ITE Talks Transportation Podcast

LATEST EPISODE: Leading with Trust and Purpose: Michael Sanderson, P.E., PTOE, on Growing Leaders in Transportation

Michael Sanderson—CEO of Sanbell and 2018 ITE International President—shares how his “people first” philosophy has shaped his career and his approach to building strong teams on this episode of ITE Talks Transportation. He explains that leadership in technical fields isn’t about command-and-control, but about setting a clear vision, building culture, and trusting experts to deliver. Sanderson emphasizes that leadership is learned through practice, and encourages young professionals to say yes to opportunities, especially in organizations like ITE. He also highlights the importance of ethical decision-making, mentorship, adaptability, and the lasting impact of creating LeadershipITE to help develop the next generation of transportation leaders.

About

A NEW EPISODE EVERY MONTH

ITE Talks Transportation is a collaboration between ITE and Bernie Wagenblast, founder and editor of the Transportation Communication Newsletter and host of Transportation Radio. Each month, a new podcast features a thought leader within the transportation industry. In keeping with #transportationtuesday, a new episode will be available the 4th Tuesday of every month.

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Meet the Host

Bernie Wagenblast is host of the ITE Talks Transportation podcast. Bernie had her start in the transportation field as one of the original Shadow Traffic reporters in New York City, NY, USA in 1979. Following this, she worked on transportation in the public sector with NYCDOT and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. For nearly a decade, she served as the operations manager of TRANSCOM, a multi-agency information center, and was involved with the creation of the I-95 Corridor Coalition. Following that, she worked in the private sector for firms such as TransCore, SmartRoute Systems, and Westwood One. Bernie does a variety of transportation voiceover work and can be heard on PATCO, the New York City subway system, and the AirTrain at Newark Airport. She also narrates many of the online courses offered to ITE members through the Consortium for Innovative Transportation Education at the University of Maryland. She’s the editor of several transportation e-publications, including the Transportation Communications Newsletter and the AASHTO Daily Transportation Update.