I love January. I have always loved the clean slate and fresh start that come with a new year. It’s like waking up the morning after a snowstorm and seeing the perfectly covered lawns that have yet to be corrupted by footprints—for a moment, it is utter perfection.

When deciding on the theme for the January 2023 issue of Parking & Mobility, that feeling of a clean slate and fresh start were the driving factors. After the last few years, our parking community needs that new day. Our organizations need the chance to take all we have learned, the increased resiliency that has been built, and the excitement about the possibilities to come and channel that into success for our organizations, our customers, and our employees.

With that in mind, we are pleased to present our focus on upskilling. What we learned in 2022, and what the great business minds have been saying since business was invented, is that it costs more to replace an employee than it does to keep one. Our world has changed, our industry has changed, yet many of our employees have not kept up with the evolution. Do we leave them behind and replace them? It’s an option. But instead, what if we help our employees to change and grow with the industry? Technology, customer service, emotional intelligence, critical problem solving—all these skills can be honed among our current teams with the right investments in training, mentoring, and development. Will it be easy? No. Will it be worth it? Absolutely.

We have packed this issue with content to start you on your way. Where can you find more resources to upskill your teams? As good witch Glenda told Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, “You always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.” As IPMI members, you already have a wealth of resources at your fingertips to train your teams and make them your most advanced resource—much of it is free! Reach out to the IPMI staff today if you need more information on how to take advantage of all your membership offers for professional development.

2023 is a clean slate, a fresh start. What will you do with it?