May 13, 2026

Gorove Slade planner Ashley Orr received the 2026 ITE Mid-Colonial District Rising Star Award, a reflection of what consistent, intentional involvement builds over time. Here, she shares how her professional journey continue to evolve.

The ROI of Showing Up

What six years of volunteering taught me about community, career, and staying on the cutting edge.

I did not apply for the 2026 ITE Mid-Colonial District Rising Star Award. Someone nominated me anonymously, first at the CAPSITE section level, and that nomination automatically carried forward to the district. When I learned that I received the district award, I genuinely did not know it was going to happen. 

That part still feels a little surreal. But it is also, I think, the most accurate summary of how professional involvement tends to work: you raise your hand, you stay consistently engaged, and eventually that hard work speaks for itself. 

Starting from Zero in a New City

When I relocated to the DC area in 2020, I didn’t know anybody. My supervisor at the time encouraged me to get involved with ITE as a way to start building a network, and I took that advice seriously. I found CAPSITE — the Chesapeake and Potomac Section — and started looking for ways to contribute. 

I started small, working with the communications team on the newsletter. That led to managing CAPSITE’s social media, which I still do today. Over time, I got to know the people leading the organization at the section level, which opened doors to the district level. I joined the planning committee for CAPSITE’s annual conference, and this year I stepped up further: helping plan the keynote panel and the Women’s Breakfast for the Mid-Colonial District’s annual conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. 

Throughout all of this engagement, I’ve come to realize that recognition in a professional community does not come from a job title. It comes from the pattern of showing up and saying yes to things that need doing with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.

What Volunteering Actually Costs — and Returns

I want to be honest about the time commitment. As soon as you signal that you want to volunteer, opportunities multiply quickly! Setting boundaries early is important. 

That said, the return on this investment has been real, not because of recognition like this award, but because of the community I have been able to build. The professional relationships, the accumulated context, and the exposure to thinking that is genuinely ahead of the curve are just a few of the many benefits of this experience. 

Ashley speaking at the ITE Mid-Colonial District Conference in Lancaster, PA.

Leadership ITE and Thinking at Scale

I was part of the Leadership ITE 2025 cohort, which extended my connections well beyond the district. That program brought together professionals from across the country who are going to be the next generation of leaders in this field. Now, when I have a question about a project approach or want a gut check on something, I have a network of people I know to reach out to. 

My involvement also extends to ITE’s Transportation Planning Council, which creates connections at an international level. That is where I have been introduced to concepts and frameworks that are still making their way into mainstream practice in the United States. The “Decide and Provide” approach to transport modeling is a good example. It’s a philosophy that shifts planning away from predicting and accommodating car traffic toward building systems around what people actually want. So much of urban development and multimodal design is evolving rapidly, but many communities are still catching up. 

Being plugged into international conversations means I can follow that leading edge before it becomes the local standard. And the learning I absorb through this involvement is something I bring back to my work at Gorove Slade. 

At left, Ashley celebrates her Rising Star Award with her parents (r) and ITE Mid-Colonial District President Adam Greenstein (l).

Conference attendees learned more about active transportation and planning practices in Lancaster, PA, via a bike tour.

A Homecoming in Lancaster 

The 2026 MCDITE Annual Meeting was held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where I grew up. I took part in the bike tour showcasing Lancaster’s decade of active transportation investments: protected lanes, bike boulevards, traffic calming, the whole network that has been built since the city adopted its Complete Streets policy in 2014. 

Riding through streets I knew as a kid, now looking at them through the lens of transportation planning and engineering, was a somewhat surreal but genuinely good feeling. It was a reminder of why this work matters beyond the technical: what we build shapes how people move through the places they call home. 

Another unexpected highlight of the meeting is that the organizers surprised awardees by bringing family members to the ceremony. My parents were there! That part I did not see coming, and it meant so much. 

I also recognize that ultimately this award is less about what I have accomplished myself and more about what consistent, intentional involvement can build over time. You start with a newsletter. You stay for the community. You end up, somehow, helping plan a keynote panel and a Women’s Breakfast at a district conference in your hometown. And then you get recognized for it by people whose work and dedication to the profession you truly admire. 

Six years of experience with ITE at multiple levels have shown me that it’s worth the investment of extra time, even when I’m tired or busy or overwhelmed with work. If anybody was to ask me if the long hours pay off, I would definitely say, Yes! It is worth showing up. 

Resources Referenced