Come along on the 2024 ImpACT! Leadership Seminar
Earlier this month, ACT's 2024 ImpACT! Leadership class headed to Anaheim, California for their in-person Leadership Seminar. Over the three days of the event, they immersed themselves in professional development activities, leadership training, and fun team bonding. Curious to learn what the Seminar entailed? Follow along with the schedule and hear from this year's Impactees below.
Day one: Diving into leadership skills and fun team bonding at Disney
Day one of the Seminar kicked off with a warm welcome from ACT President David McMaster. Impactees gathered for the first time in person and hit the ground running with a full day of leadership education with trainer Nanor Ohanesian of Success Express.
Each Impactee was assigned to a table based off of a previous assessment of their strengths. This allowed them to collaborate and learn alongside a tailored group of their peers. Following a packed day of training, the group headed out to Disneyland for a fun team-building activity.
Excitement filled the air as the three groups geared up for a scavenger hunt in the park, and it was clear there would be strong competition. The teams dispersed in search of items including TDM or mobility words on signs, modes of transportation, and of course, hidden Mickeys.
Day two: Expanding leadership skills and networking with ACT's Board
The Seminar continued on Monday with additional leadership training and a reception with ACT's Board of Directors. This time was a valuable opportunity for Impactees to network with board members, forge connections with other program participants, and learn more about their strengths.
Whether it was a fun paper tower building contest or a discussion of what makes each participant a unique leader, the day was full of professional development and group bonding.
Day three: Diving into group projects
A key aspect of the ImpACT! Leadership program is the development of group projects, and this year's participants were thrilled to kick off the process. Day three focused on potential topics and an introduction to their format. After careful consideration and brainstorming, the groups landed on the following focuses:
- Advancing TDM Through Local Laws
- Building a TDM Library
- Creating a Shared Understanding of TDM
Over the next few months, groups will meet to discuss, collaborate on, and produce their projects. Upon completion of the program, they'll then present them to ACT's Board. Members are invited to join the presentations as well, so be sure to stay tuned for the meeting details!
This year's Seminar was truly one to remember, and we can't wait for all that the rest of the 2024 program has in store. Congratulations to this fantastic cohort of professionals for completing the Seminar. We look forward to seeing all you'll accomplish throughout the rest of the program!
Curious about a firsthand perspective? Hear from this year's Impactees!
"Leadership training and relationship building are cornerstones of professional development. ACT hits the mark with ImpACT! especially with an emphasis and deep dive on Clifton Strengths Finder," said Ricardo Gotla, TDM Program Supervisor at the Washington State Department of Transportation. "The framework is practical, intuitive, and effective and the certified facilitators are excellent. In addition, the in-person time the cohort spent together was fun! What’s not to like. Highly recommended."
“The ImpACT! Leadership Program has been a wonderful opportunity to invest in my personal growth and development as a leader and TDM professional. The seminar in Anaheim provided time to deep-dive into my talents and what makes me unique as a leader," said Sabrina Green, Program/Project Administrator at the Atlanta Regional Commission. It also afforded the privilege of getting to know like-minded professionals and connect on a deeper level. I am very excited to continue developing these relationships as we collaborate over the next year and would highly recommend this program to others seeking to make a bigger impact in this field and in the communities we serve.”
“The ACT ImpACT! Leadership program provided such an enriching experience full of networking and team bonding activities with fellow TDM professionals as well as learning opportunities for leveraging personal and team strengths to enhance collaboration, efficiency, and overall work/life satisfaction," said Kaylei Verrill, Senior Sustainable Mobility Specialist at ICF . "I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to become a more holistic leader and to delving into the details of TDM. Not only will the program enhance your TDM career, but it will also equip you with the tools to become a better leader.”
"Participating in the ImpACT Leadership! Seminar was a great experience and provided so many useful benefits to my personal and professional development," said Tim Hams,Employee Transportation Program Manager at King County Metro. "We learned how to utilize our Clifton strengths, work better as cohesive and efficient teams, and networked with professionals from across the country and full spectrum of the TDM industry. I look forward to the ongoing experiences we will share and collective growth over the next 9 months as we collaborate on our group projects and build stronger bonds with each other and ACT."
"I discovered the course to be incredibly enlightening about becoming a holistic leader through the investment in one's natural talents. My key takeaway was the realization that being the best at everything doesn't define a good leader," said Jennifer Sazehn, Account Manager at Liftango. "Instead, acknowledging and leveraging the strengths of others is a hallmark of effective leadership. Embracing this approach doesn't signify weakness but rather exemplifies the qualities of a strong and capable leader."
“The ImpACT Leadership Seminar was phenomenal! The team’s work with organizing this seminar was impeccable," said Lakeshia Lewis, Transportation Demand Management Specialist at OmniRide. "I am so ecstatic and looking forward to a deeper dive into the TDM world and connecting with great people!!”
"The ImpACT! Leadership seminar exceeded my expectations in every way," said Justin Narayan, Marketing and Communications Specialist at Stanford University. "It was my first time attending a leadership training and I gained so much awareness of my strengths and leadership style through the training. In addition to the invaluable leadership insights, the seminar allowed me to connect with a diverse and inspiring group of professionals who I now consider friends."
"True leadership is achieved through influence, not authority. To that end, I was delighted to discover the ImpACT! Leadership Seminar was focused on Clifton Strengths, an assessment of our innate talents and guidance on how to use them most effectively. We use this same system in the Public Transportation Division at WSDOT to great success: strength-based approaches to building teams, putting people in positions to thrive, and understanding and compensating for barriers have made our workforce more cohesive and productive, with high rates of job satisfaction and retention," said Michael Wandler, Data Analytics Supervisor at the Washington State Department of Transportation. "Even after several years of hands-on experience, though, being able to learn more about this system from a Gallup-certified instructor significantly deepened my knowledge and gave me several additional tools to leverage strengths into leadership and productivity. The Seminar was enlightening, fun, and engaging. I definitely left a better employee than I arrived."