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Convention keynote will provide tools for building employee engagement
Finding and keeping talented people is more critical than ever and is increasingly important for gaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Scott Wozniak, who has advised companies of all sizes across six continents and spent eight years at Chick-fil-A headquarters designing leadership development programs, will address that workforce issue as keynote speaker during the Feb. 19 general session of ATSSA’s 2023 Convention & Traffic Expo in Phoenix. In his message, “Great Brands Have Great Employees – The Engine Behind Legendary Companies,” Wozniak will explain how to build an “employee engagement engine,” including providing five systems to attract and empower great people. Finding and keeping talented people is more critical than ever and is increasingly important for gaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Scott Wozniak, who has advised companies of all sizes across six continents, will address that workforce issue as keynote speaker during the Feb. 19 general session of ATSSA’s 2023 Convention & Traffic Expo in Phoenix. In his message, “Great Brands Have Great Employees – The Engine Behind Legendary Companies,” Wozniak will explain how to build an “employee engagement engine,” including providing five systems to attract and empower great people. “This engine has been battle tested with hourly employees, white-collar workers and skilled labor in construction firms, creative agencies and healthcare,” he says. “Don’t hope your people get good; build an engine that ensures your top people are fully engaged. Wozniak is a member of the international genius society Mensa and holds a master’s degree with emphasis in organizational leadership. He has consulted with Silicon Valley startups, Fortune 500 companies and family enterprises and spent eight years working at Chick-fil-A headquarters to design leadership development programs, set strategy and lead company-wide upgrades. Wozniak, CEO of Atlanta-based Swoz Consulting, will expand on his presentation during an education session on Feb. 20, “Tactics and Tools for Your Employee Engagement Engine.” That session will be interactive and dive deeper into the tactics and tools used by legendary brands to engage their employees. The Feb. 19 general session will also include announcement of ATSSA’s Industry Achievement Award and the National Safety Award. The Mark of Excellence Award will be presented during the Feb.18 meeting of the Pavement Marking Committee. A highlight on Feb. 20 will be a Legislative Insights Forum including a conversation with former Rep. Bill Shuster, who represented Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District for more than 17 years and served as chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Shuster is currently a senior policy advisor at Squire Patton Boggs, providing strategic advice and consulting on issues including transportation, infrastructure and local governments. The 53rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo begins with two ATSS Foundation fundraisers on Feb. 17. The Sporting Clays Event will be held at Ben Avery Clay Target Center in Phoenix. The Foundation Golf Classic takes place nearby at Wigwam Golf Club in Litchfield Park, Ariz. Among the other Foundation activities is a “Meet & Greet” on the Expo floor Feb. 19 where attendees can chat with college students who are recipients of the Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship. This year’s Convention & Traffic Expo takes place at the Phoenix Convention Center, within walking distance to event hotels. Visitors will enter the nearly 200,000-square-foot exhibit space onto a pathway leading directly to the ATSSA Pavilion and Showcase where several presentations will be held. From that central location, a left turn takes visitors to the Urban Safety pavilion with demonstrations and exhibits for that environment, whereas a right turn leads to the Rural Safety pavilion with its showcase. Straight ahead is the site of the New Products Rollout, with this street-like grid illustrating the Convention theme: Where roadway safety and innovation intersect. New this year is Student Day on Feb. 20. Students in seventh grade through the university level can attend the Convention & Traffic Expo for free along with a chaperone to learn about the industry and its many career opportunities. Register with promo code 2023AZStudent by Jan. 30. The Arizona ATSSA Chapter AZ-ATSSA is sponsoring lunch and a welcome presentation 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. immediately after which students can take a guided tour of the Traffic Expo floor to learn about roadway safety and see the latest industry innovations. They are then free to explore the floor on their own. Registration is now open for the 2023 Convention & Traffic Expo, which is expected to bring together 4,000 members of the roadway safety industry and will include such popular events as the New Products Rollout and the Circle of Innovation and provide endless opportunities for learning, collaborating and networking while advancing roadway safety.
