International Board has a consultant working on recommendations to improve our organizational branding. I would encourage all sections to participate and pay attention to this initiative since it could very well impact how you brand your sections moving forward and could require changes to our logos and other ITE branded assets.
2. The Call for Abstracts for the 2025 Western District Meeting is out and abstracts are due on December 6, 2025. Speaking at the meeting is a great way to participate in our program. It is not too early to start planning for our 2025 ITE Western District Annual Meeting to be held on June 29th through July 2nd in Long Beach, CA. START YOUR PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR!
3. The District Call for Abstracts should not be confused with the Call for Abstracts that was released for the 2025 Joint ITE International and Florida Puerto Rico District Annual Meeting and Exhibition to be held in Orlando Florida in August of 2025. These are two separate Calls and should be treated as separate submissions.
4. The Western District Board is seeking nominations of qualified candidates for Secretary-Treasurer to run in 2025 with terms beginning in January 2026. Secretary-Treasurer nominations will be accepted for individuals residing in Region 2, which includes the following Sections: Central California, Central Coast, Southern California, Riverside-San Bernardino, and San Diego. Anyone who would like to submit a nominee for consideration, or who would like more information about the election process, should contact Western District Past President Kimberly Leung. Nominations will be accepted until December 1, 2024 and must be submitted by the nominees Section.
5. The 2025 Student Leadership Summit will be held at UCLA on January 31st through February 2nd. ITE at UCLA is looking for sponsors and professional involvement. This is an amazing student run event that our industry needs to support. Please look for the emails that provide information on the upcoming SLS.

Finally, with only two months left in the calendar year 2024 I would like to acknowledge all the volunteers that make Western District work so well. You all accomplish so much with the time you spend on ITE and WE have accomplished great things. Please continue to check your e-mails for the e-News and the Westernite website for more information and updates as the year comes to an end. I look forward to seeing everyone at the Section Holiday functions at the end of the year.

As always, if you would like to talk about the ITE Western District, please reach out to me. I’m never too busy to make time to discuss ITE.