WHEN SANDY LARSON MYERS ('76) WAS APPOINTED TO THE BOARD OF INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS OF VIRGINIA LAST YEAR, she quickly discovered that she was not the only JMU graduate serving in the same capacity. Corey Hill ('94) is ITS Virginia president, and Todd Kell ('90) is also a board member. ITS Virginia receives support from ITS America, which has ITS organizations in most states.

Myers was appointed to the ITS board because of her background as the Staunton District public affairs director for the Virginia Department of Transportation. Hill brings experience as director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation's Administration and Capital Projects Division. He joined  the DRPT in 1997 and was appointed to the ITS board in 1998. Currently he's working on a Smart Trip Card that commuters could use on any transit system in Northern Virginia. The card automatically calculates the best fare for the commuter.

Kell is a senior ITS specialist with PBS&J, an engineering consulting firm. A former VDOT employee, Kell was manager of the 511 system launched in the I-81 region. He was appointed to the ITS board in June 2001. "We've been able to accomplish a great deal since I've been on the board," says Kell. "We've tried to reach across the entire state through ITS programs. Instead of just focusing on Richmond or Northern Virginia, we've posted local events in Roanoke, Charlottesville and Hampton Roads."

ITS Virginia offers workshops on specific topics relating to intelligent transportation systems including electronic tolling, traffic cameras and the 411 information system. The organization also holds an annual conference in June that brings important groups and stakeholders together. The ITS Virginia board also works closely with the I-95 Corridor Coalition, which reaches from Maine to Florida and consists mostly of transportation agencies. "The coalition shares information and trades experiences," says Kell, a former coalition member. "I-95 is one of three high-priority corridors designated by the federal government."

As this Dukes trio works together to bring smarter transportation to Virginia, they each try to stay in touch with their alma mater. Hill comes back to JMU for every Homecoming to cheer on the Dukes. "I haven't missed one since I graduated," he says. Kell says that when he has meetings in the Valley, he tries to "take a drive through the campus to see what has changed." Myers says that although she lives in Harrisonburg, it's rare that she gets by the campus. "But I'm a member of the Shenandoah Valley Public Relations Council;" she says, "and University Communications Director Fred Hilton is one of the founding members, so I keep up with JMU through him."

-- Sande Snead Fulk ('92)