Piloting an F-14 Tomcat from the deck of an aircraft carrier taught Carey Lohrenz that consistent execution in a fast-moving, dynamic environment is essential to avoid catastrophe.

Today she draws on skills honed as the Navy’s first female fighter pilot for the F-14 Tomcat to help businesses succeed.

Lohrenz, a former Navy lieutenant, will serve as keynote speaker for ATSSA’s 2024 Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, scheduled for Feb. 2-6 in San Diego. In her discussion of “High Risk Into High Reward: Succeeding in High Pressure Environments,” Lohrenz will share tips for business leaders to inspire their teams to “move to higher levels of performance, even during times of disruption and chaos.”

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Sept. 27, 2023) – The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) today unveiled a modernized logo that emphasizes the Association’s focus on advancing roadway safety.

The bolder colors and focus on navy provide the perfect complement for the orange traffic cone set within the initial A in ATSSA. Insertion of this simple, well-known image conveys an instant connection to work zones and roadway safety infrastructure.

“This logo makes a clear statement about who we are and our core purpose of advancing roadway safety,” said ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner. “It also instantly identifies us with work zones and the roadway workers who risk their lives every day to deliver safe passageways for each of us as we drive countless miles throughout the year.”

ATSSA is partnering with The Utility Expo to provide roadway safety training—including flagger certification—during its Sept. 26-28 event.

A Safety Symposium offering 30 hours of roadway safety and education training takes place the first two days of The Utility Expo. This includes six morning workshops on Sept. 26 led by ATSSA Director of Innovation & Technical Services Eric Perry, ATSSA Manager of Innovation & Technical Services Melodie Matout and ATSSA Master Instructors Bill Birdwell and Tim Luttrell. It also includes two ATSSA four-hour courses the afternoon of Sept. 26 and a choice of two eight-hour courses on Sept. 27.

“Safety has always been a front-and-center issue for The Utility Expo. From the equipment that utility professionals use onsite, to the potentially hazardous environments they can find themselves in, safety needs to always be priority number one,” said The Utility Expo Show Director John Rozum. “The people at ATSSA understand that a lot of utility work is done in and around traffic and they have put together a great education agenda to help keep utility pros safe when the traffic cones come out.”

The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), a leading organization in the roadway safety industry, today announced the departure of Nate Smith, Vice President of Engagement.

Effective May 9, Smith will resign his leadership position with ATSSA to join Caterpillar Inc. as a Manager of Government Affairs, focusing on transportation, infrastructure and other related policy issues.

Stacy Tetschner, ATSSA President and CEO, said of Smith, “We are grateful to Nate for his incredible body of work in advancing roadway safety. He has been integral to our government relations and membership endeavors for over 14 years. During his tenure, ATSSA has experienced tremendous success in growing our membership as well as engaging those members in our advocacy efforts, which ultimately led to record funding being passed to advance roadway safety infrastructure. We will miss his contributions and are supportive in his moving to a broader leadership role in the transportation and infrastructure community. Under Nate’s leadership of advocacy efforts, the industry experienced the biggest government investment into roadway safety infrastructure programs in U.S. history.”

Fredericksburg, Va. (April 17, 2023) – The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) and Transportation Research Board (TRB) Standing Committee on Traffic Control Devices invite students to compete in the 2024 Traffic Control Device (TCD) Student Challenge.

The TCD Student Challenge promotes innovation and stimulates ideas in the traffic control devices industry with a goal to improve operations and safety and encourage future generations of roadway safety professionals. As part of the challenge, individuals or student teams submit solutions in the subject area of transportation and roadway safety based on the chosen topic for the year.

This year’s topic is “Innovations to Improve the Nighttime Visibility of Traffic Control Devices.”

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (April 5, 2023) – The recent tragedy near Baltimore, Md., where six roadway workers were killed when one vehicle apparently collided with another before crashing into their work zone demonstrates the tremendous risk workers face each day while seeking to earn a living.

“These six individuals went to work that day simply to do their part to provide safe highways for the motoring public. But they didn’t make it home to their families, who are now left to grieve as they face life without them,” said ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner. “The roadway safety industry does its best to provide safe workspaces for its personnel and continually looks for new strategies to prevent such tragedies but the fact is, everyone plays a role in work zone safety and we need everyone to work with us.”

National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) was established more than two decades ago to increase attention to the need for motorists to exercise caution when approaching and passing through roadway work zones. In 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 857 people were killed in work zones with another 44,240 injured, according to the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse.

Phoenix (Feb. 21, 2023) – A portable lighting system tethered to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) won the Innovation Award at ATSSA’s 53rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo with three other new products being recognized for honorable mention.

The Blue Vigil ALED Portable Light is a person-portable area lighting system that mounts a high-intensity LED array on a tethered UAV that can be positioned up to 100 feet above a job site, according to Blue Vigil of Sterling, Va. The ALED puts over 8,000 square feet of light on the ground, providing nearly twice as much coverage as the towed light towers commonly used for roadway work zones.

The ALED can remain airborne for as long as needed and is designed to withstand the rigors of use in the field and on construction sites, according to company information.

The innovative light was chosen from among 18 entered in ATSSA’s New Products Rollout. The products represented companies from the U.S., Canada and Australia, and were evaluated by a panel of judges made up of department of transportation personnel.

PHOENIX (Feb. 19, 2023) – The American Traffic Safety Services Association awarded Peter Speer of Pexco with the Industry Achievement Award today during ATSSA’s Annual Convention & Traffic Expo taking place in Phoenix through Tuesday.

The Association also announced Neil Boudreau of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation as recipient of the National Safety Award and Jerry Britt, a PPG consultant, as recipient of the Mark of Excellence Award.

The Industry Achievement Award is the highest honor bestowed by ATSSA and is given to a member deemed worthy of special recognition. It honors members who have made significant contributions to ATSSA and left a mark on the roadway safety infrastructure industry.

The National Safety Award recognizes an employee or recent retiree of a government agency who made a significant contribution to the safety of our nation’s highways.

The Mark of Excellence Award is given to an ATSSA member who has made outstanding contributions to the advancement of roadway safety infrastructure through improved pavement markings.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Feb. 9, 2023) – The American Traffic Safety Services Association  announces the lineup for its 2023 New Products Rollout (NPRO), which will include 18 products and be held at its 53rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo taking place Feb. 17-21 at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Traditionally, more than 3,500 people attend the Convention—the largest roadway safety tradeshow in North America—to see some of the latest innovations in the roadway safety infrastructure industry. The products submitted as part of the NPRO are comprised of a wide range of devices designed to save lives on our nation’s roadways.

“The products for this year’s New Products Rollout address a variety of issues related to safety on the roadways and reflect the diverse issues within this industry,” said ATSSA Manager of Innovation & Technical Services Nagham “Melodie” Matout. “It’s always fascinating to see the products on view for the NPRO and the ways they can help advance roadway safety.”

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Dec. 14, 2022) –The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation awarded scholarships to 14 students for the 2022-23 academic year, with the majority of students being multi-year recipients.

The Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program started in 2002 to provide financial assistance for post-high school education to dependents of roadway workers killed or permanently disabled in roadway work zones. The program is competitive and provides scholarships valued up to $10,000 per student each year. The program has awarded more than $400,000 since its inception.

Applicants who demonstrate a strong commitment to volunteerism may be eligible for an additional $1,000 in honor of Chuck Bailey, a member of the roadway safety industry who died in 2002.