At our last Conference in Plano, Texas (just north of Dallas), we had over 300 attendees. At our annual meetings, we recognize awards for:

• Best Parking Structure—New
• Best Parking Structure—Restoration
• Best Parking Program
• Best Parking Technology and Equipment
• Parking Employee of the Year
• Thanks to fellow SRA Southwest Parking and Transportation Association (SWPTA) for judging these each year.

Conference also hosts the announcement of the winner of the Annual Marc Denson Scholarship in the amount of $2,500. This scholarship is awarded to students pursuing a career in public service, parking and transportation, or a similar field. Marc Denson was the City of Corpus Christi Parking Manager and a former TPTA Board Member. We also award the TPTA Distinguished Service Award to those who contribute to the advancement of the parking and mobility industry and contribute to TPTA’s objectives throughout Texas.

Our last Round Table event in Arlington, Texas had 57 attendees. These events start with networking the night prior with the Round Table the next day. We find members that will sponsor the food and beverages for the networking as well as the breakfast, breaks, and lunch for the Round Table. These events have three to four sessions targeted to entry level staff and mid-management. The topics have ranged from new technology (not product pitches), customer service, relaxation in the workspace, and discussion panels.

TPTA is made up of 11 Board Members. Each member’s term is three years, and staggered to ensure that there is a continuation of activities and knowledge. There are no term limits giving members the opportunity to re-run for the Board of Directors. Our Board Members range from municipal to university, airports to hospitals, and consultants to vendors.

We also employ Dawn Marti as our TPTA Association and Event Manager. Board members are voted into position by the membership.

TPTA has six committees as designated by our bylaws. These standing committees assist the Board of Directors in carrying out the management of the association:

• Executive Committee
• Elections Committee
• Membership Committee
• Conference and Trade Show Host Committee
• Communications Committee
• Rules Committee
• Educational Committee

As you can see, TPTA is a very diverse and large association. To understand the geographical breadth of our association, it takes almost 11 hours to drive from El Paso to Houston and it is over a seven-hour drive from Edinburg to Dallas. We have been approached by groups from Oklahoma and Louisiana as neither state has a State or Regional organization – to that end, we are having our next TPTA Conference at WinStar Hotel and Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. We will be welcoming organizations in Oklahoma to feel some Texas hospitality and join TPTA – Texas is not quite big enough to contain our enthusiasm for parking and transportation!

We hope to see you in Oklahoma at our 2024 Conference, April 8–11, 2024! ◆