ATSSA Signal May June 2019

The Signal | May/June 2019 9 ATSSA News Educating and empowering the leaders that will advance roadway safety into the future. That is the mission of ATSSA’s biennial Leadership Program, which held its fourth class in Arlington, Virgin- ia, April 28–30, 2019. The programworks with selected ATSSA members to assist them in capitalizing on their leadership skills, in turn improv- ing performance and efficiencies through- out their organization. In addition to a curriculum from knowledgeable speak- ers and industry professionals, attend- ees also receive professional coaching, information on their individual leader- ship and work style, and a chance to network with like-minded association members. “The ATSSA Leadership Program is fo- cused on preparing future leaders in our industry so that when they return to their companies, they can help en- sure a successful future. Our members will be challenged by the ‘mixed fleet’ of human-driven and Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs), but our goal is the same—to move Toward Zero Deaths on our nation’s roadways,” said ATSSA President and CEO Roger Wentz. Participants worked through several modules during the program, including leadership concepts, association gov- ernance, strategic planning, communi- cation, advocacy, public relations, and working with the media. Jack Padden, vice president of finance/ business development for Sales Solu- tions Inc., shared his thoughts as a par- ticipant in the program. “As the incoming New England ATSSA Chapter president and a business own- er in the industry, I felt that the concepts of this program will not only help us in the advocacy of our area… but if I can [also] bring new ideas to my team, all the better. We’re in a vortex where tech- nology is changing, generations are changing, and any way that we can be on the cutting edge is worthwhile,” Pad- den said. According to Padden, his biggest take- away was that ATSSA is comprised of members across the country that truly care about working together to advance roadway safety. “There’s people from around the coun- try that care—from the biggest busi- nesses to the smallest businesses,” said Padden. Several members of the program also participated in ATSSA’s Legislative Brief- ing & Fly-In on Capitol Hill, meeting with federal legislators to discuss the impor- tance of investing roadway safety poli- cies and infrastructure.  For more information on ATSSA’s Leadership Program, visit www.atssa.com/Leadership. On the road to leadership excellence ATSSA’s Leadership Program helps develop the leaders of roadway safety infrastructure ATSSA members gathered in Arlington, Virginia for the association’s Leadership Program, which provides information and tools for members to work together on advancing roadway safety infrastructure. Former ATSSA Director of Communications Jim Baron provided participants with tips on how to interact with the media and conduct media interviews. ATSSA’s Associate Director of Communications & Creative Development Stephanie Tipple shared insight on social media and best practices for businesses engaging online. ATSSA’s Vice President of Member Services Donna Clark was among several pre- senters that offered information on strategic planning, association governance, media relations, and advocacy.