NLTAPA Lagniappe

Hi there, this month’s newsletter features our NLTAPA Work Groups and information about our National Conference being held in New Orleans, LA from July 23-26, 2018 . Check out why you should go to NLTAPA National Conference and why our Work Groups are instrumental in helping this conference to happen.

NLTAPA Work Groups

NLTAPA Work Group Tips and Myths

by

Matheu J. Carter, P.E

Delaware T2/LTAP Center, Delaware Center for Transportation

New to the LTAP community? 

Or, you’re part of the Old Guard but you only recently started paying attention? 

 Wondering whether you really know what the work groups are about, what they’re for, who can be a member, and other pressing issues of the day? 

 Here’s the short list of myths and tips.

• Do you have to be a Center Director to be a member of a work group?  Goodness, no!  Among the other staff and even outside trainers is a wealth of expertise, experience, and creative ideas and the work groups need that as much as anything.  Join one or more workgroups today and find out for yourself. 

• Don’t I have to commit, I mean really, really commit if I want to join a work group? Well, look, every work group needs its core group that is always there on every call and every meeting and involved in every initiative, but we know that some of us have even less predictable schedules and it’s hard for us to be “all in.”  Well, just let the work group Chairs know what you are and aren’t able to commit to.  Maybe there’s a time of year that’s worse for you or some other slightly predictable pattern; just tell the Chairs that and talk about how you can nonetheless participate in a meaningful way. 

• Is it true that being a member of a work group is a blast?  Have you met the chairs?  They’re nuts!  You bet it’s fun.  We do a lot of work in our work groups but we also have a good time doing it.  In fact, we were going to call them play groups, but then we figured maybe that wasn’t the right external message. 

• Who do I contact to learn more about joining a work group.  Wow, did you come to the right place!  The answers are plastered all through the articles in this newsletter.  Look for the contacts for each work group and reach out today. 

Partnership Work Group

The NLTAPA Partnership Group works to develop and nurture strategic partnerships that can benefit the program as a whole and, most importantly, the good work being done in each of the states to support our local agencies.

There are many ways you can participate in this important effort:

·         Volunteer to be a Liaison to a partnership. We currently have formal partnerships with APWA, NACE, AASHTO and NTTD. The Liaison’s do a great job of building these partnerships.

·         Participate on the committee and give input.  The group is always looking for input from our LTAP centers on ways we can optimize the partnerships and their benefit to the centers. Join us on one of the scheduled calls

and share your ideas, we would be happy to have you.

·         Share the ways you are working with your partners on a local level.  LTAP centers are looking for ways to work with our partners in their states, why not share programs that have worked for you.

·         Suggest partnerships NLTAPA can explore. If you have a suggestion for a partnership that would enhance our service to local agencies, let us know.

Here are our current work group members, come and join us anytime!

Chairs:

Donna Shea – CT LTAP

Victoria Beale – OH LTAP

Liaisons:

Keith Knapp – IA LTAP -  NACE

Tim Colling – MI LTAP – AASHTO

Martha Horseman – KY LTAP – APWA

Donna Shea – CT LTAP – NTTD

Members:

David Orr

Safety Work Group

Every one of us is involved in safety in some way, from providing training & technical assistance to hosting a safety circuit rider to getting involved in state Strategic Highway Safety Plans, Local Road Safety Plans, or some other focus.

The Safety Work Group’s goal is to provide you as a Center with practical tools and resources that may help you with these various efforts.

We have a large group of volunteers from many Centers around the country, and our leadership team seeks feedback from those volunteers to prioritize our work. We then reach out to that same pool of volunteers to help provide you with examples of those state-of-the-art safety efforts.

If you are not yet connected to the Safety work group, but participate in any safety activities at your Center (or are at least vaguely interested in safety!).

