Transportation professionals that work in a large, state-level agency don’t often have the opportunity to get out of their region and meet with others. For LisaRene Schilperoort, the expanded perspective she gained from interacting with colleagues from other agencies, made possible through her participation in the Operations Academy Senior Management Program at the University of Maryland last year opened her to a world of innovation and new ideas.
LisaRene is a 17-year veteran of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and currently Southwest Region Traffic Engineer in Vancouver, Washington. Generally, her colleagues at WSDOT tend to collaborate with their counterparts within the state. Her main takeaway from her two weeks in the OA was the exposure to impactful, substantive discussions about a variety of topics with industry professionals from all over the country.
“I came across engineers or others with similar job titles as mine but had the added benefit of others like state patrol officers to talk to. I learned so much from having a conversation with someone who’s coming from a different side of the same situation,” LisaRene said. “We work very closely with state patrol in my area, but they’re not our coworkers.”
She learned new things about what it’s like to be in law enforcement, and what operations professionals and law enforcement need from each other.
“It was enlightening to hear about their perspectives on the same thing and how we can help each other,” she continued.
She learned so much more about the importance of effective communications. Although she thought the Operations Academy would be very detailed about operations, she found useful information about how to conduct more successful presentations and was pleasantly surprised about the variety of topics that were discussed— all relevant and helpful.
“The material and the presenters were fantastic, but a good portion of the overall experience is meeting the other people who are attending,” she said.
In particular, she applies what she learned about public speaking to her work daily. Now a member of several boards and committees, the insight she received at the Operations Academy about communications had proved invaluable.
Although WSDOT has been an ambassador for implementing transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) into its operations culture, the Operations Academy gave her the chance to talk to people from other agencies about its benefits and innovative uses.
“It’s absolutely worth the time and effort, and I’m thankful WSDOT has sent someone to Operations Academy nearly every year for a long time,” she said. “I went as soon as I had the chance, and it was definitely worth my time. It’s a sought-after spot each year, with many people asking to be able to go.”
