The 2026 Zephyr Leadership Award was presented on January 13, 2026
Award Description
The Zephyr Leadership Award shall be given to an individual with demonstrated history of experience in the field who embodies the Zephyr Principles, and who embraces the Zephyr mission of advancing rigorous transportation and land use decision-making for the public good by advocating for and supporting improved travel analysis and facilitating its implementation.
Criteria used for selection:
- Someone who has selflessly contributed to the good of the industry through the body of their work;
- Collegial and collaborative, investing in shared technical knowledge and community assets in order to reach common goals (e.g. open access papers, code, documentation, and data);
- Generous with their time such as investment in mentorship, community-assets, and other volunteer roles;
- Respectful and thoughtful in their interactions; and
- Goal-oriented towards the public good and usefulness, even if the pathway is unconventional.
Nominees are considered by a three-person award committee and forwarded to the Zephyr Board for approval. Awards are made at the TRB Annual Meeting.
2026 Awardee
Congratulations to the winner of the 2026 Leadership Award: Marty Milkovits
Marty embodies Zephyr principles by driving technical advancements while ensuring that these innovations serve the public good. His commitment to creating a reliable and well-documented set of travel demand tools, data, and procedures has been instrumental in addressing the diverse transportation needs of both the Boston region and the state of Massachusetts.
But Marty has also fostered a community of modelers and practitioners both within his colleagues at the Central Transportation Planning Staff, but also with many other MPOs across the country, and with academic researchers. His community service includes big roles in the (former) TRB Committees on Transportation Planning Analysis and Application (AEP15) and Transportation Demand Forecasting (AEP50) committees. Marty exemplifies the values of collegiality and mentorship, consistently investing time in supporting the professional growth of others. His thoughtful and respectful interactions create an inclusive and supportive environment where diverse opinions and backgrounds are welcomed.
Marty has been instrumental in spearheading efforts such as the integration into travel forecastsing the principles of “Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty”, and encourages critical discussion about future challenges in the field. Marty’s leadership extends beyond technical skills—he understands the importance of making complex models accessible to stakeholders and decision-makers, ensuring that models are communicated in clear, relatable terms. And of course, this year Marty was one of the organizers of the incredibly successful Modeling Mobility conference, which brought together over 300 modeling community members in September of 2025, and which will reconvene in April 2027 at ASU in Tempe.
The 2026 Zephyr Leadership Award Committee was:
- Greg Erhardt
- Susan Handy
- Rick Donnelly
Board Facilitator: Joe Castiglione
Presenter at the 2026 TRB Annual Meeting Reception: Rick Donnelly
Award Recipients
- Joe Castiglione, 2019
- Joan Walker, 2020
- Bill Davidson, 2021
- Elizabeth Sall, 2022
- Greg Erhardt, 2023
- Susan Handy, 2024
- Rick Donnelly, 2025