The TRB 2018 annual meeting demonstrated the importance of knowledge sharing across our entire industry. But it also proved, to me, just how strong the needle is moving in the area of TSMO. I could feel the pulse of the TSMO industry at TRB last week, from hearing about the progress of agencies to meet the SPAT Challenge, to interacting and seeing the potential in future TSMO practitioners, to hearing about agencies increasing their effectiveness by making improvements to their policies and procedure. We hear more and more, especially at events like TRB, that we are on the cusp of a technological and transportation revolution and we must educate current and future transportation practitioners on why TSMO is the foundation of the future of transportation.

The success of TSMO relies on knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing is occurring with a freedom and openness we have not seen in our industry for some time. Every part of our industry: public, private, vendors, and innovation companies are willing to share, not just tidbits of information, but significant knowledge to benefit and lift up the entire industry. We thank you all for you efforts and as we continue to encourage and provide this type of knowledge sharing, I can’t stress enough how important you are in spreading knowledge from one state, one agency, or one company to others in our field.

In this same vein, I’m excited to announce a three part cybersecurity webinar series, with speakers from Skyline Technology  Solutions, and Mission Secure. Information on two of the three webinars is available below and you can register for both today. Also, please be sure to register for the TSMO Program Planning Roundtable, Part 2, taking place on January 31.

Lastly I’d like to thank our five Student Contest winners for being such terrific TSMO ambassadors at TRB. They are: Angela Kitali, Florida International University, Farinoush Sharifi, Texas A&M University, Gabriel Odreman Texas A&M University - Kingsville,Jin Wang, Auburn University, and Sogand Karbalaieali, Louisiana State University. And thank you to all our NOCoE stakeholders for taking the time to meet and get to know these future TSMO professionals.