 Please feel free to contact one of the Work Group co-chairs:

Matthew Enders, WA LTAP (matthew.enders@wsdot.wa.gov)

Janet Leli, NJ LTAP (jleli@soe.rutgers.edu)

Nicole Frankl, NE LTAP (nfrankl2@unl.edu) to let us know.

The Safety Work Group is sponsoring two sessions and a pre-conference workshop at the annual conference in New Orleans this summer .

 “A Day in the Life of a Safety Circuit Rider”

 This session will focus on the practical work that safety circuit riders accomplish as they work directly with local agencies.

 “Locally-led Local Road Safety Plans”

This session will focus on the grassroots development of Local Road Safety Plans, where local agencies are more directly involved in the development of the plans (rather than a consultant from a more statewide perspective).

We are still identifying speakers for these sessions, so if you have something that you are interested/willing to share on either topic, please contact one of the work group co-chairs.

In addition to those two sessions, we are also sponsoring the pre-conference workshop (on Monday morning).

That workshop is “Practical and Innovative Resources & Opportunities to Help Locals with Safety”.

It will focus on current issues and resources available to Centers as they get involved in supporting safety efforts. It will include the latest information on best practices, tools, and resources available. It will also provide an update on the FHWA/NACE-led Local Road Safety Plans pilot project, with a potential opportunity for Centers to be involved in a second round of this pilot. And it will also include a discussion about state and local efforts to collect Model Inventory of Roadway Elements (MIRE) Fundamental Data Elements and any potential impacts to local agencies.

The Safety Work Group has two upcoming webinars

One of those is about the Colorado Innovations Conference and will be held on May 17 at 1:00 PM Eastern (connect at https://connectdot.connectsolutions.com/ltapsafetygroup/ and dial 866-434-5269 with passcode 1171779 to join). This webinar will feature Renee Railsback (CO LTAP) and will cover topics such as how conference funding was secured, what went into building the agenda, and lessons learned.

A second webinar will be about FHWA’s updated Proven Safety Countermeasures with Rosemarie Anderson and Jeff Shaw from FHWA speaking. That webinar is tentatively scheduled for June 6 (watch for more details coming soon).
 

Finally, the Safety Work Group has also submitted a request for a peer exchange for LTAP Centers on the topic of safety efforts by Centers. We have targeted August for the timeframe and the Midwest for the location. If you are interested in participating in this peer exchange (when and if we receive approval), please contact one of the work group co-chairs.

NLTAPA Professional Development Workgroup Happenings

The NLTAPA Professional Development Workgroup (PD Workgroup) is focused on helping our peers, from seasoned veterans to newcomers. With a focus on enhancing operational knowledge of Center leaders and their staff, the PD Workgroup is dedicated to providing support and training.

Highlighted below are a few of the initiatives coordinated by the PD Workgroup.

LTAP/TTAP U
Presenters needed!

The LTAP/TTAP U program is designed for all LTAP/TTAP individuals. The format includes several short sessions covering a range of topics. LTAP/TTAP U is a pre-conference offering, and it is scheduled for Monday afternoon for this year’s summer conference.

We are looking for presenters for the following topics. Please note that for many of these topics, your commitment is anywhere from five minutes to 15 minutes, so you don’t have to put together a lengthy presentation. This is a great opportunity for you to share your knowledge with others.

1. Things I Wish I Knew & Lessons Learned

Whether you are brand new to the world of LTAP, or just assumed a new role in your LTAP Center, there are things you probably wish you knew or insights you would love to hear from others. This session will provide that opportunity, as you listen to the personal accounts from a few of your LTAP peers.

2. Center Webpages

What content do you have on your webpage? What program(s) do you use to create and maintain your site? How do you decide if a resource is good to include or not include on your site? Do you use any free services? How do you work with agency parameters? These questions and many more will be covered during this quick session.

3. A Day in the Life of Your Agency

No two LTAP Centers are exactly the same. In this quick session, we’ll hear how LTAP Centers of different sizes successfully achieve LTAP focus areas and tasks.

