The IBTTA Communications, Human Resources & Legal Workshop will take place in Norfolk, VA, from March 25 through 28. As we look towards the start of the Workshop, Pat Jones, Executive Director and CEO of IBTTA, spoke on Café IBTTA with Chief Meeting Organizers:
- Rachel Bell, Director of Business Services and Customer Relations, Kansas Turnpike Authority (focused on Communications)
- Matt Cole, Director of Administration, Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (focused on Human Resources)
- Marcelle Jones, Esq., Senior Transportation Policy and Smart Mobility Advisor, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (focused on Legal)
This is an abbreviated summary of their conversation. You can watch the full Café IBTTA here.
Pat: What is special about the upcoming Communications, HR & Legal Workshop?
Rachel:This is the first time that Communications, Legal, and HR have come together in this manner. We have a lot of overlapping issues that we handle for our organizations, so it's going to be a really cohesive meeting.
Marcelle: The topics that we're representing are very relevant for our times. Legal, HR, and Communications are supports for the overall operations of a tolling authority, but we're also essential. So, you'll hear a lot of commonalities. It's about letting people know what's going on within your organization. It is also about interpreting the law and the world around us, telling us what's right and wrong. Then on the human resources side, if you look at the framework of the law, how it applies, and who bears the brunt of what's right and wrong. This is going to be an excellent Workshop, and the lineup is great.
Pat: Could you tell us about one or two sessions that you're most eager about? The one I’m excited about is called Aligning Expectations in the Workplace.
Rachel: That one is our Young Professionals Council (YPC) session focused not so much on age, but on people’s stage and experience in their careers. At some point, we were the young kids whom people looked at and said, “these kids today.” What we're hoping to get out of the session is to understand where you are in your career and the experiences that have shaped you. Or, the experiences that you don't have yet that make you who you are. So, that's going to be a really fun, high-energy session.
Pat: One of the aspects of this program that stands out for me is the session on How the Constitution Impacts Your Customers and Your Workplace. Could you tell us a little bit more about this session?
Marcelle: We all know the Constitution is the foundation for how we operate in the United States. There are 27 amendments that speak to the rights, wrongs, and expectations of behavior. In this session, we'll have an opportunity to hear about those specific areas of the Constitution that impact how our facilities and operations work. We'll talk about free speech, the right to bear arms, and the right to travel. There are limitations on states’ rights, and the federal government dictates having equal protection under the law. The session is going to be really interesting because people don't necessarily understand the trickle-down effect of the Constitution and how it impacts your daily life.
Pat: Tell us about some of the human resources highlights that stand out in the Workshop.
Matt: We have quite a few great programs. For those who attended the Austin Annual Meeting, we have Gregory Bradley back, who hosted a discussion there on diversity, equity, and inclusion. He will do a two-part presentation. The first will be a train-the-trainer session, and he's going to focus on training individuals in senior and mid-level management positions to develop a DEI program for their organization. The second part is going to connect the DEI programs with those leaders to create strong strategic partnerships and help the HR folks facilitate that with the other leaders of the organization – really bring it into the fabric of all the departments.
The second one I wanted to highlight is our closing session. Catherine Manning is going to be presenting on mental health wellness in the workplace. As many know, the past three years have been very difficult in this country with a pandemic, many social justice issues, and political upheaval. These have certainly spilled over into the workplace. We're no longer in the days of being able to keep mental health at home; it's part of who we are. She is going to show the signs to look for if there are mental health issues, coping mechanisms, and how to deal with mental health awareness in the workplace.
Pat: A lot of other topics in the Communications track leap out at me. Tell us a little bit more about one that really resonates with you.
Rachel: When we started putting the meeting together, we wanted to focus on the core components of communications. We're going to be talking about hands-on approaches to creating a strategic communication plan, which is the foundation of Communicators’ work. Then we'll move into crisis communications. Bill Cramer, who is formerly with the IBTTA and now with HNTB, is leading that charge on the crisis communications session. I hear he has a trophy to give away for the best horror story! We also have media relations in a virtual world and a community engagement session on how to hear all of those voices from your communities when you're talking about toll lanes and new projects.
Pat: There's another section here that's called the upside-down workplace. Could you tell us a little bit more about how we cope with the upside-down workplace and what the future looks like for all of us?
Matt: The last couple of years have really made us in HR step up our game, and along with legal and communications, look at our policies, practices, and procedures to determine a good course forward to develop a positive work culture. We are looking at a way to bring in those who are coming to brick-and-mortar offices, who are primarily virtual, and who have field employees and non-field employees in a way to makes everybody feel included but also accommodates their needs to get their jobs done. I think one of the biggest goals really is discussing how we can still be the best in our various companies and organizations as we continue to navigate through because everything is upside down now.
Pat: One of the big legal topics these days has to do with transportation equity, and we've considered this a lot in the DEI Task Force of IBTTA. Tell us some of the things we may learn about it in terms of transportation equity in Norfolk.
Marcelle: We're fortunate to have representatives from three agencies who will tell us about their programs for total equity. Basically, it's recognizing that tolls can create a different or heavier burden on some populations and how we address that. It’s important for us to recognize that much of this is being required because of the federal government’s environmental justice requirements. It's not necessarily just tolling equity, meaning you get discounts or rates for certain populations. It's about when you acquire property, you know you've impacted and displaced individuals as a result of building a road that might divide or impact a community. Those are the things that we'll have an opportunity to talk about. We'll also have an opportunity to look at a new document that the Council of Platinum Sponsors and Stantec have put together that will serve as a guideline for agencies when considering how tolling can affect local communities.
Registration is still open for the 2023 IBTTA Communications, HR & Legal Workshop. Register now.
Can’t make it to Norfolk? Join three sessions via Zoom — the U.S. Constitution, procurement and contracting practices, and mental health wellness in the workplace. Separate registration is required for each session. Register for the virtual sessions.