Rising Star
ITE’s Rising Stars Program has been created to identify the next generation and new faces of the transportation profession. It is designed to recognize members under the age of 35 who have already made an impact on the profession, have demonstrated the ability to lead the next generation, and have implemented innovative techniques to solve transportation problems. Each year’s Rising Stars Class will consist of representatives from ITE’s Districts. Each year, one Rising Star will be selected for the Young Member of the Year Award.
For 2026, the ITE Mid-Colonial District has selected Ashley Orr (Gorove Slade) from the ITE Chesapeake and Potomac Section (CAPSITE)! Congratulations Ashley!
2026 Rising Star Ashley Orr with her parents, Annie and Kurt Weaver, and 2026 MCDITE President Adam Greenstein
Project of the Year
The ITE Mid-Colonial District is proud to recognize excellence in advancing transportation throughout our District to meet human needs by awarding an ITE Mid-Colonial District Project of the Year in conjunction with ITE International’s Transportation Achievement Awards Program.
The District has chosen the Army Navy Drive Complete Street, Arlington County, Virginia as the 2026 District Project of the Year. Congratulations to the Mark Dennis and the whole Arlington County team!
Jon Crisafi, of Kittelson and Associates (a consultant partner of the county) accepted the award on the County’s behalf, joined here by 2026 MCDITE President Adam Greenstein
The District is proud to submit our Project of the Year and four other outstanding projects for consideration for an ITE International Transportation Achievement Award as noted in the table below. Recipients of these awards will be announced in summer 2026.
| Project | Submitted By | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Army Navy Complete Streets | Arlington County | Complete Streets |
| Grant Avenue Corridor Improvements | Volkert | Planning |
| PA Route 28 Wrong Way Detection System | PennDOT | Safety |
| Penrose Roundabout | McCormick Taylor | Traffic Engineering |
| Managed Lanes (MLS) for I-66 Outside the Beltway | VHB | TSMO |
Submission Guidelines:
Projects to be considered for the District Project of the Year and subsequently for an ITE International Transportation Achievement Award should be submitted to the District Awards Coordinator (Vivek Hariharan, vivek.hariharan@rsandh.com) by March 1 of the current year and be within one of the categories noted below. All submissions will be reviewed by a panel of judges, including the District Board with one (1) project selected for each category:
- Complete Streets
- Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO)
- Traffic Engineering
- Planning
- Safety
- Individual*
All projects selected by the panel will be submitted to ITE International by the District Awards Coordinator for consideration for a Transportation Achievement Award. Additionally, one of the five projects selected with be awarded the Mid-Colonial District Project of the Year and will be honored at the District Annual Meeting.
*A note about Category #6 – Individual: This category recognizes an individual who has demonstrated excellence in one of the other five listed areas. Individuals are not eligible to receive the Project of the Year Award but can be considered for a Transportation Achievement Award from ITE International. Nominations for an individual should approximate the submission criteria presented below for projects/initiatives.
Judging Criteria:
Awards recognize an organization/entity for one or more of the following:
- Development of an innovative concept in the areas of Complete Streets, TSMO, Traffic Engineering, Planning, or Safety.
- Implementation of a challenging transportation program through perseverance in its development and promotion.
- A program or completed project having a significant effect on transportation.
- A multi-faceted transportation program or project, combining many innovative and/or well-applied concepts. Project must be complete or significantly underway.
- An initiative that promotes a major advancement in the efficiency and/or economy of transportation.
- Projects that advance safety for all the travelling public, including pedestrians, cyclists, and users of alternate means of transport.
- Innovative and effective application of elements such as roundabouts or speed humps.
- 30 points – Application of innovative ideas
- 30 points – Exhibits a commitment to the advancement of the profession
- 30 points – Strong applicability to the industry
- 10 points – Well-balanced scope and format
Submission Package:
- The submittal should be in PDF format and limited to a total of five (5) pages (including graphics) that describe the project/program/initiative and indicate how it meets the criteria for the award.
- The submission should assist the award committee in evaluating the project against the judging criteria.
- Multiple categories may be selected when entering a submission; however, entrants may only be recognized in one category.
Submit the nomination package for review to the District Awards Coordinator – Vivek Hariharan, via email by March 1.
Volunteer of the Year
The Volunteer of the Year Award has been created to acknowledge outstanding contributions from one (or more) individuals to the ITE Mid-Colonial District (MCDITE).
