President's Message

 

Fostering Further Growth

by Kam Movassaghi, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE
President, Transportation and Development Institute of the ASCE

Kam

Your institute, T&DI, was established on October 1, 2002.  Soon after, in February 2004, the institute councils and committee chairs participated in an institute-wide strategic planning workshop in San Diego and produced our first strategic plan.  For the past three years, T&DI has operated based on that plan and has met many of its goals and objectives.  The Institute Board of Governors felt the time had come to have another gathering and to refresh the 2004 Strategic Plan.  The Board felt that our institute had grown through its infancy and needed to review its past and plan for a future that would aggressively foster its further growth and development in providing products and services that are demanded by our society and institute membership. It was decided to have a “leadership workshop” in conjunction with the Board’s fall meeting. It was decided to invite all council and committee chairs to interact with the board members and map out what this institute needs to do in the next few years. Specifically, four issues were identified:

 

  • Current institute council and committee structure: Is the current organizational structure of T&DI (existing committees and councils) best serving the needs of its membership and the society at large?
  • Funding of programs and activities: Is the current mechanism for funding committee activities effective in terms of program support and return on investment?
  • Contemporary issues: What are the current “hot button” issues in transportation and does T&DI have a role in response to these issues?
  • Future committee work plan: With reference to the above three issues, what strategies and work-plans should be undertaken by the committees for 2008-2010?

 

The Board of Governors met in Charlotte, North Carolina on November 29 and 30th.  Council and committee chairs joined the Board in the afternoon of November 30th and worked through the afternoon of December 1st.  The group discussed, debated and analyzed the above issues in large and small group settings.  It was a meeting full of energy and enthusiasm. A number of task committees were formed with an objective of making a final set of recommendations to the Board due before the next Board meeting in February 2008. 

I look forward to the forthcoming recommendations and urge your input through your council and committee chairs. I also would like to take this opportunity to thank the participants and contributors; your dedicated and unselfish efforts are making this institute one to be envied.