Tia Hysell

What is something you learned about being a Mobility Pathfinder that you did not expect? One thing I didn’t expect was how quickly building natural connections would be. It has been clear that there is a genuine goal to support one another and champion growth in the industry. Whether sharing service challenges or discussing new ideas it has been centered on helping women in the industry be seen and heard no matter the stage of their careers they are in.  The Mentorship program is an excellent example of this in action.

When you are not managing parking, what do you love spending time on? When I’m not working, I love spending time with my family. We are in a busy season of life, so a lot of my time is spent cheering on my kids at their sports and activities or playing the role of “mom-taxi” so they can live their best lives, but I truly wouldn’t have it any other way. I also enjoy reading and doing hand embroidery whenever I can squeeze it in.

What upcoming industry changes are you feeling most energized about?  I’m always excited to see how technology and analytics continue to evolve in the parking and mobility space not only to improve the customer facing experience but also streamline back-end operations. I’m particularly energized by emerging dashboards and visual analytic tools that make it easier for operators to identify and share trends through data visualization. These tools can be key to building buy-in and using data to support smarter planning. I don’t think people outside of the industry always realize just how complex and rapidly changing the parking and mobility industry is, so it is exciting to be part of something that is always innovating and growing.

What is a recent moment, big or small, that has made you smile? A recent moment that made me smile was seeing our parking and mobility team recognized for their role in supporting several recent large scale campus events. I’m really passionate about helping shift the perception of parking and transit from something people only associate with compliance to that of a valued campus partner that focuses on solutions and making things possible. Through these recent events, our team had the opportunity to be involved early in the planning process, and it became clear how important strong parking and transit support was to the overall success. It was really rewarding to hear others across campus acknowledge that and recognize the value of having our team at the table from a proactive planning perspective. The best part was seeing the staff who work so hard behind the scenes receive recognition for their contributions and hearing others appreciate the role they played in the success of these events. It really helped to highlight the impact of the team’s work and reinforce the value we bring as partners on campus and felt like we are truly starting to move the needle in shifting those perspectives.

What is something people are most surprised to learn about you? Something people might not know about me is that I love thrifting and collecting antiques. I’ve always been drawn to pieces that have a story behind them, and I could happily spend hours hunting for just the right find (much to my family’s dismay). I especially love antique tins and old soda crates. It’s a bit like my personal therapy and just a quiet way to slow down and recharge a bit from my normally extroverted pace.