NLTAPA Peer-to-Peer Program

The NLTAPA Peer-to-Peer Program was created to foster relationships and communication between NLTAPA members. The Program strives to match individuals with similar professional interests to share knowledge and insight regarding the Association and to encourage collaboration and mentoring. First priority is given to those individuals who are brand new to the program, or who have switched professional roles, but everyone who is interested is encouraged to participate! Previous and current mentors have indicated they find it is a beneficial relationship to both parties. We can always learn from each other!

We are always looking for volunteers to serve as an advisor/mentor, and for people who want to be enrolled in the program. The commitment is one-year for approximately one-hour per month. If you are interested in participating as an Advisee or Advisor, please contact Kristin Blair Kelly, kbkelly@ku.edu or Melissa Foley, mlf222@cornell.edu.

NLTAPA Peer-to-Peer Orientations

It is important that new Center leaders and staff are welcomed into NLTAPA and are aware of the resources that are available to help them succeed. With FHWA focusing on the Program side, the NLTAPA Peer-to-Peer Orientation focuses on the Association side. The NLTAPA elected officers, with support from the PD Workgroup, are responsible for this Orientation. The orientations will take place in a variety of manners: via phone, email, or in-person.

There are several goals of the Peer-to-Peer Orientations, including, but not limited to: 

• Outreach to new LTAP/TTAP Center leaders

• Educate new LTAP/TTAP leadership about the Association’s roles and responsibilities and the role of the Association in relationship to the Federal LTAP/TTAP

• Build and strengthen relationships between individual centers and the Association

• Facilitate ongoing knowledge sharing across LTAP/TTAP Centers 

NLTAPA National Achievement Award

The PD Workgroup coordinates this award, from developing nomination materials to helping distribute these materials. We have many hard-working people that strive to make our Association stronger and better, which in turn, helps strengthen our national program. Please consider nominating one (or more) of your peers that should be recognized.

Additional News

In March, after serving as co-chair of the PD Workgroup since 2012, Rusty Lee, Director of the Delaware LTAP, decided to hand over the reins. Rusty was an integral part of getting many of the PD Workgroup’s goals accomplished, and his dedication and hard-work on behalf of all of us in NLTAPA is appreciated. Mary McCarthy, Program Manager of the Connecticut LTAP, is stepping into the co-chair role, where she will help get the peer-to-peer orientation program off and running.

New members are always welcome to join the PD Workgroup. If you’d like to see what it is all about, or if you would like to volunteer to present during LTAP/TTAP U, please email Kim Carr, kim.carr@mail.wvu.edu.

Training Resources Work Group

Training Resources Work Group Initiatives – New and Old, True and Bold

The NLTAPA Training Resources Work Group has had a busy agenda since last summer’s meeting. Monthly conference calls have been well attended, featuring discussion on a variety of traditional topics as well as several new initiatives that will benefit our Centers in the coming months.

We are happy to be the springboard for NLTAPA’s newest working group – Innovation Implementation, or IIWG. Matt Cate from the Tennessee LTAP, who is also the EC liaison for TRWG, has volunteered to chair this work group and is looking for interested members. They are already developing a work plan and objectives to help Centers tackle the issues of Innovation Implementation, from the adoption of EDC initiatives to the formulation of a full program of breakout sessions for the NLTAPA Summer Meeting. They are already scheduling regular conference calls and are particularly interested in soliciting input from LTAP Center staff whose primary duties are in the area of direct technical assistance to local agencies, so let Matt know if you would like to be involved!

Another new TRWG activity that we are excited about is the development of turnkey materials for Tailgate Safety Briefings, also known as Toolbox Talks that local agencies can use to promote worker safety and core competencies with minimal preparation. The standardized materials will include outlines, talking points, suggestions for training feedback exercises, and other materials that agency foremen or supervisors can implement “right out of the box” for a 15 to 30 minute gathering in the shop or on the roadside. TRWG Co-Chair Matheu Carter of the Delaware LTAP is heading up this effort and seeking ideas from NLTAPA members.  Several Centers, including Connecticut, New York, and Ohio, have offered materials and ideas, and these materials will eventually be hosted on a common site for access by Centers and local agencies. Contact Matheu if you have ideas or are interested in helping out.

