Business Meetings
Agendas

July 31, 2006 (Monday) 8:00 - 11:45 p.m.

Welcome and Opening Remarks - Drewes, President (5 Minutes)

Roll Call - Harris, NLTAPA Secretary (10 Minutes)

Housekeeping (Action items) (5 Minutes)

• Approval of Agenda
• Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting

Report from FHWA (30 minutes)

• Office of International Programs - Henry Nevares; Introduction of International Guests
• Office of Professional and Corporate Development - Joe Toole

Change to NLTAPA Constitution (5 Minutes)

• Vote on Region 9 and 10 combination (Action item)-Drewes

Working Groups (Reports) (10 minutes for each workgroup, including Q & A)

• Program Strategy and Evaluation - Bruce Drewes
• Partnerships - Marie B. Walsh
• Internal Communications - Christopher Ahmadjian
• External Communications - Terry McNinch
• Training Products and Resources - Ed Stellfox
• Professional Development - Linda Howe-Steiger

Rollout of New Conference Organizing Structure (Report) (10 Minutes)

• LTAP/TTAP Conference Organizing Structure as endorsed by NLTAPA E.C. and accepted by the R&R committee (dated June 2, 2006)- McNinch

Break (15 Minutes)

Roles and Responsibilities Committee wrap up (Report) - Clark Martin (10 Minutes)

Review Options for New Governing Structure for the Association (30 Minutes)

• Review the current and two proposed governing structures for feedback - Drewes. Members will be asked to provide additional feedback on the current and the two proposals structures. This topic will continue at the Thursday's meeting concluding with a role call vote of confidence on the option preferred by the Centers.
• Governing Proposal A (dated April-03-2006)
• Governing Proposal B (dated June 6, 2006)
• Current

Partnership Liaisons (Reports) (30 Minutes)

• AASHTO - Doyt Bolling
• APWA - Dan Cady
• NACE - Ken Skorseth
• Salt institute - Dick Hanneman

Treasurer's Report - Harris, for Smith (5 Minutes)

President's Report - Drewes (10 Minutes)

Aug. 3, 2006 (Thursday) 10:30 - Noon

Notice of Grant opportunities (Report) - Bernard Alkire (10 Minutes)

In the coming years FHWA and other organization will be releasing a number of grants that may be of interest to the LTAP/TTAP community. To assist in getting this information out to all of the Centers, NLTAPA has developed a single source for this information.

NLTAPA Governing Structure (continued from Monday) - Drewes. Member feedback from Monday will be recapped; Members will be asked to vote on a resulting recommendation from the Executive Committee.

Thank You to the 2006 International Symposium Organizing Committee - Drewes

Introduction of New EC Members - Drewes

Installation of new Association Officers and Thank You to Outgoing EC Members and Officers - Drewes, Harris

Invitation to 2007 LTAP Conference in Chicago - (Burke)

Attachment - The Combining of Regions Nine and Ten

Region nine; Arizona, California, Nevada and Hawaii have been meeting with Region Ten; Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Washington for a number of years. At this years regional meeting the two regions have voted to join the regions into a single region and NLTAPA has passed a motion in support. With this change to the regional structure of NLTAPA a number of changes will need to be made to the constitution.

The following motion will be offered to the membership at the Monday business meeting of NLTAPA (This motion will require a 3/4 majority vote for passage):

"In support of merging Regions nine and ten; except the following changes to NLTAPA's Constitution, removing those section that have been noted by strikethrough and adding the text that is highlighted by yellow."

ARTICLE V: Executive Committee

Section 1 - Membership. The Association shall be represented by an Executive Committee composed of tennine members, one from each of the tennine geographical regions listed in Table 1. Executive Committee members may serve successive terms if so elected by the regional Centers.

Section 2 - Terms of Office. Terms of office shall be for three years beginning with the closing business session at the Association Annual Meeting during the year that the member was elected and ending with the closing business session three years hence. The terms of office will be staggered to allow for overlapping terms. The Native American Centers shall elect a member to the Executive Committee following the 1997 winter meeting of the Association, to serve until the regular election in 1998. Regions 1, 5, 7, and 9, shall elect representatives to the Executive Committee in 1997 and every three years thereafter; Regions 3, 6, and 2 shall elect representatives to the Executive Committee in 1998 and every three years thereafter; and Regions 4, and 8, and 10, shall elect representatives to the Executive Committee in 1999 and every three years thereafter. Those members chosen to serve on the Executive Committee prior to 1997 shall retain their positions until the election years previously mentioned.

