Contact: Jim Santilli, CEO, (248) 334-4971
TROY, Michigan, March 7, 2019 – Dennis Kolar, the Managing Director of the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC), has been named the chairman of the Transportation Improvement Association (TIA) Board of Directors.
Created in 1967 by more than 200 government and corporate leaders, TIA is committed to identifying transportation-safety trends that negatively impact society and developing solutions that can be implemented to save lives, prevent injuries and improve mobility. Focusing on the “three E’s of safety” (engineering, education and enforcement), TIA provides professional transportation-engineering and enforcement services to its government members and delivers transportation-safety public education and professional training. TIA is based in Troy, MI.
RCOC was one of the founding members of TIA and is the largest user of TIA traffic-related data – TIA provides traffic-crash data and analysis that helps to guide RCOC’s road-project selection and design processes.
“I am honored to serve as the new chairman of one of the foremost organizations in the country dedicated to improving motorist safety,” Kolar said. “At the Road Commission, safety is officially our top priority, and having a tremendous partner such as TIA helps to ensure that we take full advantage of all available data to make the most informed decisions possible.”
Kolar noted he looks forward to helping guide TIA as it continues to expand its customer base across the state, nation and world. “TIA is highly respected not only in our region, but statewide, nationwide and even around the world.”
TIA Chief Executive Officer Jim Santilli praised Kolar’s long commitment to road safety in Oakland County. “We are pleased to welcome Dennis as the new chairman of the TIA Board of Directors,” Santilli said. “Dennis has worked in the road business for more than 35 years, and, as RCOC managing director has ensured safety remains the agency’s top priority. We look forward to benefiting from his insight and broad range of expertise as we continue to address traffic-safety challenges, many of which are caused by driver error.”
In his new role, Kolar oversees the 24-member TIA Board of Directors, which approves the association’s budget and sets strategic direction for the organization. As managing director of RCOC, Kolar oversees the agency that maintains the largest county road system in Michigan. RCOC is also nationally respected for its leadership in the field of transportation technology.
