Happy New Year and welcome to 2024! Another January is in front of us; the opportunity to come back from the holidays recharged, take on new and exciting projects, and of course make some New Year’s Resolutions. For many of us, those resolutions often include taking better care of our health, making a concerted effort to reduce procrastination, and maybe even trying to improve your work-life balance.
As I begin my first full year as Executive Director, one of my resolutions is to jump right in to implementing some of the elements of our new Strategic Plan (highlighted in our November ITEJ issue). That includes a continued emphasis on supporting and engaging both Students and Young Professionals, efforts to further collaborate with Transportation Planners across ITE’s various activities, and make sure our Districts and Sections are aware of—and taking advantage of—our various Councils and Committees that are producing a remarkable depth of content of benefit for the industry.
Speaking of our Districts and Sections, I very much look forward to meeting many of you as I seek to visit several District Annual Meetings during 2024. Talking with members of our ITE community is a highlight of my role now, and I hope that if you see me, please take a moment to say hello and share any thoughts (positive or negative) you might have about your experience as a member of ITE. I was so proud of the adjustments we made in just the past year in response to member feedback (like the Photo Exchange, Speaker Directory, and updated website), and pledge to continue that momentum of listening—and making enhancements whenever possible.
2024 will also be an important year for safety, as ITE seeks to devote additional energy to enhancing our profile in this space. While an emphasis on Vision Zero and the Safe System Approach have been highly visible in the past several years, a desire to be “a little bolder” was expressed through language in the plan—including the desire to foster a cultural shift prioritizing roadway safety. During 2024, we will devote time to better defining what it means to elevate our leadership in safety through engagement with our members at meetings, through our Councils and Committees, and outreach to our Districts and Sections. The upcoming Virtual Spring Conference this March
will be a great opportunity to start a lot of that dialogue, so I hope many of you
choose to participate!
As each of you begin to think about your resolutions for 2024, I hope you will join me in implementing many of these initiatives within and across the ITE landscape. But I’d like to also encourage you to add one more item to your list of resolutions: every once in a while, take a few moments to think beyond the daily grind. We are often caught in the trap of short-term bias—worrying about the litany of to-do items on our lists and not taking a moment to take a deep breath.
So for 2024, take a moment to let your mind wander, to daydream, to think beyond that list of projects and urgent responsibilities. Do something unexpected for yourself, put a plan in motion that has broader benefits for your family, take your responsibilities at work and include an item to help you professionally or to help the industry at large. It’s easy to say “I’m too busy,” but if you’re being honest, it doesn’t take much to occasionally stop—take a breather—and dream bigger.