Section 5 - Quorum. SixFive Executive Committee members shall constitute a quorum for purposes of conducting business.

Table 1. Geographical Regions

• Region 1 - Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
• Region 2 - Tribal Centers - Colorado, California, Michigan, North Dakota, Northwest, Oklahoma, Alaska Village
• Region 3 - Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
• Region 4 - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico
• Region 5 - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
• Region 6 - Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
• Region 7 - Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
• Region 8 - Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
• Region 9 - Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Utah
• Region 10 - Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Utah

Attachment - National LTAP Conference Organizing Structure

As endorsed by the NLTAPA EC as of June 2, 2006

As endorsed by the R & R as of July 17, 2006

National LTAP/TTAP Conference Steering Committee

• Conference Chair (NLTAPA V.P./EC/Officer) (2007 - NLTAPA Secretary Patsy Anderson)
• Location Manager (2007 - Kevin Burke)
• Next Year Location Manager (Someone from Region 8 - 2008 Location Mgr.)
• Next Year Conference Chair (NLTAPA V.P. Elect, Fill in for 2008)
• Chair of the NLTAPA Professional Development Work Group
• FHWA LTAP Program Manager

Conference Session Committees

• Plenary Session Manager/Committee (must include continuity)
• T2 Track Manager/Committee (must include continuity)
• Management Track Manager/Committee (must include continuity)
• Publications & Operations Track Manager/Committee (must include continuity)
• LTAP 101 Manager/Committee (must include continuity)
• FHWA Session Manager (FHWA)
• NLTAPA Session Manager (NLTAPA President)

Logistical Responsibilities

• Location Manager (Regional--host state) 2007 IL
• Finance Manager (Regional) 2007 WI
• Speaker Coordinator (Regional) 2007 FHWA
• Publicity Manager (Regional) 2007 IL
• Registration Manager (Regional) 2007 WI

Future Conference Representatives

• Next Year Location Manager (Someone from Region 8 - 2008 Location)
• Next Year Conference Chair (NLTAPA V.P. Elect, Fill in for 2008)

Other Participation at the request of the Steering Committee

Duties

Draft as of June 2, 2006

National LTAP/TTAP Conference Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is responsible for managing the organizing efforts of the annual LTAP/TTAP Conference. In broad terms this involves developing the conference agenda structure, working with the Session Committees to develop beneficial session tracks and quality presentations, and working with the Logistics Managers to insure a first class, effective conference. The committee would conduct a post conference review of the entire event highlighting special successes and areas of needed improvement.

