As you may have seen by now, I have advised the ITE Board of Direction of my intent to retire by the end of the year. This was not an easy decision, but after 40 years in the profession and 8 years as ITE Executive Director and CEO, it feels like it is a good time for a change, for me and for ITE.
The opportunity to lead ITE has been a wonderful experience and a capstone to my career. I feel fortunate to have enjoyed every stop along the way in my career, from my start in the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Engineer Training Program in 1983 to today, but my time at ITE has been special. I’ve had the opportunity to come back to the technical areas—safety, traffic operations, Intelligent Transportation Systems—I spent much of my early career working in. I’ve applied the leadership skills I developed over a 32-year federal career in a new setting. Most of all, I have had the opportunity to work with an amazing group of volunteers at every level of the organization and a talented and dedicated staff. From International Presidents to student leaders, and everywhere in between, I have been awed and inspired by your commitment to ITE.
This feels like the right time to do all those things you never have quite enough time to when you are working full-time—spend more time with family, travel for
pleasure, play more golf and pickle ball, follow my interests in gardening and cooking, get to some of those lingering house projects, and find a volunteer opportunity or
two. I was an ITE member before I got here and certainly intend to remain one after I leave—don’t be surprised if you hear from me on the ITE e-Community or see me at an ITE Annual Meeting.
It also feels like the right time for a change for ITE. We have reached our highest membership in our 92-year history, our finances are strong and we have rebuilt our
reserves, our Councils and Committees are firing on all cylinders, and there is a great spirit of collaboration across all levels of ITE. And, we have a great team of dedicated professionals, and a talented executive leadership team in Kathi Driggs, Collen Agan, and Steve Kuciemba. With all these assets it would be easy for me to continue along, but ITE will be better served with a new leader who can bring new energy and ideas and take our organization to the next level.
I wanted to make sure the International Board of Direction had plenty of time to find the next CEO. If the process goes smoothly, the next CEO will take over sometime
in October with a new Strategic Plan in hand and a draft 2024 budget prepared. You can rest assured that I will remain fully engaged all the way to the end and will work with my successor on a seamless transfer of leadership. I am excited to continue to push forward our key 2023 initiatives, help put in place our next Strategic Plan, attend many District meetings this spring and summer, and can’t wait for a fantastic ITE Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Portland.
There will be time for goodbye’s, and many thank you’s down the road, but in the meantime, as always, contact me on the ITE e-Community, or at jpaniati@ite.org.