around
the cone
Fall 2019
Vol. 5, No. 2
Cover: The new VDOT/Virginia State Police Joint Operations Building
In this issue VDOT/VSP Joint Facility Update VDOT of Tomorrow Update Welcome to Deputy District Engineer CVC Events Update Roundabout Dedication Benjamin Harrison Bridge Practical Touch a Truck Recognizing Veterans, Employees Safety Solutions Compliments on a Job Well Done Employee Spotlight: Randy Campbell Employee Update
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A Message from Shane Mann, P.E. - Richmond District Engineer Let’sssss get ready to shovelllll! (And put down salt and sand.) The Richmond District handled anything tossed our way in the summer and fall with the urgency and purpose that I expect from us all, and I can’t wait to see that same drive during the upcoming snow season. We’ve had our dry runs, and I couldn’t be more proud of the snow preparation efforts you have completed. I especially want to recognize Burnt Store, Powhatan, Prince George and Mechanicsville Area Headquarters for their extraordinary dry runs this year. They are the gold winners for “best dry run” in their respective residencies, displaying the fewest equipment repair needs, the cleanest machinery and the best knowledge of their snow duties and routes. That being said, I am extremely proud of the excellent work that all of the district employees do every day, and I am confident that we are all ready for whatever winter has in store. The Richmond District is currently sitting in FIRST place for the Safety Excellence Award Program (SEAP). A goal of mine is for us to take home the cup, so let’s keep up the good work and hold on to our lead. Competition aside, SEAP is more than a shiny trophy; it is an opportunity for you and your teammates to have important input on how to make VDOT a safer workplace. Please make sure your training is up to date and documented, think of creative ideas, and reach out to the safety team if you need help submitting ideas and videos. I want to welcome Dale Totten back to the Richmond District team. Dale was named the district’s new deputy engineer in November and is no stranger to our area. Before joining the Lynchburg District he was an assistant resident engineer in the Chesterfield Residency, and later served as the Chesterfield resident engineer for six years. He also worked as the central region operations regional traffic engineer for five years which serves both the Richmond and Fredericksburg Districts. Welcome back Dale! My hope for you this holiday season is to enjoy the upcoming holidays with your family and friends. We spend countless hours with one another year round, keeping Virginia moving. Now is the time to take a step back and review the joys and memories of 2019 with your loved ones. I wish you all the happiest of holidays, and I look forward to Richmond District continuing our success in 2020! Warm holiday wishes, Shane
VDOT/VSP Joint Facility update New year - new building! VDOT employees relocating to the new VDOT/VSP Joint Facility will start moving in January. It will be a gradual process, with one floor moving in at a time. "This has been a long project, and we're so excited that groups will be moving in soon and getting settled," said Lezlie Ellis, Assistant District Administrator - Business. "The building turned out so well and is truly beautiful. It will be a wonderful, collaborative space for employees." The Training Operations Center off West Hundred Road will be demolished in the future and that area will be turned into a park and ride. The Virginia State Police should start moving into their portion of the building (the brick part on the right side in the above photo) in February. The next phase is to demolish the current Bridge and Environmental buildings and turn those areas into additional parking. "Parking will not be a problem moving forward," Lezlie said. "There will be so many parking spaces at the new building and where the Bridge and Environmental Buildings are currently located." This spring there will be a public ribbon cutting for the new building, as well as an employee-specific ribbon cutting, so employees can show their love for the new building. Around the Cone 2
Questions about VDOT of Tomorrow? Contact your supervisor or local human resources representative; a local VAN member or send an email to vot@vdot.virginia.gov.