1. Conference Chair (NLTAPA V.P.): The Conference Chair is responsible for overseeing the entire conference organizing effort and recruiting others to accomplish necessary tasks; in effect, herding the entire organizing process. The Chair is not responsible for "doing" the tasks, unless they specifically accept some of that responsibility. Although a new NLTAPA organizational structure has yet to be approved, the intent of having the NLTAPA V.P. as the Chair would provide direct communication with the NLTAPA officers and executive committee, FHWA, NLTAPA Partners and Program Shareholders. The V.P. will have participated on the steering committee the previous year as the V.P. Elect, thereby providing the background and experience to chair the conference during their term as V.P.
2. Location Manager: The Location Manager is responsible for securing options for the conference site and presenting those options to the participating centers in the host region as well as to the NLTAPA officers and executive committee for consideration. They are also responsible for conducting negotiations with the chosen facility and handling all interactions with the facility, both before and after the conference. It is recommended that the Location Manager be someone from the host state, so their familiarity with the conference site can serve as a benefit to the Steering Committee.
3. Next Year Location Manager: The Location Manager for the conference scheduled the following year is responsible for assisting the Steering Committee in its current year effort and for gaining an understanding of the responsibilities and expectations of the Location Manager position.
4. Next Year Conference Chair (NLTAPA V.P. Elect): The Next Year Conference Chair for the conference scheduled the following year is responsible for assisting the Steering Committee in its current year effort and for gaining an understanding of the responsibilities and expectations of the Conference Chair position.
5. Chair of the NLTAPA Professional Development Work Group: The Chair of the NLTAPA Professional Development Work Group is responsible for promoting alignment between the educational component of the Conference and the professional development needs expressed by centers to NLTAPA.
6. FHWA LTAP Program Manager: The FHWA LTAP Program Manager is responsible for promoting alignment between various components of the Conference and National Program issues, FHWA needs and other national concerns.
7. Conference Session Committees: The Conference Session Committees, led by the Session Managers, work with the Steering Committee to develop the agenda structure and then "fill in the blanks" of the agenda. To insure year-to-year continuity, a commitment of more than one year is encouraged, with members cycling through the Session Manager position.
8. Session Managers (Plenary, T2 Track, Management, Publications, LTAP 101): Session Managers are responsible for identifying themes for their session tracks, identifying specific presentation topics and presenters. These positions are not region-specific, but can be held by anyone from within the LTAP community.
9. Session Committee Members: The members of the Session Committee work with the Session Managers. Committee members are not region-specific, but and be held by anyone from within the LTAP community.
10. Session Managers (FHWA Session, NLTAPA Session): These Session Managers are responsible for specific issues of their organizations.

Conference Logistics

1. Location Manager (Regional--host state): See above.
2. Finance Manager (Regional): The Finance Manager is responsible for handling all the conference finances.
3. Speaker Coordinator (Regional): The Speaker Coordinator is responsible for direct communication with the scheduled speakers, conducting speaker confirmation, identifying A.V. needs, providing assistance per the speakers requests, and handling on-site coordination of speaker logistics.
4. Publicity Manager (Regional): The Publicity Manager is responsible for preparation and distribution of all online and print publicity material related to the Conference.
5. Registration Manager (Regional): The Registration Manager is responsible for managing the Conference registration process, providing pre conference registration updates and post conference summaries, and handling the on-site registration table during the conference.
6. Future Conference Representatives
   Next Year Location Manager: See Above.
   Next Year Conference Chair: See Above

Other Participation at the request of the Steering Committee

This could include the Location Manager or other managers of conference logistics for the conference two years out (once we do a better job of advance planning), or other individuals identified for a specific reason by the Steering Committee.

Attachment - Options for Governing Structure

TO: LTAP/TTAP Centers
FROM: Bruce Drewes, NLTAPA President
DATE: July 19, 2006
RE: Three Options for Governing NLTAPA

NLTAPA's Executive Committee has been examining the pros and cons of different options for governing the Association. There are three primary issues driving these proposed changes:

1. Having a single year (in most cases) governing track has not allowed the president time to achieve a complete understanding of the issues and has resulted in the leadership of the organization repeating steps or activities.
2. NLTAPA's six workgroups have been created to provide essential services that are required by the membership. To ensure that needed products and programs are developed, we need strong workgroup chairs who value servant leadership and the goals of the workgroup.
3. The regional structure does not work well for some regions. NLTAPA's E.C. acknowledges the benefits of regional interaction and regional meetings and wanted to explore other governing scenarios that supported national efforts more effectively while still retaining regional interaction.

Three (3) governing options have been developed, with feedback from the Centers at regional meetings this past Spring.

• Option A: Officers would be elected at-large, and representatives would be elected from four different types of LTAP Centers (with different needs). Emphasis is on creating stronger leadership and representation based on operational needs.
• Option B: Officers would be elected at-large, and representatives would be elected based on their willingness and expertise to lead particular NLTAPA activities. Emphasis is on creating stronger leadership both at the officer level and for NTLAPA activities. This option includes an advisory group that would evaluate the Association's effectiveness.
• Option C: Officers would be elected from existing Executive Committee members, and representatives would represent LTAP regions. This is the structure we have now. Emphasis is on strong regional representation.

