Executive Director's Report May 2024
May is a time of year that takes us from spring to summer, and for ACT represents an important transition to our most busy part of the calendar. With early bird pricing for the International Conference closing a few weeks ago, we are on pace to have a record number of attendees at this year’s event in Denver. Our room block is filling fast so I want to encourage all of you who are planning to join us at the must-attend event of the year to register soon!
Heading into June also means election season at ACT. On June 12, ACT will open nominations for Directors and Officers of the national board. This includes six director seats and each officer position (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer). Serving on the national board is one of the rewarding opportunities we have within the association. As a Director, you will lend your expertise within the field and/or organizational management/governance to ACT's advancement. Through board meetings and committee participation, you will engage in deliberations about the organization's future. ACT is truly lucky to have had many years of strong volunteer leadership within the board and I encourage you all to think about the opportunity to serve. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the opportunity in more detail, please reach out to me directly at dstraus@actweb.org.
I would also like to remind everyone, that we have opened up nominations for the TDM Hall of Fame. Launched last year by the Board, the TDM Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of TDM and/or to the association. After nearly 40 years, we have seen countless individuals leave a last mark. In many cases, these individuals may be long retired or no longer with us, and we want to make sure that their contributions and leadership are recognized. If you know of such an individual, I hope that you will consider nominating them.
As we make the final sprint to the International Conference, we are also pivoting this month towards the TDM Forum in November. This year’s event will feature a brand-new program structure that will enable participants to dive deep into four thematic areas. Each theme will be rolled out through a full-day workshop structure. We are currently seeking additional volunteers to help us flesh out the themes and identify subject matter experts to speak. To volunteer or learn more, please email Casey Murphy.
Before I close, I want to give an additional congratulations to all of our members who helped pass the recent FAA Reauthorization bill. The legislation included important language requiring a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study on the efficacy of TDM at airports. This study should open up new opportunities for ACT members and TDM professionals to engage directly with airports on the development and implementation of TDM strategies that aim to improve sustainable transportation options for millions of employees and travelers to airport facilities. If you or your organization works with an airport facility (or would like to be working with an airport facility) please let us know, as we are planning to form a work group to engage with GAO on this effort over the next two years.
I am always amazed at all of the work our mighty association has going on at any given time. The above just barely scratches the surface. I want to thank all of our members that are volunteering their time and expertise within our chapters, councils, committees, and other projects for their dedication. As always, please reach out to me directly if you have any questions or would like to share your ideas for the association.