ITE mountain district - mONTHLY nEWSLETTER/MAGAZINE
Here you will find the current version of the Mountain District newsletter or magazine. Magazines are published quarterly in February, May, August, and November and are provided as a benefit of ITE membership. If you are seeing a message that "this newsletter is restricted", please log in to your account (using the log in button on this page, the home page, or by clicking the "lock" icon in the top right corner) to view the latest edition of The Summit magazine!
eNewsletter Sponsor
This issue of the eNewsletter is sponsored by two of our District Sponsors,
Stanley Consultants and Kimley-Horn.
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President's Message
Mountain District Members - this month we are happy to share a report of the 2026 Annual Meeting of our District provided by our Local Arrangement Committee Chairs:
Local Arrangements Committee Report
Flagstaff, Arizona was the place to be June 10–12, 2026, as transportation professionals from across the world (as far away as New Zealand!), gathered for the ITE Mountain District Annual Meeting to enjoy one of the "coolest" places in Arizona during the hot summer months. With almost 400 attendees and a robust program of technical sessions, tours, and networking events, we highlighted the great work being done by our members. As a bonus this year, we celebrated the centennial of Route 66, creating excitement about both the past and the future of transportation. From keynote speakers to in-depth discussions on innovations in mobility and safety, the meeting was a testament to the strength and forward-thinking spirit of our community of transportation professionals.
Highlights included:
- The annual Student Leadership Summit, with 40 students in attendance
- An inspiring keynote address from Jennifer Toth, Arizona DOT Director
- The annual First-Timers Welcome event, coordinated by the DEI Committee
- A well-attended Vendor Reception to open our exhibit halls, with nearly 30 booths featuring the latest services and products in the industry
- The very popular and competitive Annual Meeting Cornhole Tournament, where prizes included custom bean bags featuring our awesome conference logo
- Informative plenary session presentations by Gordon Meth, ITE International President, and Seth Chalmers, Arizona ASCE History and Heritage Committee Chair
- ASCE National Historical Civil Engineering Landmark plaques celebrating the centennial of Route 66 being presented to the City of Flagstaff
- A technical tour of the City of Flagstaff Sign and Signal Shop and a Historic Route 66 Walking Tour
- A strong technical program with over 50 technical sessions presented by over 70 speakers during the three-day meeting
- The official unveiling of our new District, Section, Chapter and Student Chapter logos at the Annual Business Meeting
- A thrilling Student Traffic Bowl that came down to the final question, with the University of Arizona bringing home the trophy to Arizona for the first time
- An extremely well-attended Family Night at the Lowell Observatory and Discovery Center, where everyone enjoyed stargazing and the many exhibits and attractions, including an indoor slide
- Jenny Grote was recognized for her many years of dedicated service with the ITE Mountain District Bedrock Award
- Celebrating the many accomplishments of our student and professional members from across the District during our Annual Awards Luncheon
These events and highlights were only possible thanks to the contributions of the 20 dedicated members of the Flagstaff Local Arrangements Committee, who donated countless hours over the past two years to ensure that this meeting was a success. We would also like to extend our thanks to our sponsors and exhibitors, without whom these annual meetings would not be possible. In addition to providing valuable financial support, they provide opportunities to learn about the latest products and technical services that allow us to do what we do as transportation professionals: helping ensure that everyone gets home safely at the end of the day.
We hope you enjoyed your visit to Arizona’s high country, where you learned that not all of Arizona is a scorched desert landscape, enjoyed being nestled within the largest contiguous Ponderosa pine forest in the world, and marveled at the wonder of the cosmos during an evening at the Lowell Observatory and Discovery Center in the world’s first International Dark Sky City. Flagstaff stands as a year-round sanctuary where rugged Southwestern beauty meets cosmic wonder and provided a unique backdrop for this year’s ITE Mountain District Annual Meeting. We’re already looking forward to gathering again next year, so mark your calendars for June 13-16, 2027, where we will be joined by our fellow members from the ITE Western District in Reno, Nevada!
