Celebrating Beth Alden’s legacy in transportation

After 22 years with Plan Hillsborough, Beth Alden has retired from her role as the Hillsborough TPO’s Executive Director. Her legacy included serving as the TPO’s Assistant Executive Director and, serving the last 8 years, as Executive Director. Prior to her time at Plan Hillsborough, she served as the Director of Transportation for the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

When asked what are some accomplishments of which she is most proud, she mentioned:
• Championing Vision Zero: Making road safety a priority, fostering a community-wide movement for safer streets
• Advancing Social Equity: Going above and beyond legal requirements to document discriminatory urban planning decisions, ensuring a more equitable future
• Innovative Planning: Creating the TPO’s performance-based planning, directing funds towards essential needs, and laying the groundwork for transformative initiatives like the All for Transportation referendum

She also shared some more humorous memories of her time at the TPO including seeing herself depicted as a Lego figurine in an online video. Her ability to turn challenges into triumphs, amplify community voices, and foster meaningful collaborations all while having fun along the way has set a standard for civic leadership.

Beth expressed her gratitude for her time spent with the agency stating, “I will miss the people here so much! I have felt incredibly, outrageously lucky to get to spend my time with a lot of people who dream of making our community a better place and are willing to work hard to make a difference! That includes our staff, many citizen volunteers, big thinkers, and collaborators at our partner agencies, and our very hardworking stable of consultants. We’ve done some amazing things together.”

At Beth’s retirement celebration, numerous colleagues extended their heartfelt wishes to her, among them TPO Chair, Commissioner Gwen Myers, who advised her to embrace her retirement without worries. Myers emphasized that she could relish her well-deserved retirement, confident in the knowledge that she has made a positive impact on her community, leaving it in a better state than when she started. Planning Commission Executive Director Melissa Zornitta also shared her high regards for Beth stating that her collaboration and partnership over the years has been crucial to the overall success of Plan Hillsborough.

As she embarks on her new chapter, retirement promises the freedom to explore her passions. Writing and playing music will be her creative outlet, bringing melodies to life, and fostering connections through the universal language of music. Beth’s hope to immerse herself in the local music scene echoes her enduring commitment to the community, even in her well-deserved retirement. Her legacy of innovation, collaboration, and unwavering dedication will inspire others throughout our region for years to come.