TROUBLE IN LOBBY Kassoff zapped at ITS America

TROUBLE IN LOBBY

Kassoff zapped at ITS America

Only a few months after arriving at ITS (Intelligent Transportation Society of) America to take up his post as Executive Vice President and deputy to the President James Costantino, Hal Kassoff has been put on “administrative leave.” A executive committee meeting April 1 confirmed the decision. Staff turnover has been a contentious issue in the organization with accusations traded recently of overbearing behavior.

It was widely believed when Kassoff was hired that Costantino planned to retire in early 1998 and that the board might then appoint Kassoff to succeed him. Kassoff was a senior officer of the Maryland State Highway Administration in Baltimore for many years, and Administrator for 12. In Maryland politics he gained a reputation for skilful diplomacy in handling conflicts between pro and anti-road groups. He was active in ITS America for several years including time on the board where he was regarded as a Costantino supporter. Costantino has a distinguished record in academia and in government. He was a dean and professor of engineering at George Washington and George Mason universities, held senior positions at the FAA, NASA and USDoT and was director of the Volpe transport research center in Boston. He also had shorter stints at the Free Congress Foundation and in business. He is praised for his ability to raise financial support for the organization and has diehard backers on the board of directors. ITS America was founded under the name Intelligent Vehicle Highway Society of America in 1991 by Frank Francois, head of AASHTO, the state highway agencies lobby and the late Les Lamm, head of the Highway Users Federation, who was the first president. Costanino was the first executive-director, and became president after Lamm died.

US funds: ITS America is the major representative for high technology transportation in the US with an unusual mix of industry and government backing (around $2.5m of its anuual funds are from USDoT with a slightly larger amount from industry members). It has played a major role in publicizing and working on issues of interest to the toll industry, such as standards. With a staff of about 50 it is housed a block away from the US Department of Transportation (USDoT) in SW Washington DC and has been active in sponsoring conferences, seminars, and training and works closely with a Joint Program Office for ITS at the USDoT on programs to advance high technology transport. ITSA annual conferences are huge affairs, the next being June 2-5. The next six months are a sensitive time for ITS America because the future of dedicated ITS funding from the federal government (currently about $200m/yr) is being decided in the context of congressional debate about the reauthorization of the 5-year ISTEA legislation which expires Sept 30. (Contact ITSA 202 484 4847)