Training Resources is also following progress and providing input on the TC3 agreement with AASHTO. As announced by Victoria Peters in January, local agencies will have access to the AASHTO TC3 online courses free of charge, just as State DOT employees do now as AASHTO members. We have already made comments to CLAS on a marketing plan for the distribution of the TC3 materials to the locals, and we look forward to more details. Many Centers have indicated that they could use these courses as prerequisites or as supplements to their traditional in person training classes, or as a way to take better advantage of the benefits of the online training arena. Many thanks to the folks at CLAS for making this possible, and to Victoria Beale, our AASHTO liaison, along with Donna Shea and David Orr, for representing the Centers as we move forward on this exciting initiative!

Continuing several traditional activities, TRWG is scheduling a slate of breakout sessions as well as the Poster Contest for the upcoming NLTAPA meeting in New Orleans. Look for information on the Poster Contest elsewhere in this newsletter. Thanks to everyone who has supported the Poster Contest over the years , and especially Mary McCarthy, Megan Patent –Nygren, and David Orr for continuing to support NLTAPA’s goal of providing Lagniappe – That Little Something Extra, to our local agencies this year. We hope your center will get involved and support NLTAPA by submitting a poster. 

The Training Resources Work Group meets by conference call the first Monday of every month at 1 PM Eastern, Noon Central Time. Feel free to join us and discuss your interests in Training Resources, and we look forward to seeing you in person in New Orleans!

Steve Strength, TRWG Chair

Louisiana LTAP Center

steve.strength@la.gov

2018 National LTAP-TTAP Conference - Poster Session

That Little Something Extra

2018 marks the ninth annual poster session at the National NLTAPA Conference and this year’s theme is “That Little Something Extra”.

All of us in the LTAP-TTAP community do a little something extra for our local highway departments. Why not share information about those great “value added” services you provide?  We can learn a lot from each other. In New Orleans, the posters will be on display for most of the conference and there will be a breakout session where poster presenters will have an opportunity to share more details about the project or program. If your center submits a poster, let us know if you are interested in participating in the breakout session.  We anticipate space for 6 poster presentations in the breakout so be sure to get your name in early.

Poster Submission Details:

Your poster must be 24 inches wide and 36 inches tall and submitted in pdf form. We recommend fonts be at least 32 point with good contrast. All of the posters will be printed by the LA LTAP and mounted.

Please notify Regina Hackett at the CT LTAP if you will be submitting a poster. PDF’s need to be submitted by July 2nd to:   regina.hackett@uconn.edu.  

For the conference, please bring handout-sized copies of the poster or another handout for those who want more information about your program.

Fabulous Prizes

As we have done in the past, the best posters will be awarded with fabulous prizes. We have had Cornell syrup every year and hopefully something from the South Central region this year. More prizes would be welcome from all parts of the country.  If you have something you would be willing offer as a prize, please contact Mary McCarthy at the CT LTAP mary.c.mccarthy@uconn.edu.

We are also asking our partners (AASHTO, APWA, NACE, and NTTD) and FHWA if they want to submit a poster. The goal is to share and learn from each other.

We are in the process of gathering our judging panel. If you are interested in being a judge, notify Mary McCarthy mary.c.mccarthy@uconn.edu

Scavenger Hunt

Megan Patent-Nygren of the NE LTAP is designing the scavenger hunt again - can’t wait to see what she comes up with this year! Be sure to get a card at the conference. It will contain a list of things to find on the posters. How many items and what to find will, of course, depend upon the posters. Everyone who finds all of the items will be put in for a drawing to win some Cornell Maple syrup!