The District has selected Tyler Hartman (RK&K) as the 2026 Volunteers of the Year! Congratulations to Tyler and thank you for your volunteer efforts throughout the District this year.
2026 Volunteer of the Year Tyler Hartman joined by his wife, Taylor Hartman and 2026 MCDITE President Adam Greenstein
Eligibility Requirements
- Be located within the District’s geographic area
- Be a MCDITE member in good standing with a consistent history of volunteer contribution to the District
- Have provided assistance with delivering the District’s agenda to our membership
Nomination & Selection:
Candidates can be nominated by any member of ITE, including self-nominations and nominations from the Board. Nominations should be submitted to the District Awards Committee and/or District President and should include a brief summary highlighting the candidate’s contribution to the District in 150 words or less.
The District Board will evaluate the nominated candidate(s) and make a decision on the award in conjunction with the Awards Committee. The selected candidate will be honored at the District’s Annual Meeting or other appropriate occasion.
Submit a nomination for consideration to the District Awards Coordinator – Vivek Hariharan, via email by March 1.
Susan L. Best Legacy of Service Award
The purpose of this award is to recognize a District member for years of exemplary service to ITE and the transportation profession in general. The award is named in honor of Susan L. Best, who dedicated several years of service to the Mid-Colonial District of ITE (MCDITE) and Mid-Atlantic Section of ITE (MASITE), including MASITE President in 1992, MCDITE President in 1996, MCDITE International Director from 2007 through 2009, and MCDITE Administrator from 2009 through 2024. Ms. Best’s volunteer services were critical in providing direction and guidance to the MCDITE board to serve its membership to the best of their abilities while adhering to ITE guidelines.
In 2026, the District was honored to present Jeffrey Reigner (Kittelson & Associates) to receive the Susan L. Best Legacy of Service Award! Congratulations to Jeff and thank you for your volunteer efforts throughout ITE throughout your career!
2026 Susan L. Best Legacy of Service Award Recipient, Jeffrey Reigner with 2026 MCDITE President, Adam Greenstein
Eligibility Requirements:
- Any ITE District member who has shown dedicated service to ITE and the profession of transportation.
- The service must be broad in scope and extend over a period of several years (minimum 12+ years).
- Candidate’s work and tenure at public agency or private company included significant contribution to the transportation profession.
- Current District Board members and Directors of ITE are not eligible.
Award:
The award will consist of a plaque to be given at the Mid-Colonial District Annual Meeting luncheon, along with a guest ticket to the luncheon.
Nomination & Selection Process:
The selection is made by the current District Board members. The Board will identify candidates and may also consider candidates nominated by members. Only one recipient will be named during a given year, and the award need not be presented every year.
Submit a nomination for consideration to the District Awards Coordinator – Vivek Hariharan, via email by March 1.
Past President’s Award
The purpose of this award is to recognize the District Past President for their years of service on the Board and particularly their leadership as President.
The 2026 ITE Mid-Colonial District Past President Award goes to Mahmood Shehata (RK&K)! Thank you, Mahmood for your service to the District and congratulations!
2026 MCDITE Past President Mahmood Shehata with 2026 MCDITE President Adam Greenstein
ITE Mid-Colonial Awards History
| Year | Past President’s Award | Rising Star | Project of the Year | Volunteer of the Year | Susan L. Best Legacy of Service Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Mahmood Shehata | Ashley Orr | Army Navy Drive Complete Street, Arlington Co. VA | Tyler Hartman | Jeffrey Reigner |
| 2025 | Vivek Hariharan | Keith Meehan | I-66/Nutley Street, RK&K | Owen Hitchcock Sarah Adsit | Sidney New |
| 2024 | Seth Young | Carrie Long | |||
| 2023 | Jeff Bergsten | Chad Martin | |||
| 2022 | Nicole Kline-Elsier | Jon Crisafi | |||
| 2021 | Gerard (Jerry) Baxter | Adam Greenstein | |||
| 2020 | Kathryn (Kate) Russo | ||||
| 2019 | Melody Matter | Burak Cesme | |||
| 2018 | Dan Goldfarb | Vivek Hariharan | |||
| 2017 | Jeff Reigner | Jeffery Kupko | |||
| 2016 | Vince DeFlavia | Seth Young | |||
| 2015 | Abi Lerner | Nicole Kline-Elsier | |||
| 2014 | Jennifer Walsh |