TPTA Conference Breaks Records!

Last month, the Texas Parking and Transportation Association held our annual Conference & Tradeshow in Houston. We are thrilled to have our largest turnout of attendees – reaching 316 parking and transportation professionals from throughout Texas and beyond.

We want to thank all of the volunteers, attendees, vendors, speakers, and more who joined us for this great show. It is always our goal to provide the highest quality education, networking, and professional development opportunities for our members and program attendees.

We also want to congratulate all of the winners of our annual awards program:

• Parking Structure – New: University of Texas at Austin, East Campus Garage

• Parking Structure – Restoration: Silos Harvesting Partners, LP Campus at Legacy West Garage & Site Modifications

• Parking Program: University of Texas at Arlington, MAV Mover Program

• Parking Equipment and Technology: Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza Garage – PARCS Upgrade

• Parking Employee: Carlos Medel, ParkHouston

• Distinguished Service Award: Dean Ahmad, DFW Airport

In addition to a successful conference and awards program, we were also thrilled to announce the establishment of the TPTA Marc Denson Scholarship. We are excited for the opportunity to provide financial assistance to future parking and transportation professionals, in the name and memory of a man who did so much for the industry and meant so much to the association. Check out the details here.

Again, thank you to all who participated in this important event. We couldn’t do it without you! Stay tuned for details on future TPTA events throughout the year. And if you haven’t already, be sure to join as a member to take advantage of membership discounts on future TPTA events.

News and Job Postings

If you haven't already, please check out the new job postings - The City of Austin and the University of North Texas are looking for parking professionals and you might fit the bill!

TPTA held its Winter Roundtable in El Paso on Dec 7. Thanks to our speakers: Brad Magee with CivicSmart, Jeremy Rocha, PE, NCEES, of Walter P. Moore and Dennis Delaney and Linsey Duett of the University of Texas - Austin. Special thank you to Mitchell Time & Parking for sponsoring lunch and snack breaks.

Attendees networked the night before with Mexican food and libations and spent a day learning the intricacies of sensor technology, occupancy studies and how to do more with less. Be on the look out for the next Roundtable event, scheduled for Houston from February 21-22, 2017. Details will be landing in your inbox soon!

In other member news...

Houston City Council approved an agreement for an on-street car-share program.  ParkHouston anticipates rolling out the program in early 2017.

What's your parking story - installment #2

Lauren Nelson, Winpark

From the time I was 15 years old, I always knew that I would be in the restaurant business.  This was true for a very long time.  After years of managing restaurants from fine dining to local wing joints, I was ready for a change.  In the middle of a busy football Sunday, slinging wings and pouring beers, I got a call that would change my life.

After an initial interview for a property management position and several subsequent interviews, I found myself being offered a parking management position with Hines’ parking division, Winpark.

Career changes are scary but it was time for the next chapter in my life so I jumped right in and never looked back. That was almost four years ago.  I currently manage the Williams Tower garage, a 3,124 space garage serving one of Houston’s most iconic buildings, a building I was always amazed with growing up.

This career change provided an immediate improvement in my family’s quality of life and the roles I played in the restaurant business transfer quite well to the parking industry.  After all, customer service is applicable in almost every management position, and this is certainly true for parking. 

I have to say, I love my job and a career in parking is just right for me.

Lauren Nelson
 

Read All About It

While I'm pretty proficient at Facebook (please like us!) and Twitter (please follow us!) - this is going to be my first foray into blogging. So bear with me.

In this high-tech world - information is fast and furious. While our newsletter was a solid soldier and provided plenty of good reading material - we want to communicate with you more frequently.

Send us your accomplishments and your organization's success stories so that we can post and share with our membership. Your stories can help a colleague address an issue or spark an idea in another organization.

And, if you are interested in contributing as a blogger - we welcome you. Like. Seriously.

Because you have to have a sense of humor to work in this industry - I leave you with a parking pic. Imagine how many spaces we could put in a lot if everyone drove a tiny car! I wonder if drivers of tiny cars are also interested in tiny homes. Those FASCINATE me. But enough about me! We want to hear from you, so send us those stories, tpta@texasparking.org.

Happy parking, my friends!

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Maria Irshad, MPA, CAPP