Look forward to seeing you all in New Orleans!

The Innovation and Implementation Work Group is new and will work to share examples of local innovations and promote the use of market-ready technologies that will assist local and state agencies in implementation

If you are an LTAP or TTAP Center staff member interested in joining this work group, contact one of the following chairpersons for this workgroup.

Contact:

Matt Cate Email: mcate@utk.edu

The NLTAPA Communications Work Group encompasses both internal and external communication efforts; Ensures collaboration between NLTAPA and Centers, strong communications amongst the Association’s member Centers, and represents Centers to FHWA, our external partners, elected officials, other national associations and the transportation community.

We are looking for presenters for the following sessions. Please note that for many of these topics, your commitment is anywhere from five minutes to 15 minutes, so you don’t have to put together a lengthy presentation. This is a great opportunity for you to share your knowledge with others. (Thank you to Kim Carr for the excellent verbiage)

Breakout Session 1

Innovative Outreach Measures – How to find the forgotten locals 

Our most brilliant technical support or training is useless if we can’t get in front of our local agency personnel or if we are forever interacting with the same 40% of the community. Who are those lost and forgotten locals and how do we effectively reach them? In this session, presenters will talk about innovative ways they’ve broken beyond the usual suspects and reached new and forgotten folks within their local community. The secret vault will be opened only briefly…will you come and have a look inside?  

Contact:  Matheu J. Carter matheu@udel.edu or Rebecca Mayher rmayher@azdot.gov

Breakout Session 2

Social Media – Best Practices, content, free resources

Learn some of the techniques and best practices to use your social media channels more effectively to build visibility for your center, social media marketing efforts, and which simple tools you can use to make your marketing efforts more manageable.

Contact:  Mary C. McCarthy mary.c.mccarthy@uconn.edu or Rebecca Mayher rmayher@azdot.gov 

Stay up to date on NLTAPA happenings

NLTAPA Website  http://www.nltapa.org/

NLTAPA Facebook www.facebook.com

Google Groups groups.google.com

New members are always welcome to join the Communications WG. If you’d like to see what it is all about, or if you would like to volunteer to present during Breakout sessions, contact Rebecca Mayher rmayher@azdot.gov.

Conference Work Group

We are always in need of volunteers for the conference and Work Group Breakout Sessions.  Please feel free to contact WG chairs to see how you can help. 

Work Groups Chairs
Conference
David Orr, NY LTAP, david.orr@cornell.edu
Allison Landry, LA LTAP, allison.landry@la.gov

Communications
Rebecca Mayher, AZ LTAP, rmayher@azdot.gov


Training Resources
Steve Strength, LA LTAP, Steve.Strength@la.gov
Matt Carter, DE LTAP, matheu@udel.edu

Professional Development
Mary C. McCarthy mary.c.mccarthy@uconn.edu
Kim Carr, WV LTAP, kim.carr@mail.wvu.edu

Safety
Janet Leli, NJ LTAP, jleli@rci.rutgers.edu
Matt Enders, WA LTAP, EndersM@wsdot.wa.gov
Nicole Frankl nfrankl2@unl.edu

Innovation
Matt Cate  Email: mcate@utk.edu

Partnerships
Donna Shea, CT LTAP, donna.shea@uconn.edu  
Victoria Beale, OH LTAP, victoria.beale@dot.ohio.gov

2018 NLTAPA Leadership

NLTAPA Website  http://www.nltapa.org/

NLTAPA Facebook www.facebook.com

Officers
President
Denise Brown, ND LTAP
On Leave of Absence, denise.brown.1@ndsu.edu

President-Elect
David Orr, NY LTAP
Acting President, david.orr@cornell.edu

Vice-President
Donna Shea, CT LTAP
donna.shea@uconn.edu

Treasurer
Victoria Beale, OH LTAP
victoria.beale@dot.ohio.gov

NLTAPA wants to wish Denise a warm welcome back.