Provided below are details about Options A and B, for your consideration. Members will be asked to provide feedback at the NLTAPA's Opening Business Meeting on Sunday, July 30, 2006, in St. Petersburg. A vote will be asked for at the NLTAPA's Closing Business Meeting on Thursday, August 3rd.

The Executive Committee strongly encourages NLTAPA members to discuss these options with E.C. members between the Monday and Thursday meetings.

Option A

The Governing Board of the National LTAP/TTAP Association would contain seven individuals. The President, Vice President and the Vice President Elect would be the Governing Officers, with the four representatives completing the Board. All members of the Governing Board will have one vote.

The new structure would create a 3-year officer track, with one year in each of the officer positions, starting as Vice President Elect and finishing as President. Each year a Vice President Elect would be nominated and elected at-large by member Centers and would move up the officer "ladder" each of the following two years with a vote of confidence by the member Centers.

The Governing Board would also contain four representatives, with one from the Tribal Centers, one from the DOT Centers and two from the University based Centers. Each of these members would be responsible for chairing an NLTAPA workgroup. Representatives would be elected for three-year terms, staggered for continuity of service (for an envisioned timeline, see page 3).

Roles and Responsibilities of the Governing Board

• The President
  • The President would responsible for the strategic direction of the association and would be the single point of contact for the FHWA Office of Professional and Corporate Development when addressing the concerns of the association.
  • To insure continuity within the Association the President would involve the Vice President and the Vice President Elect in the development of the strategic direction of the Association.
  • The President would chair the Program Strategies Workgroup. This workgroup would assist the President in developing strategies and proposals for the management of the Association.
• Vice President
  • The Vice President would be the chair of the External Communications Workgroup, providing guidance to this committee when communicating with external organizations.
  • The LTAP/TTAP Clearinghouse would work with the Vice President to record the minutes and the agenda for the meetings and telephone conference calls.
• Vice President Elect
  • The Vice President Elect would be the Chair of Conference Planning, working with the other committee members to develop the Summer Conference for the Program.
• Representatives - The four Representatives would each chair one of the following workgroups:
  • Internal Communications
  • Partnerships
  • Training & Development
  • Workforce Development
• Workgroups

  Each of the Governing Board member will chair a workgroup, which would be made up of from three or more members from the general membership, allowing the membership to work with the Association is the area that they hold an interest

  

  The Secretary, Treasurer and the Past Presidents group would be all ex officio members. The Secretary duties would be completed by the LTAP/TTAP Clearinghouse who would attend all of the meetings of the Association and Governing Board. The Past Presidents Group would assist the Governing Board as requested. The FHWA Program Manager would be an ex-officio member of the NLTAPA Governing Board.

Roles and Responsibilities of Ex-officio Members

• Secretary
  • Take and provide minutes from the Governing Board meetings and conference calls for review by the Governing Board.
  • Post reviewed minutes on the NLTAPA website.
  • In concert with Governing officer develop the agendas for the conference calls and meetings and provide approved agendas to the general membership.
  • Coordinate the meeting space for the meetings and conference calls.
• Treasurer
  • Collect dues from membership
  • Distribute funds as authorized by the President of the association.
  • Track and report to the membership the collection and distribution of funding twice yearly.
• Past Presidents
  • Provide guidance and support to the Governing Board as requested.
• FHWA Program Manager
  • Provide issues, concerns and areas of interest for the LTAP/TTAP community to the Governing Board.

Option B

The option below provides another possibility for NLTAPA's governing structure, focusing on building the strength of its activities and services to member-Centers. First, some background about the reason for developing this option.

The problem: When the Executive's Committee's draft governing structure was discussed at the first round of regional meetings this Spring, there were concerns about whether the change from regional representation to having reps being elected out of our major member groups (1 DOT, 1 TTAP, 2 University) would provide equitable representation. It really doesn't, by the numbers. Another issue that surfaced was how the election process would work with the work group structure. Because each newly elected rep would be assigned to chair the work group of an outgoing EC member, we may get reps not best suited to or interested in those positions. Even if the new rep were able to switch his or her chair position with another EC member, leadership continuity would suffer. It seems that building strong work groups that provide results to our members is critically important. What would a governing structure look like that best supported the work groups and made that a first priority, while also addressing the need for member representation?

