LOOKING BACK AT 2022 AND FORWARD TO 2023 - SUSTAINABILITY, PARTNERSHIPS, AND PARKING!
Looking back at 2022 it seems like we all just burst out of our shells and couldn’t wait to get back to business, to get together, to talk nonstop – there seemed not to be enough social and business activities to go around. I felt like I was constantly in motion but loving it. I couldn’t get enough of the constant balls in the air, the constant dinging of my texts and emails and ringing of my phone. Now looking forward to 2023, I’ve had some time to reassess, time to evaluate the momentum, which brings me to what we are looking forward to, what we seem to be all talking about: SUSTAINABILITY.
We’ve heard the word sustainability for so long and it seems like forever. And lately it seems to be the IT word, the BUZZ word. What does it really mean and how does ‘parking’ fit into sustainability? Sustainability is a comprehensive term that includes so many things such as actions that connect and represent supporting local businesses; managing land Use; creating and promoting vibrant cultural, arts and historic preservation programs; implementing safe, equitable, accessible and affordable transportation and mobility options while reducing carbon emissions; managing waste and water usage; developing energy efficiency programs and projects; promoting Health and Wellness; enhancing diverse housing options and Increasing awareness to support ending homelessness.
Clearly, I’ve been thinking about this for a very long time. And it keeps coming up and now even more than ever. It means so many things to so many people. The word sustainability seems to be everywhere, seriously everywhere.
To me sustainability means to strengthen inclusivity, celebrate differences and resiliency creating vibrant communities and organizations and providing opportunities through sustainable actions that build the economy, support equity, respect the environment and engage the community through connected partnerships.
And how does PARKING fit into all of this? Well, look around you at the IPMI family – we all lend a piece of ourselves, our organizations, our businesses to sustainability. In so many ways, Parking is the glue that keeps our communities together and moving forward.
We are an industry of partnerships, collaborators, leading the way to breaking down siloes and integrating verticals to make things work, whether it be through creating value added solutions, amazing technology or smiling, responsive customer service and operations. This industry touches all sustainability components.
And how do we do this, through our incredible Partnerships. Partnerships are the only way our world moves forward. We need to connect with people who have different skill sets and different strengths; we need to be open to different ideas, opinions and views; we need to build relationships based on equity; we need to challenge each other. To create a sustainable world, we absolutely need to work together. There is no one size fits all. We all bring something to the table.
Let’s continue to ride the wave that we jumped into with eyes wide open in 2023; let’s always create sustainability through partnerships. We won’t be here forever, but our world will, let’s be the sustainability that goes down in history – PARKING of course. Happy New Year!
Kathryn Hebert
President and CEO TPMConnect
IPMI Board of Directors