Introducing Russell McDermott, TDM-CP

The TDM-CP credential is relatively new to our industry, and it is the only certification program for Transportation Demand Management professionals. Founded to make sure the TDM industry continues to have highly qualified individuals to move the field forward, this program boasts a diverse membership reflecting a variety of ethnicities, backgrounds, locations, and sectors.

With over 100 professionals who have earned the credential in the past few years, it’s a great time to introduce this esteemed body.  We’d like to start by introducing Russell McDermott.

Russell has held his TDM-CP credential since 2020 and is Program Director at AECOM. We recently reached out to Russell to ask four questions to learn more about him and his thoughts on the TDM industry. Here’s what he shared.

Question 1: What do you enjoy most about your work? 

I like the challenge of it. A lot of what we do is focused on changing human behavior, and that means navigating a very dynamic environment.

Question 2: What would you say are the major challenges facing the industry? 

As an industry, we’ve come a long way, but there is a lot of work to do. We need to do a better job of establishing industry standards and sharing not only our successes but our failures. There are a lot of talented people doing some really great things, but the industry is very fragmented, and sometimes it feels like we keep recreating the wheel instead of building on each other's successes.  I also think that we need to do a better job of creating metrics to measure the impact of our work.  As states develop their emission reduction plans, we need to demonstrate the value of our work quantitatively. 

Question 3:  How do you feel you can contribute to addressing these challenges?  

I am fortunate to work in an organization that manages several TDM programs in its practice, so implementing standards and learning from each other is routine for us, but it’s not as easy to replicate that externally. I’ve recently started working closely with ACT to identify and address this issue. We are also working to define and track metrics that will be useful in efforts to reduce transportation emissions. 

Question 4: And what advice do you have for anyone joining the industry?

Dive in with both feet and keep working on refining and improving how we achieve our goals. Keep learning from what the TDM community is doing and try to build on what works in other locations.

The process of earning and retaining your TDM-CP is a great way continue learning and refining your craft, while also stepping forward as a leader to move transportation demand management forward. We appreciate Russell for stepping forward in this manner and for sharing his perspective.  For more information about the TDM-CP, whether it is right for you, or even tips on how to get started contact, visit  https://www.actweb.org/about-the-exam or contact certification@actweb.com .