October 2021 Newsletter
Member? Non-Member?
Did you know that if your organization is a member of IBTTA, then you are automatically a member as well? You can register for an account at IBTTA for access to events and data. Feel free to forward this newsletter to coworkers who may benefit from it!
Stop by the Young Professionals Council LinkedIn Page!
We have a linked in site! If you are looking for professional growth opportunities in the tolling industry, the YPC LinkedIn page is the place to go. Join here to expand your professional network, connect with tolling experts, and advance your career in the industry while having fun!
YPC Upcoming Events
89th Annual Meeting & Exhibition October 10-12, 2021 Anaheim, CA
Register: https://www.ibtta.org/events/89th-annual-meeting-exhibition
Join the YPC on Sunday at 12:00 for a time of Networking, followed by a Crash Course on how to get the most out of your conference experience. If you are at the conference, you won’t want to miss this!
Maintenance, engineering & Roadway Operations Workshop November 4-6, 2021 Louisville, KY
Register: https://www.ibtta.org/events/maintenance-engineering-roadway-operations-workshop
YPC Book Club Discussion November 4, 2021 11:30AM EST
Join the Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/GV9CC7sMRH
Notes from the YPC Chair
Hello YPC Members and Friends of YPC,
This fall has hit us with lots of surprises- hurricanes, bus driver shortages, the return of mask mandates and quarantines, and the Delta variant to name a few. Sometimes it’s hard to look back and remember what ‘normal’ looked like. But it’s important to remember that change is what makes the world go round, as cliche as that may sound. We have seen improvements in some of our work-life balances. We have adopted new hobbies and gotten outside more. We have reduced our carbon emissions. We have learned that a meeting can sometimes just be a phone or video call (or an email). It’s important to focus on the positive when our lives seem upside-down.
The YPC has also had to pivot over the last year. We went from an organization whose goal was to get Young Professionals to Conferences, to a community that chats and teaches about issues that pertain to our daily lives. While our focus is still on encouraging Young Professionals participation in IBTTA, we are also focusing on creating content relevant to YPs. This where you come in! The YPC is starting planning for 2022. If you have some great ideas that will propel the YPC forward, or would just like to get more involved, consider one of our Subcommittees. You can express interest by sending an email to ibttaypc@gmail.com , reaching out on Discord, or filling out a form here: https://ypcouncil.com/subcommitees . If you would like to help with the mission of the YPC, we will also be opening applications for Steering Committee members soon.
I’m looking forward to seeing some of you in Anaheim. The YPC will be putting on a session about making the most of your conference experience, as well as a time for networking, and if you are at the conference I hope you will be able to stop in and say hello. If you are unable to attend, just a reminder that there is a virtual option to attend several of the sessions. If you are planning on attending in person, join our Annual Meeting Discord channel. If you are not attending, feel free to check out any of the other channels, or just say hi in the general channel, or join us for a Wednesday lunch chat session. I think we can all continue to use a little human interaction right now.
See you soon in the Discord chat,
Chelsea Scheid
2021 YPC Chair
YPC Member Spotlight
Jason McCartney
Q:Where do you work and how long have you been there?
A: I work with Gannett Fleming as a Project Manager who focuses on ITS and Tolling projects. I started working for Gannett right out of college and have been there for my entire 12 year career. I have mostly worked out of the Philadelphia office, but did take the opportunity to spend one year working in Gannett’s office in Doha, Qatar.
Q: Tell us about your favorite project, either at your current or in a previous role?
A: My favorite project has to be the I-77 Express Lanes in Charlotte, NC. Gannett Fleming was able to serve as the engineer of record for Kapsch, who provided all tolling and ITS to create new northbound and southbound express lanes along a 26 mile corridor north of Charlotte. This project was a high profile P3, so there were many moving parts and atypical challenges. I was able to serve as Gannett Fleming’s Project Manager and Lead Engineer. This project taught me a lot about tolling and really helped to me develop as a Project Manager.
Q: What do you like to do when you are not in the office?
A: I have two kids (age 5 and 3) that keep me quite busy at soccer practice, or the playground. When I’m not doing that, I like to run or ride on the Schuylkill River Trail here in Philly. During this pandemic, I’ve tried to take every opportunity I can to spend time outdoors.
Q: How long have you been with YPC? Do you have a favorite YPC-related story?
A: I am one of the few remaining YPC founders! I was part of the group that met at the 2019 Tech Summit in Orlando and decided to build this group to try to create a space within IBTTA that focuses on young professionals, and those new to the tolling industry. I have served as Vice-Chair of the YPC since it’s formation, and look forward to taking over as chair in 2022!
My favorite YPC memory is how different that first Orlando conference felt for me after we formed the YPC. I had been to IBTTA events before but had always stuck with my coworkers and mingled with people in their networks. The YPC gave me my own network of industry peers; we would find each other in sessions, in the hallways, and at social events. Instantly having my own connections, my own peer network, made the entire conference experience much more satisfying and constructive.
Q: What is something you are looking forward to in the next year?
A: To avoid the obvious “return to normalcy” statement, I’ll say that I’m looking forward to helping to continue to grow the YPC! Over the past two years, the group has grown from an idea to an active core of engaged young professionals under Chelsea Scheid’s leadership. When she passes the torch to me, I hope to be able to continue to integrate the YPC in to the IBTTA community, and to help make the YPC a resource to help others find the same peer networks that I found so satisfying when I first joined YPC in Orlando 2019.
YPC Book Club
Join our Book Club channel to get the most up-to-date info on the YPC Book Club. Our current book is The Authenticity Project.
Don’t forget about the YPC Discord Channel!
Most of our community activities and meetings take place on our Discord server, which you can join with this link. The link will take you to the browser version of Discord, btu once you sign up you can download the app on desktop or mobile for a better experience. If you have joined before but lost hte link, you can always find it again in this newsletter or on ypcouncil.org, and using the app will make it even easier. Be sure to check regularly to participate in our weekly discussion topic!YPC uses our Discord channel to communicate. From our weekly topics and events to our book club conversation and our gaming events – we talk about it everything here! Download the Discord app on your mobile device or computer and start chatting with us today!
Next YPC Member Spotlight Nominations
We have a goal to feature a person of interest in the Spotlight section of our monthly YPC Newsletter, so we are asking YOU to nominate someone.
Do you know someone fascinating? Intelligent? Talented? Someone you have learned from or someone that you feel others can learn from?
Do they work in the tolling and transportation industry?
If so, we would like to learn more about them!
Please submit nominations to the YPC Communications Sub-committee team via email: IBTTAYPC@gmail.com
Subject: Spotlight Nomination