Scott Marler (above center), director of the Iowa Department of Transportation, recently received the 2026 Joey Sagal Transportation Systems Management and Operations or TSMO Leadership Award from the National Operations Center of Excellence or NOCoE.
[Above photo via AASHTO.]
NOCoE is a partnership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Institute for Transportation Engineers, and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America – with support from the Federal Highway Administration – that aims to advance the use of TSMO strategies across the country.
The award – presented at the annual meeting of the AASHTO Committee on Transportation System Operations – recognizes exceptional TSMO leadership, Iowa DOT noted in a statement.
NOCoE renamed the award in memory of the late Joey Sagal of the Maryland Department of Transportation – a longtime NOCoE volunteer leader and career firefighter – following his death in October 2023.
Under Marler’s leadership, Iowa DOT developed one of the nation’s first formal TSMO program plans and strategic plans.
His accomplishments also include creating eight TSMO service layer plans, devising a plan for Traffic Management Center staffing, highway helper safety service patrols and a statewide lane closure system, and advancing traffic incident management planning across Iowa’s Interstate system.
Marler has also served in multiple national leadership roles, including chair of the AASHTO Committee on Transportation System Operations, and has held positions with the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, the Transportation Research Board, and the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials.
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