FPTA Member Profile – Salena Tepas
Salena Tepas
Assistant Director of Parking and Transportation
University of North Florida
For this month’s FPTA Member Profile we are featuring Salena Tepas. Salena is Assistant Director of Parking and Transportation at University of North Florida. We’re thrilled to also have Salena as President-Elect of the FPTA Board of Directors! Check out Salena’s story and FPTA experience below!
How did you become involved with FPTA?
When transitioning to this industry in 2011, a few colleagues were members. At the time, I was in accounting and had no idea how I would contribute to parking or my peers. When moving into a supervisory role, FPTA provided the foundation to discuss the challenges front line workers face.
What value has your FPTA membership provided you for your career?
I have enjoyed building personal and professional relationships with so many of you, coming together, to share our skills to help each other grow connections, mentor each other, and provide solutions to our many challenges
What value has your FPTA membership provided your institution?
Having close access and relationships to draw upon has allowed our institution to complete important benchmark studies, to plan and budget for our business innovations and projects and to attend our annual conference to meet with industry vendors to select quality products while learning what new products and features are available.
What would be your advice to those organizations who are not yet a FPTA member?
Join us! You will never find another organization who are more welcoming and prouder of what they do each year to provide a trade show and educational setting.
How do you think the coronavirus could permanently impact parking, transportation, and mobility?
By far, the delivery services. I look forward to the increase in curb management changes this brings to cities, lots and mobility areas.
What new initiatives or technologies do you think will come as a result of the recent COVID-19 crisis?
My hope is for restaurant industries to expand, use and improve outdoor seating experiences. Parking has been able to partner with these expansions, giving up their footprint while allowing future (when things get better) increases in ride share programs. On the balance, socializing will be safe again. I, for one, enjoy great food and great friends…just not at my place!
What is your organization’s return-to-the-workplace plan (if not already back)?
Working in alternating teams, masks, distance, PPE, and Zoom.
What was your impression of work from home before this situation?
NEVER! COUNT ME OUT! What is it now? Love it! Not full time but the two days home per week has opened my eyes to many positives. Spreading work and home tasks out those days has allowed evenings home with my children much more special and relaxed than rushing home and rushing through what’s required to keep up with a household.
How is your organization fostering community and maintaining its culture from a distance?
At UNF, our President has held Blueprint town halls every couple of months. This allows faculty and staff important access to COVID and campus initiatives better than ever.
What are you most hopeful about right now?
For our students to return to normal. Remote learning, hybrid instructions for teachers and important freedom of socialization and activities is so critical to the well-being of our young adults and children. Students need to be in the classroom.
