Mountain District January 2026 Newsletter 
eNewsletter Sponsor
President's Message
Happy New Year, Mountain District! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and took time to rest and recharge and reflect on all that you accomplished in 2025. As we step into 2026, I think of the hard work and experiences that have shaped the Mountain District. We have come a long way since 2020. Now, as we begin our seventh year as a District, we are a more mature and accomplished community, and I can’t wait to see what this year brings.
One of our goals last year was drafting and adopting a Culture Statement for the Mountain District (read it here). As the committee met to develop this statement, I felt such a sense of pride and gratitude for words like: Connection. Lasting traditions. Inclusion. And they aren’t just words – they truly reflect the spirit of this organization and professionals who make it special. While we strive for innovation and technical excellence, it’s our relationships and shared experiences that set us apart. We are better together!
2025 was a successful year for the District, and I would like to thank Chris Sobie for his leadership as President. I also wish to recognize International Director Ben Waldman, Past President David Lucas, Section Representatives Darlene Yellowhair (AZ), Cody Luper (IA), and Ati Abad (NV), Advertising Chair Kordel Braley, Communications Chair Melissa Gende, and LAC Chair Jonathan Kruse. Thank you all for your service!
As we kick-off 2026, please join me in welcoming our new leaders for 2026: International Director Danielle Scharff, District Secretary-Treasurer Kordel Braley, Section Representatives Denise Baker (AZ), Brett Kohring (ID), and Christina Richter (NV), Advertising Chair Dillon McClain, and LAC Chairs Ellie Volosin and David Lucas. I’m so excited to work with you all and look forward to the new ideas and experiences you will bring to keep our momentum strong in 2026.
Looking ahead, I’m excited about the opportunities we have to come, especially the 2026 Mountain District Annual Meeting, which will be held at the High Country Conference Center, June 10-12, 2026. Check out the Top 10 Reasons to Attend the 2026 Annual Meeting! Also, Sponsorship and Exhibitor Registration are now open, and hotel reservations and attendee registration will be available soon. I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities. In conjunction with the Annual Meeting, the Northern Arizona University will be hosting the Mountain District Student Leadership Summit! I hope you can join us in Flagstaff and encourage you to also stay involved with your local section and find ways to contribute to the success of our professional community.
I am so excited to serve as your Mountain District President this year. Let’s make 2026 a year of collaboration, growth, and progress. I hope to see you in Flagstaff in June!
-Lindsay Saner, 2026 ITE Mountain District President
As my term as Mountain District President comes to a close, I want to offer a sincere thank you to the many volunteers, leaders, and members who make this District what it is. Serving in this role has reinforced what I already believed about the ITE Mountain District: the strength of our organization is not in titles or committees, but in people who consistently show up, contribute thoughtfully, and care about advancing both the profession and one another. It has been a privilege to work alongside such a dedicated group over the past year.
I am especially grateful to the District Board, Section and Chapter leaders, committee chairs, and volunteers who carried the real weight of the work. Your professionalism, responsiveness, and willingness to step up make the District stronger and allow us to continue building momentum across technical programming, leadership development, and member engagement. I also want to thank those who reached out with ideas, feedback, or simply a willingness to help. Those conversations matter and shape the direction of our efforts more than you may realize.
As I transition into the Past President role, I do so with confidence in the leadership ahead and optimism for where the Mountain District is going. I look forward to continuing to support the District, staying engaged, and supporting the next group of leaders as they build on what has been started. Thank you again for the trust, collaboration, and camaraderie. It has truly been an honor to serve.
-Chris Sobie, 2025 ITE Mountain District President
ITE Honors Mountain District Leaders with Honorary Membership
ITE—A Community of Transportation Professionals is proud to announce the election of three distinguished professionals as its 2026 Honorary Members, the organization’s highest recognition of notable and outstanding professional achievement. Since the honor was first awarded in 1933, only 100 individuals have earned this distinction. The ITE International Board of Direction has recognized two Mountain District members for their exceptional service and lasting contributions to the profession: Michael Sanderson, P.E., PTOE (H) and Jonathan Upchurch, Ph.D., P.E., PTOE (Ret.), Dist.M.ASCE (H). Congratulations to these remarkable professionals for receiving ITE’s highest honor.
Michael Sanderson, P.E., PTOE (H)
Michael Sanderson has demonstrated exceptional leadership throughout his career, particularly in shaping a people-centered approach to transportation and strengthening ITE. As CEO of Sanbell, Sanderson leads one of the fastest-growing community planning, engineering, and design firms in the western United States. A triple alumnus of Montana State University and the University of Montana, Sanderson complements his technical expertise with executive education from Harvard Business School.
His ITE service includes terms as International President (2018), founder and Chair of LeadershipITE, and pivotal roles in the ONE ITE initiative. Sanderson has also served as International Director for the Western District, as well as on multiple councils and committees. A dedicated educator and mentor, he serves as faculty advisor for Montana State University’s ITE Student Chapter and teaches as an adjunct instructor. Sanderson has also published extensively in ITE Journal and earned several ITE awards, including the Burton W. Marsh Award for Distinguished Service and the LeadershipITE Cornerstone Award.
Throughout his career, Sanderson has championed education, mentorship, and community service. His thought leadership on evolving transportation roles and innovation has shaped both policy and practice, earning recognition through numerous awards and advisory roles. Sanderson’s influence spans technical, academic, and civic spheres, including service on boards for the Museum of the Rockies and Friends of Montana PBS. His legacy is defined by an unwavering dedication to advancing transportation and empowering future professionals. Read more.
