From the Director's Desk
In April CTE commemorated our 30th anniversary. I have had the privilege of being a part of our team for 28 and a half years and I have been steering the ship for 22. It has been an honor to work alongside all the talented staff at CTE throughout the past three decades.
Any non-profit that is worth its salt has a vision of the world that defines their cause. It should be impactful and attainable, and once achieved, should put the non-profit out of business. For example, the American Lung Association’s vision is “A world free of lung disease.” If there were no lung disease, there would be no need for the American Lung Association to exist anymore. While I often speak of the many differences between for-profit companies and non-profit organizations like CTE, this may be the biggest difference of all. A non-profit, if set up and operated the right way, should have a goal to put itself out of business.
CTE’s vision is “A sustainable US transportation system, free of harmful emissions.” After 30 years, it is extremely gratifying to see that others are starting to share our vision. In fact, even the United States Government has set a goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. As strange as it sounds, I would love nothing more than to shut CTE down because our vision of the world has come to fruition. We could put away our number 2 pencils, laptops, modeling tools, and GPS trackers. We could shut our doors, kick back, and bask in the knowledge that our work here is complete.
If you are a CTE member, client, employee, or supporter, thank you for all you have done to move the needle in the direction of a sustainable US transportation system over the past 30 years. I firmly believe nobody has made a greater impact than we have. The good news is there is still lots of work for us to do. With your continued support, I have every confidence that together, we will see our vision realized.