The solution: Building governing strength around representation alone works well for organizations with staff to carry out the work, which we don't have. Option B focuses on building strength around the activities and services of the Association, on behalf of all the members. Representation would be by type of Center (TTAP, DOT, large or small university) rather than by region, as there are generally more similarities and opportunities for collaboration and sharing across these functional groups than across states in a region.

The structure

Executive Committee: There would be 7 Executive Committee members, each serving a three-year term. There would be 3 officer reps, as in Option A. The remaining 4 non-officer reps would be elected to serve as work group chairs and each would have three years to lead their work group. NLTAPA would form a nominating committee to solicit candidates and develop a slate, with write-ins still an option.

1. President, and Chair of Program Strategies Work Group
2. Vice President, and Chair of LTAP Annual Conference Committee
3. V.P.-elect, and Chair, Internal Communications
4. Chair, External Communications (advocacy and marketing)
5. Chair, Professional Development
6. Chair, Partnerships
7. Chair, Training and Products Development

(All work group members, except each chair, would be non-EC members. Work groups would continue to offer LTAP staff focused and manageable opportunities to become involved in the Association's work.) The E.C. would include FHWA OCPD and Clearinghouse staff as nonvoting ex-officio members. The Clearinghouse would provide gratis administrative support to the Association. The Executive Committee would meet face-to-face four times a year and participate in monthly conference calls, as they do now. Responsibilities of the Vice President and V.P-elect differ from Option A. The main reasons for these changes are to allow the LTAP conference chair to get some Association experience before taking on that position and to provide more longevity in leadership for external communications.

Member-Advisors: In support of the EC, NLTAPA would form a group of members that would advise the Executive Committee and evaluate the Association annually - something we don't do now and should be doing. This group would contain a representative from each of four major member groups: TTAPs, DOT-Centers, smaller university-based Centers, and larger university-based Centers. Each group would select its own rep. The four advisors would meet with the Executive Committee at the summer and winter NLTAPA meetings and would talk periodically with the EC through conference calls. The advisors would relate the needs of their constituent groups to help shape the efforts and results produced by the Association's work groups.

Regions: LTAP regions would continue to exist, although NLTAPA representation would no longer be based on regions. Regions could continue to meet, if beneficial to those Centers or the overall Program. Collaborative efforts between Centers that make better sense with geographic proximity would continue to be encouraged. Regions would still participate in hosting the LTAP summer conference on a rotating basis.

In sum

Option B provides a fresh look at NLTAPA's governing structure in light of its new focus on work groups and their service to Centers. It changes the emphasis from regional representation to functional representation. Executive Committee members would be solicited and elected by the members based on their interest and expertise in leading a particular aspect of the Association's work. The structure also builds more accountability for the Association, as it would include an annual evaluation by member-advisors who don't serve on the EC. [One element of the evaluation could focus on whether the Association's efforts fairly represent the needs of its members, which could address the concern about equitable representation.] Option B has its own set of pros and cons, but it builds strength where we need it most.

Option C

ARTICLE V: Executive Committee

Section 1 - Membership. The Association shall be represented by an Executive Committee composed of ten members, one from each of the ten geographical regions listed in Table 1. Executive Committee members may serve successive terms if so elected by the regional Centers.

Section 2 - Terms of Office. Terms of office shall be for three years beginning with the closing business session at the Association Annual Meeting during the year that the member was elected and ending with the closing business session three years hence. The terms of office will be staggered to allow for overlapping terms. The Native American Centers shall elect a member to the Executive Committee following the 1997 winter meeting of the Association, to serve until the regular election in 1998. Regions 1, 5, 7, and 9, shall elect representatives to the Executive Committee in 1997 and every three years thereafter; Regions 3, 6, and 2 shall elect representatives to the Executive Committee in 1998 and every three years thereafter; and Regions 4, 8, and 10, shall elect representatives to the Executive Committee in 1999 and every three years thereafter. Those members chosen to serve on the Executive Committee prior to 1997 shall retain their positions until the election years previously mentioned.

Section 3 - Election Procedures. Regional elections shall be held no later than six weeks prior to the Association Annual Meeting.

