Knoxville, Tenn. – Knox County is proud to announce that Cynthia M. Pionke, director of planning and development, has been named the 2011 recipient of the Marble J. Hensley Award. She received this award at the 2012 Southern District of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (SDITE) Annual Meeting on April 17.

The Marble J. Hensley Outstanding Individual Activity Award recognizes an outstanding SDITE member who untiringly and unselfishly contributed during the previous year to the profession and who by personal integrity, leadership and example inspired fellow transportation professionals to greater service.

"Knox County is privileged to have employees like Cindy working for our citizens,” said Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. “She deserves the recognition for all her hard work."

Founded in 1930, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) is a community of transportation professionals, serving as a gateway to knowledge and advancement through meetings, seminars and publications. The SDITE is one of ten regional subdivisions of the ITE which includes transportation engineering professionals in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. There are approximately 2,000 members in the Southern District.

The awards program was established at the SDITE's 20th Annual Meeting in Memphis, Tennessee on May 9, 1972. Additional awards have been added through the years. The program consists of individual and group awards to recognize individual or committee accomplishments, section awards and awards for students. For most awards, nominations are judged in January and awarded at the Annual Meeting later that spring. The awards presented at the Annual Meeting represent the accomplishments of the previous year.

Knox County congratulates Cynthia on this outstanding professional achievement.