Update! As part of VDOT of Tomorrow, more than 900 engineering and construction (E&C) employees completed a survey related to their skills and abilities as E&C professionals. The information collected will be used to implement professional development programs to support employees in performing their work in the near and distant future, and to shape VDOT’s recruitment strategies. All VDOT employees will have the opportunity to participate in a similar skills assessment. Additional surveys will be administered across the organization by career group, with each comprised of roles that identify a specific occupational field. What's next? An agency-wide schedule has been created (see the Skills Survey Schedule) and outlines a plan for all surveys to be completed by summer 2022. Employees will be notified of next steps at the appropriate time and in accordance with the schedule. In the meantime, work is currently underway to interview subject matter experts in each of these areas to gain understanding of the future-focused skills expected to impact work.
VDOT employees assist with Holiday Helpers VDOT spread warm holiday cheer on December 10 through the Holiday Helpers Association's Toy Store at Fort Lee. Employees served as shopper elves and gift wrappers, helping military families with gifts for their families this holiday season. A big thank you to everyone who helped with this wonderful event, including the VDOT elves and wrappers: Dee Audet, Dianna Bryant, Betty Corell, Lydia Edwards, Diane Leffert, Dana Mann, Michele Piccolomini, Nicole Reed, Lisa Smith, Julie Taylor, Kim Toney, Michaele White and Veronica Vaughan.
Welcome to Dale Totten, P.E. Dale Totten, P.E. was selected as the Richmond District's new deputy engineer. He brings over 31 years of transportation experience to the role. After 15 years in the private sector, he joined VDOT in 2003 as an assistant resident engineer in the Richmond District’s Chesterfield Residency. He later served as the Chesterfield resident engineer from 2004 – 2010 and the central region operations regional traffic engineer (serving the Fredericksburg and Richmond Districts) from 2010 – 2015. Since July of 2015, Totten has served as the Lynchburg District maintenance engineer, where he oversaw an annual budget of over $100 million and was responsible for delivering the structure and bridge, traffic engineering, pavement, maintenance, equipment shop and emergency response programs for the district's 10 counties. A licensed professional engineer in Virginia since 1994, Totten holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University at University Park. Around the Cone 3
CVC events and fundraisers The Richmond District is doing an amazing job raising money for CVC! Residencies are holding fundraising events and employees district-wide are taking advantage of payroll deduction and other donation methods. Great job! Here's a brief overview of some special fundraisers and drives within the district this fall.
CVC events are still underway! Stay tuned to the next issue of Around the Cone for final totals and more CVC fundraising! Get those final donations in!
Richmond District: A total of 75 Christmas ornaments were ordered which raised $375 to be divided 50/50 between the American Red Cross Capital VA (Region 6) and the American Red Cross Historic VA (Region 4). Ashland Residency: Employees participated in a Change Challenge, raising $175.11 for Zoe's Place in Fredericksburg. Elko AHQ raised the most at $55.53, and won a donated Little Caesars gift card for their group. The entire residency donated 662.75 pounds of food to Feed More. Montpelier AHQ collected the most at 343 pounds of food, and won a donated Little Caesars gift card for their group. A 50/50 raffle raised $264 for Support Our Troops. The organization received $132 and Steve Halkyard won $132 and donated it to the organization.
Food collected by Ashland Residency
Chesterfield Residency: The residency held a chili cook-off, cornhole tournament and bake sale on Oct. 29 which raised $639 for Samaritan's Purse. The entire residency participated in a change jar fundraiser raising $900 Chesterfield Residency's chili cook-off and cornhole tournament for various charities. Bethia AHQ raised the most and won a lunch provided by Kyle Bates, Resident Engineer. Bon Air AHQ held a Brunswick stew sale and cornhole board raffle this fall which raised $624.93 for the Children's Hospital Foundation of Richmond. A Classic Car Show on Nov. 9 raised $881 for Make-a-Wish Foundation Greater Richmond. Richmond District Complex & Petersburg Residency: Employees in the Richmond District Complex and Petersburg Residency teamed up to collect canned foods for Feed More in Richmond this fall, along with pet supplies for the Hopewell Humane Society. A total of 198 pounds of canned food/mixed grocery was donated to Feed More and 201.65 pounds of pet supplies was donated to the Hopewell Humane Society.
