The new IBTTA president has said the progress of the tolling organisation's Task Force on Diversity, Social and Racial Justice will be a crucial measure of success going forward.
Calling it a 'great example' of initiatives IBTTA is undertaking, Mark Compton insisted: "2021 will only be successful if this task force is flourishing."
“The global transportation industry confronts enormous challenges including the pandemic, a shaky world economy, climate change, and the worldwide yearning for social and racial justice,” said IBTTA CEO Pat Jones.
This list explains why Compton, who is also CEO of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, has chosen the theme of 'Leading Through Disruption' for his year in office.
"While we all want to get back to a sense of normalcy, we cannot — and should not — forget all the good things we’ve been able to do in 2020," he said.
"The extraordinary, unpredictable nature of this time, in many ways, inspired and required us to work more as a team than ever before. Our industry has been agile, flexible and able to pivot and respond quickly to last year’s changes and challenges as they emerged."
2021 will be about finding what he called a "hybrid model to move forward".
"We all desire in-person meetings," Compton continued.
"But we cannot keep these new virtual connections we made in 2020 through in-person meetings alone. The new connections are real, these new people are doing great work and we must keep this going."
"What is important to us now, what has evolved quicker due to the pandemic, must be continued to achieve success," he insisted.
In addition to the announcement of Compton as IBTTA's president for 2021, three more appointments have been made.
Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, commissioner of the State of New Jersey Department of Transportation, will serve as the association’s first vice president.
Meanwhile René Moser, senior EU and international affairs manager at Asfinag, will be international vice president; and Transportation Corridor Agencies CEO Samuel Johnson is IBTTA immediate past president.
Looking ahead to a change of administration in the White House, Pat Jones added: "We look forward to working with the new Biden Administration and Congress to advance transportation solutions through tolling and other sustainable funding sources in America and around the world."
