Hi ITE Community,

Happy Summer! We’ve had a busy first half of the year, kicking off with our Joint Southern California section meeting. Our first hybrid event, held in-person at Cal Poly, and online via Zoom was a success! We had great participation in the chat, and the students/professionals who could join in person enjoyed a networking event after the meeting. 

We’re fresh off of the Western District ITE Meeting, where several of our members won awards. Tom Mericle was the recipient of the Individual Achievement Award, Paul Valadao was named the Outstanding Transportation Educator, and our student chapter received the Student Chapter Award. Congratulations to you all! 

Our annual golf tournament in June was a huge success, thank you to everyone who participated in and sponsored tees. The funds we raised go directly to Cal Poly’s ITE student chapter and all donations are appreciated.

Going forward, our plan is to embrace the hybrid option whenever possible, catering to our members’ busy schedules, while also allowing for some much missed face-to-face time. Over the next few months, we will be rolling out a series of informal get togethers, intended to bring our community back together in a “post” pandemic era. I know I’ve missed the feel of an in-person event, and am excited to mingle with all of you on a personal level, outside of the confines of a virtual call. My goal with these social events is to foster a shared passion for our work in a roundtable setting, open to all. Stay tuned for more on that front. 

Keep an eye out for a busy next few months with ITE, and if you’d like to get more involved please do not hesitate to reach out. 

Cheers,

Vidhi