Speakers
Speakers will be notified of acceptance on March 1, 2008. Please check back at that time as a short bio on each speaker will be added to this page.
Keynote Speakers
Richard Burleson
Richard B. (Dick) Burleson is a native of Blount County and graduated with a Civil Engineering Degree from Georgia Tech. Dick was later inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Besides his engineering career, Dick also rose to the Army Reserves highest rank, that of Major General. He graduated from the Army War College and was Commanding General of the largest Army Reserve Command in the World. His command covered eight states, 40,000 troops and included over 5,000 soldiers placed on active duty during Desert Storm. General Colin Powell personally decorated General Burleson’s units. One of his highest personal honors came, when General Burleson received the Spirit of America's Audie Murphy Patriotism Award. He was the 23rd American to receive this award.
In addition to his engineering and military careers, Dick Burleson has been a football official in the Southeastern Conference for 25 years and worked a full schedule of top SEC games every year as head referee. Dick has served as Chief Referee and President of the SEC. He officiated in fifteen major bowl games and the SEC Championship game. His last game on the field was as the head referee for the National Championship Rose Bowl game. He is now a SEC staff advisor on officiating and evaluates officials' performance each Saturday from the press box.
General Barry McCaffrey
Barry McCaffrey served in the United States Army for 32 years and retired as a four-star General. At retirement he was the most highly decorated serving General, having been awarded three Purple Heart medals for wounds received in his four combat tours - as well as twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second highest award for valor. He also twice was awarded the Silver Star for valor.
For five years after leaving the military, Barry McCaffrey served as the nation's Cabinet Officer in charge of U.S. Drug Policy. He was confirmed for this position by unanimous vote by the U.S. Senate. For this period of public service, General McCaffrey received many honors including: the Department of Health and Human Service Lifetime Achievement Award for Extraordinary Achievements in the Field of Substance Abuse Prevention (2004), the United States Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award, the Norman E. Zinberg Award of the Harvard Medical School, the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation's National Service Award, and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Lifetime Achievement Award.
Scott F. Belcher
Scott F. Belcher was appointed President & CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America in September 2007 after a successful legal and nonprofit management career as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at the National Academy of Public Administration in Washington, DC.
Scott brings to ITS America more than 20 years of private and public sector experience in Washington, DC. As the Executive Vice President and General Counsel at the National Academy of Public Administration, Scott led the development and implementation of a strategic plan which led to a much needed financial and organizational turn around. Prior to that role, Scott was Managing Director for Environmental Affairs and Assistant General Counsel at the Air Transport Association. In this capacity, he oversaw all precedential domestic and international environmental matters for the airlines of North America. He has also served as Vice President for Property Management at the National Multi-Housing Association.
Scott began his legal career at the law firm of Beveridge & Diamond, PC where he focused on environmental issues related to corporate and real estate matters. Subsequent to practicing law, he spent six years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where he held a number of policy, budget and management-related positions. Scott’s vision for moving Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to the next level includes raising awareness of the value of ITS among consumers, legislators, and the media and seeking increased federal funding of ITS initiatives. This vision will help guide our nation’s transportation network to a level of enhanced safety, reduced traffic congestion, decreased fuel consumption, and a lowered economic burden on our society. Scott will also strive to provide our members a voice “at the table” when public policy, regulations, standards and other matters are discussed relating to ITS. He believes the Society’s role will help lead to more robust and effective mobility and safety solutions and that ITS America should assist its members in identifying opportunities and trends in transportation technology.
Scott serves on the Board of Directors of the World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems. Scott holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia, a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor’s of Arts from the University of Redlands.