David Lucas and Ellie Volosin
ITE Mountain District 2026 Annual Meeting LAC Co-Chairs
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Spotlight
2027 ITE Mountain District Executive Commmittee Candidates
Last Day to Vote is July 17 - Check your email for voting instructions.
2027 ITE Mountain District President Candidate – Lisa Nguyen
2027 ITE Mountain District Vice President Candidate – Kordel Braley
2027 ITE Mountain District Secretary-Treasurer Candidate – Carl Vermillion
2027 ITE Mountain District Secretary-Treasurer Candidate – Anabel Hernandez
Check out the blog for more information and candidate statements!
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Annual Meeting Update
We are currently coordinating with ITE to have the 2026 ITE Mountain District Annual Meeting added to the ITE Learning Hub so speakers and attendees can claim their Professional Development Hours (PDHs). We will post an update on the conference website, and send an email to all attendees, once the event is registered and further details are available. We appreciate your patience while this gets sorted.
Stay tuned for the Summer edition of The Summit, coming in August, which will showcase some great photos from the Flagstaff meeting, along with a preview of what to look forward to in Reno, June 13-16, 2027!
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Upcoming Events
- July 26 - ITE CO/WY Summer Picnic Palooza
- July 30 - ITE NV Monthly Luncheon "Implementing a Modern, Open System-Based Traffic Signal System" by Joe Norby (RTCSNV)
See additional details for these events HERE.
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Call for Magazine Content
The Summit is seeking pictures of Mountain District swag from anywhere in the world to feature throughout the magazine and newsletters. Please send pictures to Darlene Yellowhair to be featured in our next magazine!
Want to highlight your team's projects or research to a wider audience? Consider submitting an article about your project to be included in the quarterly Mountain District magazine! Check out the latest issue from Spring 2026 here. We are currently looking for content for the upcoming Summer edition of the ITE MD magazine. Contact Darlene Yellowhair for more information.
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Mountain District News
GET INVOLVED WITH MOUNTAIN DISTRICT ITE
If you have not gotten involved in your new District, now is the time! District Committees that are always welcoming additional volunteers to serve in a variety of roles, including committee members, co-chairs, and even chairs. If you are wondering what these roles are like and how to give back, just reach out to the committee you are interested in! Visit our Committees page for more info!
The Communications Committee needs some members to support District operations. Please reach out to [email protected] to find a meaningful way to contribute to our District!
The Mountain District is currently seeking interested individuals to begin training to take over the role of District Administrator. This role is an appointed position that is responsible for providing continuity to the board over a number of years. Jenny Grote has been serving as the Mountain District Administrator since the founding of the Mountain District in 2020 and is looking to find someone to learn alongside her and be ready to fill her role when she steps down in 2026. For more information, please reach out to Jenny at [email protected].
If you ARE NOT yet a member of ITE, you should take advantage of the great advantages there is to being an ITE member and a formal member of the Mountain District of ITE!
Membership types are found here: https://www.ite.org/membership/become-a-member/join-ite/
Benefits of being a member are found here: https://www.ite.org/membership/become-a-member/benefits-of-membership/
If you are under the age of 29, membership has been discounted for you here: https://www.ite.org/membership/become-a-member/young-member/
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Sponsors
Our eNewsletter sponsors for this month are Kimley-Horn and
Stanley Consultants!
Whether you post a job listing, an entry in the products and services directory, become a District Sponsor or a Founding District Sponsor, know that your financial support goes directly into funding the important initiatives of the Mountain District.
These initiatives include a strong scholarship and award component to support the growth of our student population and encourage the next generation to join our Community of Transportation Professionals. Initiatives are also in place to support the growth and development of our young professionals and providing additional outreach opportunities to both our public and private partners, highlighting the work they are doing to better serve the traveling public. The Mountain District will be working in close partnership with our Sections and Chapters to support their activities at the local level and highlight the accomplishments of our transportation community.
More information on the scholarships, awards and other programs are available on the Mountain ITE website on the https://mountainite.org/sponsors page for more information or contact the Advertising Chair.
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Disclaimer
If you have any trouble with these e-mails, please contact [email protected]. We are using the membership database as our contact list, so please be sure to keep your contact information updated.
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