Collections for Feed More and Hopewell Humane Society
PFC Michael M. Carey honored with memorial roundabout On October 25, the Richmond District participated in the memorial roundabout dedication for PFC Michael M. Carey in Prince George County. PFC Michael M. Carey, a Prince George native, died during patrol while serving in Iraq with the U.S. Marines on May 18, 2004 at the age of 20. The dedication ceremony was led by Percy C. Ashcraft, Prince George County Administrator, and included remarks from other county officials. A contingent of the local JROTC, fellow U.S. Marines and members of Michael’s family were in attendance. The VDOT roundabout is located at Courthouse Road and Allin Road. Richmond District employees unveiled the new memorial sign to close out the event. Around the Cone 4
Richmond District hosts Benjamin Harrison Bridge practical On November 13, the Richmond District hosted local emergency partners for a “touch the bridge” exercise on the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge in Hopewell. Members of the district’s structural team were present to answer first responders' questions and share their bridge expertise. Attendees cycled through instructional stations, led by the Richmond District’s structural team, covering day-to-day bridge operations, the moving components of the bridge, emergency generator and fuel locations, maritime/vehicle interaction, including U.S. Coast Guard involvement, the importance of the over-height detection system, bridge capacity and more. Additionally, a full vertical bridge lift was demonstrated to further first responders’ understanding of the lift process, duration and impacts to traffic on and around the bridge.
VDOT participates in Touch a Truck VDOT was well represented again this year at the 14th Annual Touch a Truck on Oct. 19 at the Richmond International Raceway. A Safety Service Patrol truck and motor grader were available for children to see--and touch! The event is sponsored by The Junior League of Richmond and is a unique and interactive event that allows children to see ,touch and safely explore their favorite big trucks and heavy machinery. It's also an opportunity to meet the personnel who protect, serve and build the Richmond community. A big thank you to Rusty Bevan from Safety Service Patrol - Thornburg, and John Eckert from the Richmond District Equipment Shop for representing VDOT so well and spending their time sharing information about SSP and VDOT with so many others.
Win a $500 Cabela's gift card! The EBA President's Council is raffling off a $500 Cabela's gift card to help you get your gear ready for spring! The raffle runs through Feb. 14. Tickets are $2 for one, or $5 for three. To purchase a ticket, contact an officer: Lisa Lynch - President, Sharon Jones - Vice President, Debbie Bell - Treasurer or Sandi Anderson-Slade - Secretary, or a trustee: Ashland - Lydia Edwards or Debbie Montgomery, Chesterfield - Debbie Kinton, District - Kim Ampy, Cathy Berry or Nequa Jordan, Petersburg - John Gouyer or Jerry Chavis, South Hill - Tommy Johnson. Around the Cone 5
Richmond District honors employee veterans To honor the Richmond District’s veterans, the district’s Human Resources team invited employees who served in the military to gather for a recognition celebration. The program began with a word of thanks from VDOT Chief of Maintenance and Operations Kevin Gregg. Employees then shared stories about children serving in the military. Following a brief video honoring those who served, employees enjoyed refreshments. “Our goal is to show Richmond District veterans how much we truly appreciate their service to our country and to VDOT,” said Mary-Margaret Allen, Richmond District human resources manager. “We plan to continue showing our thanks beyond Veterans Day and into the whole year.” Kevin Gregg noted that in the Richmond District’s new building, there will be flags representing each branch of the military on display in the lobby. The Richmond District employs 86 veterans. A big thank you to all VDOT veterans for serving and protecting our country.
Employees who served in the military recite the Pledge of Allegiance during a recognition celebration.
Employees recognized for years of service About 150 Richmond District employees were recognized for their service to VDOT at a Dec. 4 awards celebration. Employees reaching 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and even 45 years of service during 2019 were honored with breakfast and an awards certificate. Moving forward, an event will be held recognizing milestone anniversaries every six months. "This was the first time we have held a district-wide recognition for employees' service," said Mary-Margaret Allen, Richmond District human resources manager. "It was well attended and we hope employees felt appreciated for their years of service." Shane Mann, P.E., district engineer, said he was blown away by the number of long-time employees in the Richmond District. At the celebration, Mann encouraged employees to remember VDOT of Tomorrow and for those that have been at VDOT for a long time, to share their knowledge with newer employees. "Don't take it all with you when you retire. You've been around a long time and have seen things that could be helpful to newer employees."
