Joanna Wadsworth enrolled in the Operations Academy to find more professional resources and to better position herself to lead her organization’s Transportation Systems and Management Operations (TSMO) Tactical Plan. Looking back upon her experience, she left with all the skills she hoped to acquire.
Her two-week course in the Operations Academy gave her a broader perspective about the importance of TSMO and allowed her to learn how other transportation agencies implement TSMO into their overall vision. She was able to bring her agency, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTCSN), deeper insights about communicating the benefits of TSMO and how best to implement TSMO strategies to improve project management outcomes.
“Being in the sessions with professionals from around the country gave me a great resource to hear from others, ask questions, and understand how others are approaching TSMO strategies,” Joanna said. “Having that network is a huge professional benefit. The technical information that was presented to us was incredibly helpful, as were the sessions on performance management and visualization of data. I took a lot back from that.”
A major element of TSMO is communication, and she benefited greatly from the sessions on communication styles. As a result, she feels better able to find better ways to present highly technical information in a way that others can understand.
As Manager of Engineering for the RTCSN, learning to create a project, include the right stakeholders, and develop a project with the maximum positive impact using TSMO strategies will benefit her organization.
“Here at RTCSN, we do not have a formal TSMO program yet, but we are taking steps to create a TSMO tactical plan and based on what I learned in OA, I’m able to strengthen the development of that program within our organization,” she said.
“At the Operations Academy, we did a business case to create a TSMO program for southern Nevada. We clarified the structure for our organization and region, identified the strategies that are priorities for us, and then specifically created tactical plans for our work zones,” she explained. “I applied what I learned in the Operations Academy to the development of this plan.”
With the lessons learned at the Operations Academy, Joanna gained the knowledge to find the strategies to implement TSMO within her organization and region. “I’ve been shown the resources and tools to use as a reference as I continue working TSMO into our agency,” she said.
Although everyone comes to the Operations Academy with varying backgrounds, the coursework is essential for those who aren’t familiar with TSMO. “For those with more experience with it, the courses are excellent reinforcement,” Joanna said. “It was a challenge, but it was completely worth it.”
