Warren Reynolds Scholarship

Why Every Voice Matters: Embracing the Warren Reynolds Scholarship and the Power of Showing Up

When I boarded the flight to Louisville for the 2025 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo earlier this month, I felt the usual swirl of anticipation—new ideas to learn, colleagues to reconnect with, and a new city to visit. But above all, I felt profound gratitude to the Southwest Parking & Transportation Association (SWPTA) and its Warren Reynolds Scholarship for making the trip possible. The scholarship covered the critical costs my agency simply could not, and in doing so it reminded me that the most important investment any professional organization can make is in people—people who will carry fresh knowledge back to their teams and communities.

The Legacy of Warren Reynolds

Many members know the name but not the story. Warren Reynolds was a founding member of SWPTA, a pioneer of regional collaboration, and a tireless advocate for education in our field. When he retired from Pima County in 2008, the Board marked his legacy by creating a scholarship fund in his honor. The mission was—and still is—simple: remove financial barriers that keep talented professionals from attending conferences, workshops, and trainings that will elevate the entire parking and mobility industry.

Today, SWPTA funds the scholarship through sponsorships and allocates awards each year for industry gatherings—yes, IPMI included. Preference is given to programs that emphasize continued learning and broad knowledge-sharing across agencies and vendors, exactly the type of cross-pollination Warren championed.

My “Why Not Me?” Moment

I applied because our operating budget had been slashed after two tough fiscal cycles. Training dollars for out-of-state travel were the first casualty. Still, I wanted to represent by agency and SWPTA at IPMI. Saying “we can’t afford to go” would have cost us more in stagnation than the conference fee ever could.

I filled out the one-page narrative, attached my résumé, and asked my supervisor for a recommendation. Days later, a congratulatory e-mail arrived. I was going to IPMI—an event that would bring more than 1,000 professionals to the Kentucky International Convention Center to trade insights on policy, technology, and the future of mobility.

Louisville Lessons

One hallway chat jolted me more than any breakout session. During a conversation, I mentioned that I was graciously granted a scholarship. Their response shocked me. “I never feel like I’m deserving of something like that” she said. The sentence landed like a weight. I understood the humility—but I also heard a hint of self-doubt that has no place in our inclusive association. Talent, drive, and fresh perspective are exactly what the Warren Reynolds Scholarship exists to nurture.

At IPMI I was part of a panel presentation titled “The Politics of Parking: What Works, What Doesn’t, What’s Next” where I discussed political science concepts and how it relates to our job in the parking industry. Had it not been for this scholarship, I would not have been able to share my perspective on this important topic.

You Belong in the Room

If you have ever looked at an event registration page and thought, “I’m not senior enough” or “Other people need this more,” please hear me: your voice is not only welcome; it is essential. Conferences thrive on diversity of role, geography, and career stage. An enforcement officer’s street-level story can spark a vendor’s next product iteration. A transit planner’s accessibility challenge can reshape a city engineer’s curb design. When any of those perspectives is missing because “budget said no” or “I didn’t think I qualified,” the entire ecosystem loses vital insight.

SWPTA’s scholarship committee evaluates applications on merit and the potential benefit to both the applicant and the broader industry. Members from municipalities, universities, airports, private operators, and technology firms have all been past recipients. The form is short, the requirements clear, and the return on effort incalculable.

How to Strengthen Your Application

1. Connect the Dots. Explain how the specific event sessions align with your agency’s challenges—e.g., off-street occupancy sensors, curbside data standards, or payment-equity pilots.
2. Show the Multiplier. Commit to sharing takeaways: lunch-and-learn recaps, policy memos, or pilot proposals. Scholarship reviewers want assurances that new knowledge will reverberate beyond one attendee.
3. Highlight Financial Need Honestly. If your travel fund was zeroed out or restricted to local mileage, say so. The scholarship exists precisely for that scenario.
4. Seek a Supportive Reference. A brief endorsement from your supervisor or client underscores organizational buy-in and signals that your professional growth benefits the whole team.
5. Meet the Deadline. Materials must land 60 days before the event. Mark the calendar early—especially for next spring’s SWPTA Conference or IPMI 2026.      

For scholarship applications for the annual SWPTA conference in October, we welcome all applications, regardless of SWPTA membership. For scholarship applications for other conferences or learning opportunities, SWPTA membership is required.

The Ripple Effect

Since returning from Louisville, I have already drafted updates for our parking management program. None of that would have happened without the sessions and side conversations the scholarship enabled. Multiply that impact across every recipient, and you’ll see why Warren Reynolds’ legacy matters: investment in one professional radiates improvements to thousands of daily parkers, transit riders, and neighborhood stakeholders.

Just as important, the experience rekindled a sense of possibility. Public-sector constraints, stretched staff, and legacy systems can numb even the most optimistic practitioner. Standing in a ballroom filled with innovators, I was reminded that we are only one idea—or one bold ask—away from the breakthrough our communities deserve.

Your Turn

Applications for the next round of Warren Reynolds Scholarships are open now. If conference fees or airfare feel out of reach, let SWPTA help shoulder the cost. Download the application, gather your materials, and, above all, believe that you belong in the conversation. The industry needs your insights, your questions, and your challenges as much as your gratitude or applause.

To the SWPTA Board, thank you for seeing the value in every emerging voice. To the peers who told me they weren’t “deserving,” I hope to read your scholarship success story on this very blog next year. And to every member reading: Dare to apply, dare to show up, and dare to share what you learn. That is how we honor Warren Reynolds, strengthen our profession, and keep the Southwest parking and mobility community moving forward—together.

See you at the next session, and until then, let’s keep the conversation (and the curbs) flowing.