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Safety Solutions Journey to Zero Be a Safety Hero with Journey to Zero! Join the cool kids club by adding a Journey to Zero logo to your email signature. A step-by-step guide is available at bit.ly/2P4tbma. Have you seen the Journey to Zero slides on the EBBs? The goal is to keep safety in the forefront of everyone's minds as we take the journey to zero injuries, zero crashes. Be sure to review the topics and work safely!
Have you completed your safety training? We are currently in first place! Help the Richmond District get a step closer to the SEAP award by completing required training for 2020! The training videos don't take up a lot of time, but they are important topics and include: -Slips,Trips and Falls -Top Safety Hazards -Safety at Home -Driving Safety All training should be completed through VDOT University or on the EBBs as soon as possible.
District news and updates Construction Construction is moving toward e-Construction! All staff will be issued iPads by the end of January 2020. Employees will utilize PlanGrid which will replace paper plans, contracts, redlines and as-built. A pilot program is starting for Headlight which will streamline site inspection and turn field data captured on paper today into smart data. Central Region Operations The Central Region Operations' pavement crew participated in a one-day study conducted by the Environmental & Industrial Hygiene Office for possible inclusion in the VDOT Hearing Conservation Program. Staff wore noise-monitoring devices during their normal day of activities. Similar tests will be conducted statewide with Construction, Inspection, Structure & Bridge and Residency Maintenance crews. Information Technology Area Headquarters across the district are receiving an internet upgrade! Speeds will increase by 10 times making it easier to utilize new digital technologies. Hooray! Around the Cone 7
Chesterfield Residency participates in First Responders Day The Chesterfield Residency participated in a First Responders Day event held at Monacan High School this fall. Photographed from left, are Lavar Briggs, Bruce McFadden, Willard Jones, Chris Feggins and Rusty Bevan. The event helped students learn more about careers available that help others, including police, fire fighters, emergency medical services, the military and others. VDOT showed off the Safety Service Patrol truck and a dump truck equipped with a plow and salt/sand dumper and discussed how SSP helps motorists on the interstate and about snow operations.
New Kent Rest Area part of documentary A contract film crew for Oxygen taped a documentary on one of the unsolved Colonial Parkway murders Oct. 25 at the westbound New Kent County rest area. The taping took place in the truck parking area and featured former professional crime investigators and re-enactments of how the scene may have played out. The Chevrolet Nova pictured in the photo is the same model (different color and year) as that of the couple that was found murdered at the rest area in September 1989, and was rented from a Virginia owner. The Richmond District and Central Office's rest area coordinators worked together to approve and schedule the taping.
Navy pilot salutes VDOT When Neil McNulty climbs into his F/A-18F “Super Hornet” at NAS Oceana he has a view of Virginia’s roads and bridges like he's never seen before. In September 2017, a month after leaving his position as a Structural Engineer in the Richmond District’s Structure and Bridge Office, Neil entered Navy Officer Candidate School. Three months later he was commissioned and began flight training in Pensacola, Florida. Neil earned his aviator wings of gold and now proudly takes his backseat in the “Super Hornet,” where he serves as a Weapons Systems Officer and co-pilot. His aviator duties include running the jet’s on-board advanced weapons systems and coordinating with airborne and ground-based forces as a mission commander. He credits his VDOT training for helping him reach his personal goals. “The CORE Development Program helped me develop my leadership, coordination, and public speaking skills,” Neil said. His VDOT experience also afforded him the opportunity to work with and lead diverse groups that “set me up for success as a naval officer managing my aircrew and my aircraft.”
