Illinois Tollway

Illinois Road & Transportation Builders Association (IRTBA) held their annual State of the Industry meeting last month with a presentation from Illinois Tollway’s very own Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse. The event serves as a showcase of leaders within the transportation industry, each discussing their organizations’ projects and programs for the upcoming year. Thank you to IRTBA for providing the space for many organizations to share insights and goals for the future of our industry.

This week over 100 students from Argo High School, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, William Howard Taft High School, and Maine East High School got the chance to visit several of our maintenance facilities, toll sites, and roadside projects. It is so refreshing for us at the Tollway to be able to engage with the future generations of our communities, hear their perspectives, and show them the impact our business has on the everyday lives of people in our communities. Thank you to the students for spending your day with us. We hope you enjoyed your visit and learned something along the way! Read more here: https://bit.ly/4gT8ynX

Thank you to all the workforce development, business and community leaders that joined us in Chatham to learn more and help spread the word about our #ConstructionWorks workforce training and placement program. We are especially grateful to our Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse and #ThePartnership for joining us in showcasing this program and all it offers to those interested in pursuing a career in heavy-highway construction. Events like these help us raise awareness to community leaders to share and serve our goal of connecting residents with workforce training, good-paying jobs and ultimately careers. Interested in learning more about ConstructionWorks? Visit our website today: https://bit.ly/3RvSjlC

Illinois Tollway Chief of Diversity and Strategic Development Marlene Vick and General Manager Kristen Bennett demonstrated true leadership at the American Contract Compliance Association (ACCA) annual National Training Institute with more than 800 attendees. Vick and Bennet shared successes and lessons learned in driving economic opportunities for small, diverse, women- and veteran-owned businesses across Northern Illinois. Their participation highlights the Illinois Tollway’s role as a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion within the transportation sector. Through programs like the Small Business Initiative, Partnering for Growth and ConstructionWorks, the Tollway has not only created a pathway for businesses to succeed but also redefined industry standards for inclusive practices. The results speak for themselves: since 2021, nearly $100 million in contracts have been awarded to small businesses and nearly 60 firms have transitioned from protégés to prime contractors through Partnering for Growth. These achievements are a testament to the strategic leadership of Marlene and Kristen and their focus on creating lasting economic access for underserved communities. By sharing actionable strategies and methodologies, Marlene and Kristen are helping other leaders across the country understand how to implement and sustain impactful diversity programs. Their leadership continues to shape national conversations about raising the bar for inclusion in business practices. The Illinois Tollway is proud to be at the forefront of this movement! #ACCA #NTI2024

Our Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse had the opportunity to speak at the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC) regional luncheon on Wednesday. The organization is a statewide association that promotes the interests of consulting engineering firms through business, government and public affairs programs. Thank you to ACEC for providing a great opportunity for transportation leaders to share updates and insights on programs, projects and initiatives with the regional engineering community.

Recently, The College of Lake County’s Men’s Tennis Team was travelling together in a van on I-294 after a match at Prairie State College when they were forced to pull onto the shoulder of the high traffic area due to a blown-out tire. The team found that their best option was to call for 911 for assistance. After being redirected to the Illinois Tollway’s services, Courtney Dockery, a H.E.L.P. truck roadside assistance employee, came to their rescue to change their tire. Assistant Tennis Coach, Jim Love, reached out following the incident to express the team’s appreciation for the kindness and bravery that Mr. Dockery exuded during a moment of stress and fear. Love shared his thanks stating, “I cannot compliment him enough. We were fortunate to have his services and were in real trouble without him”. We are so grateful for our frontline workers who make traveling on the Illinois Tollway safer for all. Read Coach Love's letter: https://bit.ly/4dpDqJT

Thank you to all the workforce development, business and community leaders that joined us in North Riverside to learn more and help spread the word about our #ConstructionWorks workforce training and placement program. We are especially grateful to our Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse and #ThePartnership for joining us in showcasing this program and all it offers to those interested in pursuing a career in heavy-highway construction. Events like these help us raise awareness to community leaders to share and serve our goal of connecting residents with workforce training, good-paying jobs and ultimately careers. Interested in learning more about ConstructionWorks? Visit our website today: https://bit.ly/3RvSjlC

Starting Toro Construction Corp. as a side business while they still worked other jobs, Luis Vazquez and his wife, Socorro, turned to an @ILTollway program to help them expand their business and land new contracts. They joined the Tollway’s Technical Assistance Program, which provides training and guidance to help small, diverse firms like theirs better compete for work on projects done by the Tollway and other public agencies. Since joining the program in 2015, Toro Construction Corp. has worked as a subcontractor on six Tollway contracts, including doing construction work and site improvements at several Tollway maintenance sites. Along the way, the company has grown dramatically, employing about 150 people and earning revenues of about $42 million last year. VIDEO https://lnkd.in/gE79pw7z

Congratulations to Illinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse for being named among the “2024 Notable Black Leaders” by Crain's Chicago Business. Cassaundra’s leadership has helped transform regional mobility, highlighted by completion of the Tri-State Tollway (I-294)/I-57 Interchange, a project that was delivered two years ahead of schedule and within budget. Cassaundra’s global influence in the #transportation industry is evident through her role as a board member for the world's leading tolling association IBTTA. She’s also committed to advancing women in transportation through her work with the WTS Greater Chicago Chapter and IBTTA’s Women in Tolling Council. A Chicago South Side native, she is deeply committed to #mentorship. She serves as a lead teen advisor for the South Suburban Chicago Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., helping to nurture the next generation of African American leaders. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3TDN6JI

Thank you to all the workforce development, business and community leaders that joined us today in Rockford to learn more and help spread the word about our #ConstructionWorks workforce training and placement program. We are especially grateful to our Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse and #ThePartnership for joining us in showcasing this program and all it offers to those interested in pursuing a career in heavy-highway construction. Events like these help us raise awareness to community leaders to share and serve our goal of connecting residents with workforce training, good-paying jobs and ultimately careers. Interested in learning more about ConstructionWorks? Visit our website today: https://bit.ly/3RvSjlC