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From the President!

Hi <<First Name>>,

Happy New Year!

I am honored and proud to serve the ITS Pennsylvania membership in 2016 and I look forward to continuing the outstanding work that Amber Reimnitz did as President in 2015. Thank you, Amber!

A couple of highlights from 2015 that were huge successes for the society include hosting the Annual ITS America Meeting in Pittsburgh, and helping to jumpstart Pittsburgh’s WTS Chapter by co-sponsoring a kick-off meeting with MASITE and ITS America. 

I look forward to leading the society, but I will rely on the support of the Board of Directors. Congratulations to our new Vice President Vijay Varadarajan, Secretary Kevin Conahan, and Treasurer Kevin Hunt.  We welcome new Board Members for 2016: Dan Corey and Courtney Ehrlichman, as well as re-elected Board Members Jason Previte and Amber Reimnitz, and continuing Board Members Larry Bankert, Brian Keaveney, Allie Slizofski, Dominic D’Andrea, and Bob Taylor. 

Each Board Member will lead a committee this year – whether it is for student outreach or event coordination.  You chose us as your Board of Directors, and we will work hard to make your membership worthwhile!

Allie Slizofski is leading the Outreach Committee this year and plans are being made to advertise our scholarship worth $2500. We all know that workforce development continues to be a hot topic in our field, and it often begins with student involvement.  We may know interns at our agency, or are involved with our alma mater.  There are students all around us, so let’s spread the word.

This year’s annual meeting planning is already in the works!  Steve McGinley and Drew Horgan are ITS Pennsylvania’s co-chairs and the event is shaping up to be very exciting.  We are co-hosting this year’s meeting in State College with MASITE from August 28 to 30, and are working with ITS America to have an Emergency Response Day connected to the event. A call for volunteers to participate on the annual meeting committee is forthcoming.

We all know that social media is the quickest way to interact within our community.  Some of us are better at it than others, and I know I’m guilty of not participating as much as I could.  But therein lies opportunity!  Please connect with me and all the Board Members on LinkedIn.  Let us know what exciting projects are going on, or what training you are offering, or successes of you or your staff.  And let’s not forget to #THISisITS, per ITS America’s push to highlight the diversity and practicality of ITS.

Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or “FAST Act” is here.  What does it mean to you?  What does it mean to ITS? How are we going to interact with our freight partners better? We are all wrapping our heads around it as “quickly” as possible. Check out FHWA's website for their FAST Act presentation.

Finally, I encourage all of us to create synergy with other agencies, companies, organizations – whether public or private – we’re all in this together to make the industry stronger.

Sincerely,
Laurie Matkowski
ITSPA President

Congratulations to the ITSPA 2015 Project
and Person of the Year Award Winners:

2016 Winter Scholarship

 
ITSPA is accepting applications for our $2,500.00 Annual Scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded to an individual in an undergraduate or graduate program who meets certain minimum requirements and demonstrates exemplary aptitude in the areas of civil and/or electrical engineering in the transportation industry. Applications are due on March 31, 2016. Please click here to see the minimum requirements and scholarship application. Thank you!
Board of Directors Meeting - Dec. 9, 2015
 
Our Year-End Board of Directors Meeting was held during the 2015 Transportation Engineering and Safety Conference (TESC) at Penn State and featured planning for upcoming member events and student outreach. Keep a lookout for upcoming Monitor newsletters with future events...
 

  Get to Know the Board

WHO:  Allie Slizofski, PE, PTOE

WHAT:  Owner, ITS Engineer

WHERE:  Drive Engineering Corp.

ROLE OF BOARD MEMBER:  Outreach Committee Chair

CONTACTallie@driveengineering.com, 215-367-5535,
595 Skippack Pike, Suite 400, Blue Bell, PA, 19422; LinkedIn

HOMETOWN:  Blue Bell, PA

EDUCATION/ACCREDITATION:  Northeastern University, BSCE, University of Texas at Austin, MSCE

BEST DAY AT WORK:  Taking bridge deck core samples from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge during my junior year co-op.

WORST DAY AT WORK:  I-95 ITS field view the morning after the Phillies won the World Series.

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING, I:  spend time with my husband and little girl in Brigantine Beach, NJ

IF SHE HAD AN ITS PA MAGIC WAND, SHE WOULD USE IT TO: I would really like to strengthen the relationship between our chapter and our universities in Pennsylvania. Students can develop valuable relationships with professionals and find their niche. Professionals can keep learning and keep an open mind. We will never solve our infrastructure and mobility issues with the status quo.


Allie pictured above with her daughter Samantha (traffic cone on left)

Newsletter Ideas or Information?
If you have an idea for a future Monitor newsletter article or some information of interest to ITS PA members, contact Chuck Yorks (cyorks@gfnet.com) or John Egger (john.egger@aecom.com) .

Visit the ITS Pennsylvania website at www.itspennsylvania.com to stay connected.


 
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