Top photo - Neil in his T-45 trainer, and bottom photo - Neil and his fiance, Elise, at his winging ceremony.
Neil's VDOT career began in 2013 in the Engineer Scholar Program, working in both the Richmond and Hampton Roads Districts’ Structure and Bridges offices. He transitioned to the CORE Development Program as an Architect/Engineer based in Richmond and joined VDOT full time in May 2016. Around the Cone 8
Compliments on a Job Well Done Ashland Residency "Citizen called to thank the crew for the great job they did mowing the grass on US-360 east. Says the roadside looks so much better." Marion "Citizen said VDOT took care of the issue a few weeks back and asphalted the end of his driveway to repair it and fix the drainage. he wanted to let VDOT know they did a great job and appreciates them." James "Thank you to the mowing crew for mowing Independence Road (Route 669). Citizen lives in a curve and said with VDOT mowing this roadway she can safely enter/exit." Alicia
South Hill Residency "Citizen called to thank VDOT for scraping Wray Road today (November 4). Work was done and she appreciates it." Violet
Safety Service Patrol "We travel from Quebec, Canada to Florida by car a few times a year, and during our last trip on November 9 at 3:50 a.m. on I-295 around Richmond we had a flat tire and my husband was not able to put on the wheel. There was a young good man of your service that the police called to come and help us. He had all the tools and he helped us. We just want to thank your department and this young man for this help (he was like an angel!)" Caroline and Stephane
Chesterfield Residency Richmond District "SR#1138291 (October 1) - Citizen called to say the work was done this morning and he wanted to pass along his thanks. Greatly appreciates it being done." Larry "Follow up regarding SR#1120994 - Excellent work. Great employees. Thank you." Eddie
"Thank you for letting Doug Chappell volunteer at Mission Tomorrow (regional middle school fair) in October. His enthusiasm attracted the students to the booth and held their attention. They wil never look at the roads the same way! Doug was a great addition to our VDOT booth and I hope you will be willing to let him share his passion and inspire students to look at VDOT for career opportunities at other outreach events in the future." Angela Parsley, STEM Coordinator, VDOT Human Resources
"Absolutely thrilled with the ditch work done (at 2320 George's Road, Powhatan) and the time taken to help keep this ditch clean and flowing - awesome job team! Thank you so very much." Roger "Citizen wanted to thank VDOT regarding SR#1194735." Georgeann "I would like to thank the VDOT employees who repaired the ditch and culvert pipe located at the corner of my home. The ditch has been a safety hazard for years and I often wondered if an 80-year-old man would be hurt cutting the grass in that ditch. The erosion over the past few years has been bad but the crew who fixed it this past week deserves a pat on the back. Filling in a badly eroded ditch and repairing the culvert pipe has been fixed and I am grateful." George
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Safety Service Patrol at Sunrise Sunrise or sunset - the Safety Service Patrol is ready to assist drivers! Take a look at these sunrise photos taken by Rusty Bevan in Thornburg from a beautiful fall morning.
Employee Spotlight: Randy Campbell Randy Campbell, transportation operations manager I at the Amelia Area Headquarters in the Chesterfield Residency, began his career at VDOT in September 2018. For Randy—it’s a family affair. His mother, Daphne, is business coordinator supervisor for the Richmond District’s Project Development, Planning & Investment Management Office, and his father, Bobby, is the assistant interstate maintenance manager in the Richmond District’s Interstate Maintenance Office. His grandfather also worked for VDOT in Central Office as an engineer in Location and Design for more than 40 years. “VDOT has always been a part of my life, I grew up around it,” Randy said. “It’s a nice place to work and I enjoy the people. I truly enjoy coming to work every day.” When Randy isn’t working at VDOT he spends time as an emergency medical technician (EMT). He works nights and weekends for the Forest View Volunteer Rescue Squad in Midlothian. “I’ve worked with fire and emergency medical services for 13 years,” Randy said. “I enjoy giving back to the community.” In August, Randy took first place in the statewide Emergency Vehicle Operators Course (EVOC) competition at the First Responders Convention held in Hampton. There was a written test portion and a driving portion that included a cone course. Randy scored 99% and was nine points ahead of the second place winner. That same weekend, the Forest View Rescue Squad participated in an advanced life support competition and the team took first place. “At the rescue squad we are very highly trained and know how to do our job well,” Randy said.
