International Director's Message: December 2011

By Bob Stammer (TN)

Dear SDITE Members,

The ITE International Board of Directors has met twice (St. Louis in August and Washington, D.C. in October) since my last report. The following comments highlight some of the more salient actions by the International Board of Direction (IBOD) in these two meetings.

Strategic Planning
The IBOD continues to refine our Institute’s Strategic Plan and I am seeing progress that it is actually driving more of the IBOD meeting agendas.

Finances
ITE Annual Operating Budget is ~ $ 8 million per year. Targeted reserve is 75% of this or $6 million. ITE continues to suffer from the economic downturn, and we had to dip into reserves for 2009, were barely in the black for 2010, and the deficit amount forecasted for the 2011 is + $100K. (Budget struggles seem to be common, right?)

There will be an ITE reception at the January 2011 TRB Meeting.

Actions/Issues

• International has turned to the Southern District for Leadership….literally. After a long and deliberate courtship, International wants to explore how the current SDITE Leadership modules can be tailored for a wider ITE audience. A line item of $5K was authorized in October by the IBOD for modifying and documenting our modules. Plans are to present one module in each of our two 2011 meetings in Pasadena, CA and Atlanta, GA.
• And speaking of the SDITE star shining brightly…our own Hibbett Neel is running unopposed for the 2012 ITE Vice President. A write-in candidate is still possible until the first week in March, 2012…but is highly unlikely. Having only one candidate, unlike last year’s three candidates, obviously will save ITE money in unused travel expenses.
• We had one ITE staff reduction in 2011. I believe this brings the total personnel reductions to four in the past three years.
• The ITE Journal has a new publisher. I think we have gotten a better product at a reduced cost. Expanded distribution of electronic versions to Life Members and Student Members are two cost saving measures.
• A new generation website is forthcoming and will be much more interactive and hopefully easier to use.
• The earlier “Learned Journal” has become the “Transportation Journal” and is scheduled for two issues annually.
• And the BIGGIE for Martin!!! ….The Board did not even hint at an ITE name change discussion at any meeting in 2010.

New ITE Headquarters
Go see these the next time you are in Washington, D.C. The new headquarters in Washington, D.C. at the Army and Navy Club are IMPRESSIVE! They are being used widely, and the Board even had our annual Board Dinner in the Conference Room this year.

Traffic Bowl Activities
The 2nd Annual Traffic Bowl Competition was held in St. Louis. It was again very successful, and the only complaint we heard was, “Do not have conflicting activities at the same time.”
I enjoy serving on the Traffic Bowl Committee and plans are already underway for Competition No. 3 in Atlanta, GA. Differences in competitions across Districts are being addressed, and the current plan is to have the Traffic Bowl later in the afternoon or early evening, with no competing activities, plus FOOD is being added!

Council Involvement
I want to continue to encourage Southern District members to become more involved in Council activities and to assume leadership positions. PLEASE take this message back to your Sections.

Hotel Footnote
Tom Brahm’s was on the war path about Marriott’s management position disputing incurred costs for recent ITE meetings. The amount we “think” is owed and what they claim is a wide chasm. Tom is still ACTIVELY negotiating, but vowed that legal measures may be necessary, and they will not be our hotel hosts in the future. Tom was all for a membership boycott. Feel free to REMEMBER this in your future District and Section meetings.

My FINAL Director’s Corner
Three years pass all too quickly. I have been honored to have “tried” to serve the Southern District. I have learned a great deal about the true inner workings of ITE. I have especially enjoyed my travels to ALL of the SDITE Sections. I have attended at least one meeting in EACH Section, met many great folks, and attended a lot of great meetings with wonderful social activities. I may have to return to some of these meetings….once “the statutes of limitations in certain unnamed states” expire! An even though my term will end at the end of December, I still want to help our District and Sections however I can. Rick Day is a most capable District Director and will be an excellent ambassador for our great District. Please support him, as you have supported me. “THANK YOU” for this opportunity and ….”God Bless”….or perhaps I should close with the even more Southern expression……. “Bless your little hearts!”

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