Ramond Robinson is the Transportation Officer at Anne Arundel County in Annapolis, Maryland where he leads mobility management strategies. He is one of the most exuberant transportation leaders you will find. Working in Annapolis his transportation experience blends suburban, ex-urban and rural users to determine priorities for transportation improvements that will build a better quality of life for the community. It is a unique community ecosystem of a family of hamlets that are connected together. Ramond sees transportation as a way to reinvest in the community, build value and economic development allowing for growth and work force development.
Ramond’s path to transportation started while studying geography and environmental science at North Carolina Central University. He apprenticed at NC DOT and became a self-professed transportation geek. His path was not an easy one. He struggled to learn the transportation jargon and was not comfortable giving presentations. Minority role models for Ramond were few and far between. While working for the City of Charlotte and the local transit system, Ramond had mentors, like Laure Barrett and Dr. Pierre Osei Owusu, that helped shape him into the transportation professional he is today. One significant mentor was Carolyn Flowers. At the time she was the CEO of the Charlotte Area Transit System. She helped guided Ramond into leadership roles while playing to his passion for transportation where he found that by deeply understanding the transportation industry allowed him to engage more fully in policy conversations. Ramond now focuses on how to help the next generation of transportation professionals succeed in their professional journey. Ramond sees transportation as a universal topic beneficial for all people and that by listening and understanding, inequalities of the past can be overcome.
ITE has been a trusted source of information along Ramond’s journey and he uses these resources routinely. While not currently a member (I am seeking to change that!), Ramond has purchased ITE publications and resources and found them to be his go-to sources. He shared with me that he sees an ITE that is not all about engineering or focused solely on roadways, but one that complements the spectrum of transportation topics and is a great partner along with AASHTO and NACTO.
At the ITE Annual Meeting Ramond will present about his work in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, U.S. He is excited to speak publicly and sees this opportunity as an interactive discussion with his counterparts. For him, this is a place where shared ideas emerge and he has the opportunity to hear perspectives he may never have previously considered. The best part of presenting for Ramond is being able to speak from a place he has been or experienced. Staying true to one’s self and the profession – taking time to experience it first-hand. He loves to embrace people and bring them along for the ride. For the transportation profession to thrive, Ramond sees us sharing with everybody which is just what he will be doing next week.
Ramond will be presenting Wednesday, August 5, from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m EDT at the virtual ITE Annual Meeting in the session on Alternative Intersection Treatments. Learn more about this session here.