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Attitude - some people have a lot of it. Others will say that they have adopted it. I say, you can choose yours - and I choose to have a good and hopeful one.
This has been the most unusual and challenging of times for all of us. As Street Smarts approaches our 20th Anniversary (1 June 2010), there is much upon which to reflect. Even in the most difficult moments, I choose to be the eternal optimist. Some good will come out of everything we do, even when we have to travel a bumpy road (pun intended).
During this time when building new places is happening at a slower pace, we have the time to do great planning. In attending this year's Georgia Planning Association Fall conference, I noted that we hit registration numbers that surpassed most other events. Why? We have a hunger to learn and share best practices and new ideas. The content was excellent and the relationship building opportunities were numerous.
The Transportation Research Board's conference on Women's Issues in Transportation, recently held in California, was also well attended and included people from all around the globe. The presentations and discussions were informative and stimulating (you can read the daily newsletters to learn about our fun workshop and our serious research-based presentations - Go to the Daily Report - Women's Issues in Transportation, 4th International Conference.
As I take the reins of the American Society of Civil Engineers Transportation and Development Institute (T&DI), I am excited about our direction for 2010. To begin the year, we were very fortunate to host Former US DOT Transportation Secretary Mary Peters at a Board meeting where we learned a lot about what is happening legislatively (pictured below). This year we will certainly focus a lot on education related to the growing funding gap and the need for a reliable source of infrastructure funding. I hope you will read my T&DI President's message to hear more about the issues and direction for the Institute. You can link to the website or directly to the President's message.
In Georgia, we have a new Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, Vance Smith. For the last decade, he was in the State Legislature and served as the Chair of the House Transportation Committee. He is bringing his style to the department and restarting many meaningful projects. This is so encouraging!
Choose to turn off the radio or the TV so you are not bombarded with all of the negative press. Choose to be refreshed and have a good attitude. Maybe it will be contagious. They say "All politics is local" - let's adapt that and focus on being the change agents starting at the local level. One conversation, one project at a time. Let's make our community the best it can be and when all of the great communities are stitched together, this will be the great nation we choose to call home.
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