‘Marketing and Partnerships to Create Safer Streets’ webinar Dec. 6
Helping achieve the industry goal of zero deaths on the nation’s roadways involves educating a range of groups from prospective partners to the general public. Register now for the fifth and final session of ATSSA’s free Worker Safety Webinar series to gain skills to help you present your case. The Dec. 6 webinar starts at 2 p.m. “Sharing Safety: Marketing and Partnerships to Create Safer Streets” will be led by Alex Kelly, CEO of SALT and Company, and a member of ATSSA’s Roadway Worker Protection Council. Participants will learn how to tell compelling stories about the work they are doing and leverage partnerships to increase awareness of roadway workers and the work they are doing and goals they seek to achieve. Helping achieve the industry goal of zero deaths on the nation’s roadways involves educating a range of groups from prospective partners to the general public. Register now for the fifth and final session of ATSSA’s free Worker Safety Webinar series to gain skills to help you present your case. The Dec. 6 webinar starts at 2 p.m. “Sharing Safety: Marketing and Partnerships to Create Safer Streets” will be led by Alex Kelly, CEO of SALT and Company, and a member of ATSSA’s Roadway Worker Protection Council. Participants will learn how to tell compelling stories about the work they are doing and leverage partnerships to increase awareness of roadway workers and the work they are doing and goals they seek to achieve. The Worker Safety Webinars are hosted by ATSSA’s Training Department and the Roadway Worker Protection Council, both of which prioritize worker safety. Recordings of all webinars are available for viewing. Below are the four prior topics and links to the recordings. Road Safety 101 Nov. 9, 2021 – This webinar provided an overview of current safety trends, technology and innovations changing the road safety world. Participants heard what is happening in the larger transportation industry ex. autonomous vehicles, Vision Zero programming, micromobility to inform scope and identify partnership opportunities. Watch the recording. Effective Incident Response March 2, 2022 – This webinar provided proactive ways to prepare for incident response, integrating critical safety planning into operations for effective and efficient management in stressful situations. The webinar walks through what to do, but also addresses how and why to do it effectively. Watch the recording and download the PowerPoint slides and Effective Incident Response checklist. Safety Supports June 7, 2022 – While no one wants to plan for a safety incident, it can and will happen. Learn how to support your team effectively and move through the process with grace and tact. Watch the recording. Creating a Safety Culture Sept. 13, 2022 – Learn how to create a strong safety culture within their organization. This webinar will discuss blending industry best practices and behavioral psychology that support behavior change within organizations. Watch the recording. Sharing Safety: Marketing and Partnerships to Create Safer Streets. Dec. 6, 2022 A recording will be available a few days after the webinar. Check here for the link to the recording. The Roadway Worker Protection Council evolved from a Roadway Worker Protection Summit held at ATSSA’s 2021 Convention & Traffic Expo. The Council’s first formal meeting was held during this year’s Convention & Traffic Expo in February. Register now for the free Dec. 6 webinar, which starts at 2 p.m. ET and runs for one hour.
Election outcomes take shape one week later
One week after Election Day, we finally have a good idea of what the next two years will look like on Capitol Hill. While long thought that this year’s midterm elections would bring a “red wave” across the country, in the end Democrats were able to hold their ground in several swing states and remain in control of the Senate, while narrowly losing the House of Representatives to Republicans. Even with the Senate race in Georgia headed to a run-off next month, Democrats know they will be in control of the Senate at least until 2024. They currently control 50 votes, plus Vice President Kamala Harris would provide a 51st vote in the event the Senate stays 50-50 as it was prior to the election. One week after Election Day, we finally have a good idea of what the next two years will look like on Capitol Hill. While long thought that this year’s midterm elections would bring a “red wave” across the country, in the end Democrats were able to hold their ground in several swing states and remain in control of the Senate, while narrowly losing the House of Representatives to Republicans. Even with the Senate race in Georgia headed to a run-off next month, Democrats know they will be in control of the Senate at least until 2024. They currently control 50 votes, plus Vice President Kamala Harris would provide a 51st vote in the event the Senate stays 50-50 as it was prior to the election. Winning key Senate races in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada took some of the pressure off the outcome in Georgia. However, a loss by Sen. Raphael Warnock would give Democrats no buffer room in any hotly contested votes in the next Congress. In the House, the margin of victory for Republicans is slightly less certain at the moment. House races across Alaska, California, Colorado and Maine have yet to be decided, leaving both Republicans and Democrats short of the magic number of 218 seats needed in the House to have a majority. However, Republicans currently hold 215 seats, with several outstanding elections looking likely to split in their favor and push them to at least the 218 number they need. A flipped House also means new leadership on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Current Republican Ranking Member Sam Graves of Missouri would most likely become chair of the committee, while Democratic leadership is much more uncertain. Current Democratic Committee Chair Peter DeFazio of Oregon chose retirement over a re-election bid, ensuring there will be a new top Democrat on the committee for the first time since 2015. Less than half of the Republicans who voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act IIJA last year will be returning to Congress in 2023. Only six of the 13 Republican members who voted to support the historic investment in roads, bridges and safety made it to Election Day. However, the remaining six all won. At the state level, one statewide ballot question was approved by voters that will provide funding toward transportation projects. Massachusetts Ballot Question 1 will create an additional income tax of 4% for income over $1 million and will dedicate revenue to education and transportation purposes only. Thirty-six governors races were decided on Nov. 8. Generally, it was a good election year for incumbents, as incumbents won on both sides of the aisle in key races such as Florida, Georgia, Kansas and Michigan. Maryland and Massachusetts had open seats, with popular Republican Governors termed out. Both states will see a Democratic Governor in office for the next four years. In state legislatures, Democrats will take control of several legislative chambers that have been controlled by Republicans for several cycles or more. This includes the Michigan House and Senate, and the Minnesota Senate, with the Pennsylvania House still up in the air. Compiled by ATSSA Federal Government Relations Director Cameron Greene and ATSSA State Government Relations Director Renee Gibson.
Upcoming Events
2026 Convention & Traffic Expo
Where Roadway Safety + Innovation Intersect. ATSSA’s 56th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo is Feb. 20-24, 2026, in Houston, Texas. Join key roadway safety and transportation professionals at this premier event.
Legislative Briefing & Fly-In 2026
ATSSA’s 2026 Legislative Briefing & Fly-In is April 14-15, in Washington, D.C.
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