President's Update - January 2025
Posted by [email protected] on Jan. 2, 2025 / Mountain District Executive Update / Subscribe 0
Mountain District Members,
Happy New Year! As we step into 2025, I hope each of you took some time over the holidays to relax, recharge, and reflect on the past year—both personally and professionally. In our fast-paced world of transportation, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of new projects, progressing and completing existing initiatives, and managing the demands of our daily jobs. However, it’s equally important to pause and appreciate everything we’ve accomplished. At our core, we are promoting safer and more efficient transportation systems that touch every individual’s life on a daily basis. That’s a powerful mission, and it deserves both gratitude and reflection.
As I reflect on our journey as a District, I’m reminded of how far we’ve come in such a short time. It’s remarkable to think that the Mountain District was just a concept a few years ago. In February 2019, I had the opportunity to travel to Denver to participate in the Mountain District Subtask Force. As a young engineer at the time, I was inspired by the collaboration and passion I witnessed among well-established ITE members. One of the key goals from that initial meeting was to create more leadership and volunteer opportunities for Mountain District members. My presidency is a direct result of that vision, and I’m deeply grateful for the groundwork laid by those who came before me.
As we move forward, I encourage each of you to consider how you can get involved and serve your community. Whether it’s at the Section or District level, your contributions are vital to fostering professional growth and advancing our industry goals. Together, we can continue to build a stronger, more unified community that drives innovation and progress. I’d like to highlight two efforts we’ve made as a District which include our ongoing supporting the ITE Legacy Program, and our recent participation in the TRB DEI Video Competition: Moving Towards Inclusiveness.
Reflecting on 2024, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to David Lucas for his outstanding leadership as President throughout the past year. I also want to recognize our Past President Danielle Scharf, Section Representatives Jonathan Kruse (NM), Lisa Nguyen (CO/WY), and Scott Randal (MT), Advertising Chair Scott Burger, Awards Chair Joey Paskey, and LAC Chair Dillon McLain. Thank you for your dedication and service. Looking ahead to 2025, I’m thrilled to welcome our incoming leaders: District Secretary-Treasurer Lisa Nguyen, Section Representatives Rae Stephani (CO/WY), Sarah Nicolai (MT), and Carl Vermillion (NM), Advertising Chair Kordel Braley, Awards Chair Ati Abad, and LAC Chair Jonathan Kruse. I’m confident that their expertise and enthusiasm will continue to propel our District forward.
As we turn the page to 2025, I’m excited about the opportunities we have to come together and push our industry toward a brighter future. One such opportunity is our fourth in-person Mountain District Annual Meeting, which will be held at the Eldorado Hotel and Spa in Santa Fe, NM, from June 4-6, 2025. This beautiful venue, located in the heart of Santa Fe, promises an authentic #nmtrue experience that you won’t want to miss. The Call for Abstracts and Sponsorship Registration are now open, and I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities. In conjunction with the Annual Meeting, the University of New Mexico will also host our Mountain District Student Leadership Summit and the TRB Traffic Signal Committee will host their Summer Meeting. Additionally, I urge you to stay engaged with your Section offerings and consider how you can contribute to our collective success.
It is truly an honor to serve as your Mountain District President this year. Let’s make 2025 a year of collaboration, growth, and progress. I look forward to seeing many of you in Santa Fe and working together to achieve our shared vision for the future of transportation.
Warm regards,
Chris Sobie
President, ITE Mountain District
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