Jonathan Upchurch, Ph.D., P.E., PTOE (Ret.), Dist.M.ASCE (H)
Jonathan Upchurch has made a profound impact across five decades of service to transportation engineering. He served as ITE International President in 1991, has participated in more than 50 ITE International Annual Meetings, and has delivered over 100 presentations at ITE Section, District, and International meetings. He has held numerous leadership and volunteer roles, including Chair of the TRB Committee on Traffic Control Devices and Executive Secretary of the U.S. National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
Dr. Upchurch also served as a staff member for the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, contributing to the landmark SAFETEA-LU legislation. His academic legacy includes 20 years as a university professor and mentoring future leaders in the profession. Recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the ITE Western District and honored as a Distinguished Member of ASCE, Dr. Upchurch exemplifies lifelong dedication to public service, technical excellence, and professional mentorship.
Dr. Upchurch has made lasting contributions across government, academia, and professional associations. His policy expertise and dedication to MUTCD development have shaped national traffic control device standards. As a tireless volunteer, he has served on TRB committees and mentored countless students—11 of whom went on to become ITE Section Presidents. His decades of service exemplify the spirit of ITE Honorary Membership. Read more.
Spotlight
Volunteer with ITE Mountain District
Is volunteering more part of your new years resolution? The Mountain District is looking to fill a few key vacancies and is always looking for leaders to join our committees. Please find information about active recruitment below or check out our committees webpage and reach out to a committee chair about getting invovled!
Communications Committee Chair - The communications committee manages the District's webpage, sends out monthly communications, and helps coordinate messaging for District and Section events and initiatives. Contact [email protected] if you are interested!
Service & Outreach Committee Members - The service and outreach committee is looking for members to help coordinate service and outreach activities at the District and Section levels. The goal is to have representation from every Section on the committee so please don't hesitate to reach out if this sounds interesting. Contact [email protected] if you are interested!
District Administrator - 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].
TPCB Spotlight
Congratulations to these ITE Mountain District Members who passed a Transportation Professional Certification Board (TPCB) exam during the October 2025 testing period!
PTOE
Syeda Aziz - City of Idaho Falls (Idaho Section)
Troy Monroe - City of Missoula (Montana Section)
Navid Shafieirad - Matrix Design Group (Colorado-Wyoming Section)
Adji Witjaksono - Olsson (Colorado-Wyoming Section)
PTP
Sean Hoisington - J-U-B Engineers, Inc (Idaho Section)
Michelle Schefflin - Olsson (Arizona Section)
RSP 1
Subhankar Dey - HDR Engineering Inc. (Arizona Section)
Zachary Handy - Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. (Arizona Section)
Ryan Hudson - City Of Mesa Transportation Department (Arizona Section)
Levi LaGuardia - Jefferson County (Colorado-Wyoming Section)
Ossiris Sanchez Rodriguez - Lee Engineering (New Mexico Section)
Eric Sweat - Kimley-Horn (Utah Section)
Gabe Thum - Pima Association Of Governments (Arizona Section)
Benjamin Waldman - Consor (Colorado-Wyoming Section)
RSP 2 - Infrastructure
Andrew Jayankura - City of Sparks, Nevada (Nevada Section)
Annual Meeting Update
Exhibitor and Sponsor Registration for the Mountain District Annual Meeting is Now Open! Please visit the Sponsor & Vendor/Exhbitor webpage for more information.
The 2026 Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Mountain District Annual Meeting will be held June 10-12, 2026, at the High Country Conference Center at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. We are excited to host a successful conference. Our success will not be possible without the continued support from sponsors and exhibitors. We encourage you to consider becoming a sponsor and/or exhibitor and participate in our annual meeting. You will find specific details associated with sponsorship and exhibiting on the website and in the Sponsor & Exhibitor Guide.
Sponsorships include:
Tier Sponsorship
Event Sponsorship
- Family Night
- Telescope
- Business Luncheon
- Award Luncheon
- Cornhole Tournament
- Student Traffic Bowl
- Welcome Bag
- Lanyard (Sold Out)
- Badge (Sold Out)
- Breakfast
- Breakout
The Sponsor & Exhibitor Guide as well as registration can be found at https://mountainite.org/2026_MDITE_Annual_Meeting_Sponsor
New Members
ITE welcomes the following new members who recently joined our community of transportation professionals!
Preetish Raj - Las Vegas, NV
Leonel Ornelas Olmos - Westminster, CO
Benjamin Alexander - University of Colorado Denver - Denver, CO
German Hernandez - Uceda School - Las Vegas, NV
Benjamin Ferido - City of Fernley - Fernley, NV
Francine Pacheco - Wilson & Co - Albuquerque, NM
Anthony Beasley - Town of Castle Rock - Castle Rock, CO
Elijah Davis - Boise State University - Boise, ID
Maheono Guilloux-Chevalier - University of Nevada Reno - Reno, NV
Velvet Mathew - Maricopa Association of Governments - Phoenix, AZ
Upcoming Events
- February 6 - ITE CO/WY Vendor Show
- March 17 - Utah ITE Annual Meeting
See additional details for these events HERE.
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 Fall 2025 here. We are currently looking for content for the upcoming Winter edition of the ITE MD magazine. Contact Darlene Yellowhair for more information.
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 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/
Employment Opportunities
- Professional Engineer – Roadway - Horrocks (All Mountain District States)
- Assistant Transportation Director - City of Mesa, AZ
- Director, Traffic (City Traffic Engineer) - City of Fort Collins, CO
- Professional Engineer - Albuquerque, NM - Bohannan Huston, Inc.
- Senior Roadway Design Project Manager - Boise, ID - DKS Associates
- National Roadway Design Practice Leader - Boise, ID - DKS Associates
Submit your job postings HERE!
Sponsors
Our eNewsletter sponsors for this month are Consor and Horrocks!
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.
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.