Texas Department of Transportation Director James Bass takes the gavel for the coming WASHTO year from...

Passing of the Gavel at WASHTO meeting
takes on a new look in the virtual world

The time-honored tradition of the “passing of the gavel” from the person who has served as the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO) president for the last year to the incoming president had a new look this year with the annual meeting’s virtual format.

This year’s gavel passing from Kyle Schneweis of Nebraska’s Department of Transportation to James Bass at the Texas DOT was captured on video.

Prior to 2002, WASHTO lacked a ceremonial gavel or gavel box, but every year since then, the outgoing association president would pass along the gavel and gavel box to his successor, adding a memento from the host state. When ITD Director Brian Ness passed the gavel to Utah DOT’s Carlos Braceras in 2016, his parting gift was a gavel case adorned with gems, reflecting the many treasures of the Gem State where the gavel had resided for the past 12 months. Nebraska's Schneweis decorated the gavel box with etchings of his state's sandhill cranes this year, and a vial of sand from one of Nebrasks's many sandhills, before passing it to Bass. Check out the history of WASHTO's gavel

Bass said that one of the focuses of his presidency will be to bring an end to human trafficking, which DOTs have a special ability to end because the highways and rest areas serve a central role in these heinous activities.

“The very highways and roads that we build to improve states, human traffickers use to destroy lives,” Director Bass explained. “As transportation leaders we can do our part to stop it by educating and training our employees and by bringing public awareness to the issue.”

“ITD is committed to doing our part to end human trafficking, and took the first step a few years ago by partnering with the Federal Highway Administration on an emphasis week using social media to shine a spotlight on the issue,” Director Ness explained. Ness promised that the Idahio Transportation Department would remain vigilant in the coming year as Director Bass makes it a priority throughout the 18 western states.

...Nebraska DOT Director Kyle Schneweis, WASHTO President the last 12 months.

 

Published 08-14-20