T&DI September 2023 – Final column
It doesn’t really seem possible, but this is my last column as T&DI president after a year discussing both the great opportunities as well as the challenges facing our profession today. From sharing Secretary Pete’s thoughts on infrastructure investment to strengthening global relations to highlighting the importance of mentorship and volunteering within the industry, it’s been a pleasure highlighting issues we all face in our work.
It seems like the year has flown by, but we have a lot to be proud of during these past 12 months, including: a very successful International Conference on Transportation and Development in Austin, building on our success in Seattle; the 23rd Joint COTA International Conference of Transportation Professionals in Beijing, and other conference co-sponsorships worldwide; our robust Younger Member program; and our more diverse and inclusive T&DI leadership. We’ve also focused on the need for resilience in all that we do, including building safe, sound and smart transportation systems. The recent tragedies in Maui, Morocco, and Libya show all too clearly the dangers we all face and why we need systems that are designed for and prepared to respond to whatever circumstances might come our way.
I want to express my sincere gratitude for our immediate past president David Noyce, who is stepping down from the Board, our other past presidents, board and committee members, DOT partners (WSDOT, TXDOT, GDOT and AZDOT), T&DI staff, WSDOT staff and everyone else who helped along the way this past year. I also want to include my best wishes for incoming president Chandra Bhat, who I know will do a great job leading us into 2024.
Thank you again for your support, help and active membership in T&DI – and most importantly for the vital work you do day in and day out helping keep people and goods moving across your communities and around the globe.
Roger
Roger M. Millar, Jr., P.E., F.AICP, F.ASCE
President, Transportation & Development Institute (T&DI)
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)