Passing the Torch

In June 2024, I will end my two years as chair of the IPMI Board of Directors (the Board). While I still have two more years left on the executive committee as past chair, I can’t help but reflect on my time as chair. It has been an amazing opportunity to experience major challenges, changes, and community-building opportunities.

My first term on the IPMI Board was from 2015 to 2017. In 2017, I was elected by the Board to serve as board treasurer and began what will turn out to be a nine-year period of serving on the executive committee. During the past few years, there have been many challenges and advancements within IPMI. It’s been my honor to observe, learn, and sometimes offer my thoughts or opinions as the Board and staff navigated our way through uncharted waters.

Just before I stepped into the role of treasurer in 2016, the Board approved moving our fiscal year from a July to June fiscal year to an October to September fiscal year. While that may not seem significant considering some of the other challenges we navigated, it’s no easy task to make that kind of change for any organization. Moving the fiscal year dates made total sense as our main event of the year, the Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo, took place right at the end of the fiscal year, causing challenges with reporting and year-end close out. This behind-the-scenes change created a go-forward operational improvement that will allow the board and staff to be more efficient in serving IPMI’s membership.

The next big move during my tenure occurred in 2018 when the IPMI staff and Board approved adding “mobility” to the association name, and the International Parking Institute became IPMI. That meant a lot of logo changes. Today, the idea of adding mobility may seem less revolutionary but remember that most of the state and regional “parking” associations had not yet added “mobility” or “transportation” to their name. We wondered if our members might think we are moving away from our focus on and dedication to parking.

Today, combining parking and mobility has become second nature, and many of our members work for organizations with major responsibilities in transit, micro-mobility, or other mobility arenas beyond parking.

In 2020, we all experienced a worldwide challenge that none of us had ever imagined. I won’t spend too much time on the COVID-19 pandemic, as we have all discussed the impacts repeatedly. There are a few things worth mentioning, however. Remembering back to early March 2020, many of us hoped that this thing would pass in a couple of weeks, and we could get back to normal…ok, at least I did. We all had huge decisions to make about our operations, jobs, and family life.

Now imagine being in the final stages of planning “The Big Show” with more than 3,000 members likely in attendance, and suddenly, you are faced with canceling, rescheduling, or ultimately going virtual. IPMI’s staff pushed through those challenges and navigated huge decisions like the pros they are, and ultimately, we got through it together. Today, our organization is in strong financial shape because of lots of hard work, creativity, and having really smart people around the table.

While IPMI had always advocated for equality, 2020 was also the year that we put together the first of many formal conversations on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Born from both real-life experiences and observations of the challenges of many of our minority friends, along with hours of one-on-one conversations, we realized that our industry needed to make some changes and create opportunities for all. On August 20, 2020, Richard B. Easley, CAPP, Keith Hutchings, Kim E. Jackson, CAPP, Tiffany Peoples, and I held a webinar called “A Fireside Chat on Industry Inclusion.” Since then, more presentations, training courses, round table discussions, and even a monthly column in Parking & Mobility magazine have all been added. We still have a long way to go, but the recent addition of the Allyship & Equity Advisory Group has us positioned to really make a difference in our industry. These initiatives are all about our people and our community. Seeing IPMI partnering with organizations that represent people with physical challenges and working towards improving accessible parking is also a great passion of mine. Of all the great things I’ve been blessed to be part of with IPMI when I can play a part in elevating people, I couldn’t be more satisfied.

As I wrap this up, I want to pay tribute to the past IPMI board chairs whom I had the privilege to serve with and be mentored by. They are Liliana Rambo, CAPP; Kim Jackson, CAPP; Roamy Valera, CAPP; and Dave Onorato, CAPP. Each of these amazing people left their mark on IPMI, but Dave will go down in history as the only board chair serving a three-year term. One might think it’s because he is the (self-proclaimed) Godfather of Parking, but the reality is we can blame the pandemic. When we had no in-person meetings for well over a year, it was decided all the IPMI committees, board members, and board officers would remain in their roles for three years rather than two. So, Dave Onorato, besides being my colleague in the CAPP Class of 2010, had a lot of time to influence me. Time will tell if that was good or bad!

It has been my honor to represent IPMI at many of the state and regional association meetings over the past two years and to meet with or present to many organizations outside our immediate industry. Thank you all for allowing me to have this opportunity to serve as your board chair, but even more importantly, thanks to all of you who serve on committees and other boards within our organization.

You keep us moving forward.

You will be in great hands as Alex Argudin, CAPP, becomes board chair following this year’s IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo. Alex is brilliant and will take us to new levels.

I hope to see you at the conference, and let’s keep making great things happen! ◆