ITS America Elects New Officers, Board Members at 2021 Annual Meeting

Charlotte, NC – The Intelligent Transportation Society of America’s (ITS America) Board of Directors approved the election of four officers three new members at its meeting earlier today. The ITS America Board is made up of leaders in the intelligent transportation industry, who set policy and direct strategies for the association. 

The officers and board members represent a diverse group of senior-level executives from private companies and public agencies in the mobility, technology, and ITS spheres. 

“We are thrilled to welcome our new officers and board members,” said ITS America President & CEO Laura Chace. “It is even more exciting to congratulate and welcome our new officers and board members as we kick off our 2021 annual meeting here in Charlotte, gathering with our colleagues for the first time in more than two years.” She noted that vaccinations and masks are required of all attendees throughout the conference. 

Chair – Roger Millar, Secretary, Washington State Department of Transportation 
Roger oversees an agency that is the steward of a complex, multimodal transportation system and is responsible for ensuring that people and goods move safely and efficiently. 

Vice Chair – Desi Ujkashevic, Global Director, Automotive Safety Engineering, Ford Motor Company.
Desi brings nearly three decades of experience at Ford Motor Company, including global leadership focusing on safety, sustainability, advanced mobility and new market development. 

Secretary – Monali Shah, Head of Industry Solutions, Google.
In this role, Monali drives the creation of new solutions that address the needs of public sector agencies leveraging Google’s mapping and cloud capabilities. 

Treasurer – Chris Armstrong, Vice President, CIRRUS/V2X at Panasonic USA.
Chris provides product, program, and technical leadership for Panasonic’s partnerships with leading state Departments of Transportation to bring connected vehicle technology to U.S. roadways 

Henry Liu, Mcity. Henry Liu will become the new director of Mcity at the end of the year. He is a tenured professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Michigan. He is also a Research Professor at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and the Director for the Center for Connected and Automated Transportation. 

Leslie Richards, General Manager, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Leslie joined SEPTA in 2019 after having been Secretary of Pennsylvania DOT. She has extensive leadership experience in the strategic planning and management of transportation projects in the 

planning and engineering fields over the past two decades and has worked in state and local government. 

Victoria Sheehan, Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Victoria has served as Commissioner since 2015 and brings both transportation engineering and management experience to her current role. In 2020, she served as President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and has been engaged as a leader in many industry forums. 

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About ITS America 
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America advances the research and deployment of intelligent transportation technologies to save lives, improve mobility, promote sustainability, and increase efficiency and productivity. Our vision is a better future transformed by intelligent mobility: safer, greener, smarter. For more information, please visit www.itsa.org