Section 4 - Duties. The Executive Committee shall fix the hour and place of Association business meetings, shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Association between its business meetings, shall make recommendations to the Association, and shall perform such other duties as are specified in this constitution. None of the actions of the Executive Committee shall conflict with actions taken by the Association.

Section 5 - Quorum. Six Executive Committee members shall constitute a quorum for purposes of conducting business.

Section 6 - Meetings. The Executive Committee shall meet in January of each year in conjunction with the Transportation Research Board Meeting and during the Association Annual Meeting. Other meetings may be called at the request of three or more of the Executive Committee members or by the President and may be held electronically or in person.

Section 7 - Attendance at Meetings. The Association membership shall be notified of Executive Committee meetings and invited to attend as observers. In addition, the Executive Committee may invite representatives of the LTAP Clearinghouse, the Federal Highway Administration, and other agencies or associations to attend and participate in its meetings; however, such representatives shall have no voting privileges.

Section 8 - Vacancies. Association members in the geographical region where a vacancy exists on the Executive Committee shall be responsible for electing a replacement for the unexpired term.

ARTICLE VI: Officers

Section 1 - Define. The officers of the Association shall be a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. These shall perform the duties prescribed by this constitution and as directed by the Association.

Section 2 - Election. The President and Secretary shall be selected from the membership of the Executive Committee. Annually, following election of regional representatives to the Executive Committee, the members of the Executive Committee shall nominate one of its members for the position of President and one of its members for the position of Secretary. A ballot with the names of the nominees for each office and spaces for write in candidates will be sent to all members annually not later than four weeks prior to the Association Annual Meeting. Members must return completed ballots to the President no later than the day prior to the Association Annual Meeting to be counted in the vote. Election shall be by simple majority. The Treasurer shall be selected from the general membership of the Association. The Treasurer shall be elected by a simple majority vote of the members of the Executive Committee.

Section 3 - Terms of Office. The newly-elected officers shall be announced at the opening business session at the Association Annual Meeting and those officers shall assume their duties at the closing business session at the Association Annual Meeting. Terms of office are one year and officers may succeed themselves without restriction.

Section 4 - Duties of President. The President shall be responsible for the oversight of all business of the Association and the affairs of the Executive Committee, and shall preside over business meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee. The President or their designee shall be the official representative of the Association. The agency address of the President shall be the center of operations of the Association and the Executive Committee. The President shall maintain Association records and forward the complete records to the succeeding President.

Section 5 - Duties of Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be the fiscal officer of the Association and will invoice membership for dues and provide instruction for payment, collect dues, and have custody of the funds of the Association. At the direction of the Executive Committee, the Treasurer will disburse funds necessary to cover the operational expenses of the Association and the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall submit quarterly a written financial report to the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall submit a written financial report to the Association membership at the Association Annual Meeting. The Treasurer shall keep all fiscal and financial records for the Association and shall forward the complete records to the succeeding Treasurer.

Section 6 - Duties of Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for recording of all meetings and shall have minutes of all meetings issued to the Association Membership.

Section 7 - Vacancies. The Executive Committee shall appoint a replacement for either the President, the Secretary or Treasurer to fulfill duties of unexpired terms.

Proposed Timetable for Transition to New Governing Structure

2006 Summer LTAP Conference

• Membership elects President and Secretary, under current structure
• Membership approves new governing structure concept to begin next year

2007 Winter LTAP Meeting at TRB

• Membership approves constitutional changes

2007 Summer LTAP Conference

• EC to suggest candidates from EC this time, for continuity (members-vote required to confirm)
  President (this person will serve a one year term)
• Vice-President (this person will serve for 2 years, being President in 2nd year)
• Membership elects: Vice-President-Elect (this person will serve for 3 years, moving up the officer ladder), DOT rep (3 year term), A University rep (3 yr term)
• One university rep and the tribal rep will be retained from current EC, as follows: Tribal rep - serves one more year, A university rep - serves two more years

2008 Summer LTAP Conference

• Membership elects VP-elect and Tribal rep (both 3 yr terms)

