JOSEPH M. THOMAS YOUNG MEMBER AWARD

This award is presented at each Southern District annual meeting to an individual who, over the person’s young professional career, has contributed to the advancement of transportation engineering and the Southern District of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).

The recipient shall be under the age of 35 years. The selection of the recipient is based on such traits as integrity, morality and leadership. Professional individual accomplishments such as traffic engineering innovations, technical research and paper writing. ITE organizational work to be considered, including participation and committee work, can be at the District level or may only be at the Section level.

The Southern District Joseph M. Thomas Young Member Award is named after an individual who, by his personal integrity, leadership, and example leads young professional to greater service to the profession and to ITE. Joseph M. Thomas was born in Georgia and earned his degree at Georgia Tech.

Joe has served 27 years with the City of Atlanta in several positions including Director of the Bureau of Traffic Engineering. He then spent seven years with Peek Traffic Systems as Vice President for IVHS and Manager of Traffic Engineering. He is currently IVHS Systems Manager for Post, Buckley, Schuh, and Jernigan. During the 1980’s, Joe pioneered the development of a new distributed traffic control system which came to be known as the “closed loop system” and which is now used throughout the United States.

Joe is a registered engineer and is the author of over 100 technical papers, articles, texts in the traffic and transportation engineering fields. Throughout his career, Joe has been active in committees and leadership positions in ITE and is a Fellow Member of ITE. He is a past president of the Southern Section (now District) and the Georgia Division (now Section) and is a past chairman of the District Five Board. He recently served as an International Director of ITE.

Probably the best evidence of Joe’s dedication to younger members of the profession is in his teaching activities. He has served as a part-time instructor in traffic engineering courses at Georgia Tech. In addition, he has participated as an instructor in similar courses at Auburn University and recently served as co-principal instructor in the ITE Traffic Engineering Academy.

Karen Mohammadi (1999)

Jo Anne Tingle (2003)

Scott Walker (2011)