Really? The Parking Garage?
The year was 2011. My colleague Rachel Yoka and I were traveling to Houston, Texas from our homes in the Philadelphia suburbs for a marketing conference during our professional services days. As we were in the cab (this was pre-Uber of course) from the airport to the hotel, I was excitedly pointing out cool things we were passing, and I specifically remember my first glimpse of Minute Maid Park. The way it majestically seems to rise from the middle of a sea of urban buildings took my breath away. I leaned over to point it out my travel partner, but she was otherwise occupied…looking at the garage across the street. The parking garage. I sat and listened as she regaled me with all of the facts and figures about that garage, and I thought to myself, “Why was a parking garage more interesting to her than a major league baseball stadium? Who in their right mind knows this much about parking?”
The answer—Rachel does. As do all of you. And I cannot wait to learn.
For years, I have been on the periphery of the parking and mobility industry, having worked for more than a decade for design firms that visioned, created, and built parking and intermodal facilities. My job has been to amplify the voice of those firms, and now I am joining IPMI to do just that for the organization and our members. I am so excited for this adventure.
As editor of IPMI’s publications, including Parking & Mobility, the IPMInsider newsletter, and our thriving IPMI Blog, I will be working to bring you the most current and pertinent industry and world news while learning from all of you myself. I am taking over publications that are leading the industry in their relevance, their accuracy, and their forward-thinking topics. Big shoes to fill, but you are a big community with big ideas. Together, we will continue to deliver the extraordinary.
As the curator of IPMI’s social media and communications, I will be distributing content as well as helping IPMI member companies promote their accomplishments and improve their visibility. IPMI is a powerful tool in your company’s toolbox, and I am here to help you harness all that we have to offer.
I cannot wait to meet you. I cannot wait to learn from you. And, perhaps the one I am most excited about, I cannot wait to help you tell your story. Everyone sees Minute Maid Park; help me see the parking garage across the street. Let’s start today.
