Each year, the Institute of Transportation Engineers sponsors an awards program to honor outstanding achievement in transportation engineering and distinguished service to ITE. The awards bestow international recognition upon the recipients and increase the public's awareness of the role and responsibilities of the transportation professional.
This year's award recipients were honored at the ITE Awards Lunch, held on the last day of the meeting, Wednesday, August 15. It was heavily attended by ITE members and other transportation professionals who wished to recognize the accomplishments of their peers. The lunch was a grand way to celebrate the honorees, while bringing the conference attendees together one last time before the concluding sessions of the meeting.
The award ceremony commenced with the presentation of the Burton W. Marsh Distinguished Service Award to the late Rich Romer. This award recognizes an individual who has contributed to the advancement of the ITE over a period of years in an outstanding fashion. It is named for Burton W. Marsh, aka “Mr. ITE,” who was a founder, past president and former executive secretary of ITE.
Rich Romer served as a leader, a dedicated professional, a mentor and a friend to many. His service to his chosen profession was exemplary, as was his service to ITE. Among his many accomplishments, Rich served as ITE International President in 2006, as Western District Director on the International Board of Direction from 2001 to 2003, and President of the Western District in 1998. Rich set high standards for himself, his staff, and fellow leaders. His warm smile and infectious laugh made him approachable to his peers, young professionals, and students. He helped to mentor many and launch them on successful career paths. Rich's wife of 28 years, Priscilla, gracefully accepted the award on his behalf.
The next award given also holds great honor at ITE—the Theodore M. Matson Memorial Award. Theodore M. Matson contributed greatly to the traveling public through the advancement of traffic engineering and through the training of professionals. He was Director of the Bureau of Highway Traffic at Yale University, a founder of ITE, and was also Vice President of ITE at the time of his untimely death in December 1954. Each year, representatives from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Federal Highway Administration, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, and the Transportation Research Board bestow the award in recognition of outstanding contributions in the field of traffic engineering.
This year the award was presented to Ken Kobetsky, who retired in 2010 after a 50-year career in transportation, the majority of which was focused on traffic engineering working in the public sector. During the later portion of his career, Ken served as the Program Director for Engineering at AASHTO, working with the member DOTs in the development of major AASHTO publications. Although always committed to the needs of the practitioner in the formulation of national standards, Ken played a role enabling stakeholders to develop solutions without compromising engineering or safety.
The banquet continued on, recognizing 21 other award winners, eight members of the International Board of Direction, two outgoing council chairs, and the two co-chairs of the Atlanta local arrangements committee. The afternoon concluded with the swearing-in of incoming 2013 International President
Zaki Mustafa and incoming 2013 International Vice President
Hibbett Neel. In their acceptance speeches, Zaki reminded us that "together we are the best," while Hibbett noted the importance of the "lifelong professional friendships" developed through ITE.
For more information about all of our 2012 award winners,
click here.