In the early 1990's, Maryland's State Highway Administration (SHA) recognized the need to address quality at all levels and areas of the highway community. SHA, along with other local industry members, attended the preliminary National Quality Initiative Conference in 1994. Fostering an atmosphere of open communication and cooperation with our partners is critical to defining and achieving our goals. The MdQI Steering Committee was created to draw industry partners into Maryland's transportation plan and the Steering Committee is the link between our stakeholders and guides strategic thinking on a day-to-day basis. There are two Co-Chairs, one from the public sector and one from the private sector. It meets monthly to discuss a broad range of quality-driven initiatives as well as deliver the annual conference, which features a series of workshops on pressing issues and future focus of the industry. Thus, the Steering Committee has evolved from a conference organization group to an industrywide driving force in the continuing quality journey. MdQI has expanded to include nearly all modes of transportation, and federal and county agency partners.