Around the Cone is a quarterly newsletter written for, by and about the employees of the VDOT Richmond District. Amelia Brunswick Charles City Chesterfield Dinwiddie Goochland Hanover
Henrico Lunenburg Mecklenburg New Kent Nottoway Powhatan Prince George
We want to hear good news from you! Send your story ideas for the next issue of Around the Cone, the electronic bulletin boards (EBBs), or InsideVDOT News to VDOTRVA@VDOT.Virginia.gov. Around the Cone 10
Richmond District Employee Update
Welcome to our new Richmond District employees
September, October, November, December 2019
Angela Abrams, Administrative Assistant, Chesterfield Maintenance Nicholas Anderson, Operator Maintenance, Chester Area Headquarters Matthew Andusko, Operator Maintenance, Prince George Area Headquarters Adam Campbell, Operator Maintenance, Powhatan Area Headquarters Andrew Crispin, Operator Maintenance, New Kent Area Headquarters Warren Currin, Operator Maintenance, Victoria Area Headquarters Devon Ennis, Operator Maintenance, Montpelier Area Headquarters David Evans, Operator Maintenance, Sturgeonville Area Headquarters Aaron Ferguson, Operator Maintenance, Church Road Area Headquarters William Gulasky, Traffic Signal Tech, Central Region Asset Management Steve Halkyard, Engineer Tech Permits, Ashland Land Use Joshua Hallett, Operator Maintenance, Pocahontas Area Headquarters Michael Harris, Operator Maintenance, Sandy Hook Area Headquarters Gordon Jones, Administrative Assistant, Richmond District Program & Investment Planning James Maiden, Construction Manager, North Region Construction Jacob Nowlin, Operator Maintenance, Kenbridge Area Headquarters Sara Owens, Communications Coordinator, Richmond District Communications James Pelton, Operator Maintenance, McKenney Area Headquarters Matthew Pierce, Operator Maintenance Bridge, South Hill Area Headquarters Bridge Brock Richards, Operator Maintenance, Charles City Area Headquarters Christopher Rusk, Incident Management Coordinator, Petersburg Maintenance Jerome Saunders, Operator Maintenance, Basie Road Area Headquarters Henry Smith, Operator Maintenance, Burnt Store Area Headquarters Roy Soto, Engineer Project Manager, Richmond District Location & Design Kyle Stanley, Operator Maintenance, Ashland Area Headquarters Kelly True, Contractor Manager, Chesterfield Maintenance William Wheeler, Engineer Project Management, Richmond District Location & Design Jeffrey Williams, Operator Maintenance, Kenbridge Area Headquarters Xuxia Xiang, Engineer, Richmond District Structure & Bridge Wai Yu, Planning Specialist, Richmond District Program & Investment Planning
A fond farewell to our retirees Harold Cook, Operator Maintenance, Beach Area Headquarters James Easter, Operator Maintenance, Bethia Area Headquarters Victor Howell, Operator Maintenance, Bethia Area Headquarters John Jones, Traffic Signal Tech Senior, Central Region Traffic Operations Jerome Morgan, Operator Maintenance, Chester Area Headquarters Ronnie Ransome, Supervisor Traffic, Central Region Asset Management Randall Rock, Operator Maintenance, Charles City Area Headquarters Jerry Rogers, Operator Maintenance, Chester Area Headquarters Linda Tomlin, Administrative and Office Specialist, Ashland Residency
September, October, November, December 2019 35 years of service 12 years of service 26 years of service 45 years of service 35 years of service 20 years of service 13 years of service 35 years of service 13 years of service
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