Olsson’s Karen Aspelin has been elected international vice president of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), a 17,000-member global community of professionals dedicated to improving mobility and transportation safety.

It’s the latest ITE leadership position for Aspelin, team leader with Olsson’s Transportation team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Her past involvement includes serving as international director of the Mountain and Western Districts, president of both the Western District and New Mexico Section and chair of the K-12 STEM Committee.

"As a two-term international director, Karen will bring valuable leadership experience to her new role as international vice president," said Jeffrey Paniati, ITE executive director and CEO.

Aspelin’s election as international vice president comes less than a year after being named Transportation Professional of the Year by the ITE Colorado/Wyoming Section. She also has served in leadership roles for WTS (formerly the Women’s Transportation Seminar) and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Aspelin is a professional engineer (PE) licensed in six states and holds certification as a professional traffic operations engineer (PTOE).

“Karen Aspelin personifies excellence in everything she does, from serving our clients, mentoring our younger staff and giving back to the transportation profession,” said Scott Ingvoldstad, Western Regional leader for Olsson. “We offer our enthusiastic congratulations to Karen for this impressive achievement.”

Aspelin will serve with John Davis, PE, PTOE, traffic engineer for the City of Des Moines, Iowa, who was elected international president of ITE. Their terms begin in 2024.

Founded in 1930, ITE is an international association whose members improve transportation systems and build smart, livable communities. ITE promotes professional development, career advancement, education, research, standards and practices and public awareness. For more information, visit www.ite.org.

Olsson is a nationally recognized engineering firm of people who craft expert solutions and designs that improve communities. The firm’s consulting services include planning and design, engineering, field services, environmental and technology. For more information, visit olsson.com