2009 Summer LTAP Conference

• Membership elects VP-elect and a University rep (both 3 yr terms)

2010 Summer LTAP Conference

• Membership elects VP-elect and a University rep (both 3 yr terms)

2011 Summer LTAP Conference

• Membership elects VP-elect and a Tribal rep (both 3 yr terms)

2012 Summer LTAP Conference

• Membership elects VP-elect and a DOT rep (both 3 yr terms)

2013 Summer LTAP Conference

• election cycle that starts in 2008 will start again

Attachment - Proposal for NLTAPA Involvement in Proposal Solicitation

Background: FHWA and other organizations contact NLTAPA with information about grants open to general solicitation by NLTAPA members. For example there may be forthcoming Request for Proposals (RFP) for Work Force Development, Highways for Life, Curriculum Development, etc. In the past some members of NLTAPA have been informed of the solicitations individually and others have not been informed at all. As a consequence some centers have not been able to respond to the request and thus lose out on potential sources of additional funding.

In addition to the information for general solicitations noted above, there is also a question related to how centers are able to access funds for the special projects let by the Office Professional and Corporate Development (OPCD). The problem, therefore, is that no system is in place that will insure that all centers are aware of these research and development opportunities and have a chance to respond without prejudice.

Proposed solution: To insure all centers are aware of research opportunities and are equally able to respond to the various solicitations, it is proposed that the following process be implemented.

1. NLTAPA will serve as a source of information for RFPs related to technology transfer - FHWA and other federal agencies that sponsor projects involving technology transfer and/or the use of the LTAP/TTAP centers will relay the RFPs thru the President of the EC of NLTAPA to the Chair of the Training Products and Resources Workgroup for distribution to members of the NLTAPA.
2. Distribution of RFPs will be through the LTAP Forum list server which includes a contact from each of the NLTAPA member Centers - Because the Manager/Director is the one normally involved in pursuing additional funding for an individual center, they will be the primary contact. The list will also have the NLTAPA contacts at FHWA. The intention is to focus the distribution to insure that the proper people in the center's organization is aware of the RFPs
3. No attempt will be made by the EC to prejudice the award of the proposal - The EC will have no involvement in the award of the contract. However, individual members of the EC may be involved in responding to RFPs or in the review and selection of awards.
4. NLTAPA will encourage Centers to respond to the RFPs either as individual centers or as consortiums of centers. - In many cases Centers may not have the personnel to respond to a solicitation. In those cases, Centers may form consortiums and submit proposals as a team. There is no intention to limit how an individual Center responds to a RFP.
5. The review process will be defined by the organization making the solicitation - Every effort will be made to eliminate any possible prejudice to the award by the EC.
6. NLTAPA's Training Products and Resources Workgroups will work with the FHWA OPCD to identify priority products and solicit the participation of Centers for completing the identified projects - There is some question by NLTAPA member as to how OPCD selects projects for completion by individual members of the organization. It is proposed that OPCD uses the NLTAPA workgroups in the definition and solicitation of these projects. Once the project is identified the process defined above will be used to inform centers of the project allowing them to submit a response in a timely fashion. Evaluation and award for the individual projects is determined by the funding source.

Comments by G Huntington

A few thoughts and questions: I think that for this to be successful, we need to focus on the details: First, we need to determine as precisely as possible what we will do. Second, we need to define exactly who will do what. Could Patsy or someone else fill us in on how this process did or didn't work in the past?

In 4. of Bernie's draft, we will 'encourage' Centers to respond to RFPs. Do we want to be more specific? Should we identify someone (NLTAPA Workgroup members? Clearinghouse? OPCD?) to be a contact for each RFP who would initiate discussion of proposals among interested Centers via email and/or conference call? Would we be willing to pay for a conference call? Will we look at funding sources through organizations other than OPCD? A few acronyms that come to mind are ARTBA, ATSSA, UTC, SPR, AASHTO, APWA, and NACE. If so, do we need to identify these sources and make contact with those who distribute RFPs? Will OPCD send links to RFPs to LTAP Forum? Who at OPCD? In initial emails describing RFPs, will someone be designated as a contact person?

George Huntington, PE

Who is going to do it? From telp conversation