around
the cone
Vol. 4, No. 1
Summer 2018
In this issue A Message from Bart Coming Soon: Unity Day 2018 Storm Damage Repairs Artwork for Safety Construction Division Baseball Outing Sprader Bridge Dedicated Safety Solutions Employee Spotlight: Debbie Bell Statewide Roadeo 2018 New Maintenance Engineer New Interstate Maintenance Administrator The Buzz Employee Update
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Cover photo: Kings Dominion Boulevard (Route 30) washed out in Hanover County following heavy May storms
A Message from Bart Thrasher, P.E. - Richmond District Engineer We have had an eventful summer and I could not be more proud of the Richmond District for supporting one another, despite the occasional curve ball. All of you demonstrated a sense of urgency, purpose and above all, preparedness as our district experienced a series of heavy storms, threat of a hurricane and multiple tornado landings. We were especially fortunate that all of our folks at the Chesterfield Residency came through safe and sound after a tornado touched down extremely close to the residency building. My thanks to Kevin and all of his crew for ensuring that the safety and welfare of everyone was of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, hurricane season is not over as it runs through the end of November, so we all need to remain vigilant in inspecting equipment, making necessary repairs and keeping our ears to the ground for what may be on the way. On a lighter note, I want to congratulate and thank the team members who participated in the 2018 Roadeo at the residency, district and state levels. At the 29th annual state games, the Richmond District took home a third place finish for the Jim Cline team award. We should all be proud of that accomplishment but never forget that first place is what we really want. We also had the opportunity to send some outstanding folks to the 2018 Southeastern Regional Equipment Operators Roadeo in Arkansas earlier this month. Once again, I’d like to congratulate the three Richmond District competitors who placed in the state Roadeo games. Timmy Osborne (Nottoway Area Headquarters) placed second in the single axle dump truck event, John Eckert (District Equipment Shop) took home silver in the Low Boy category, and Marc Clary (Sturgeonville Area Headquarters) came in first place for the tandem axle dump truck competition. Well done, gentlemen – you certainly made the district proud! By now, you have seen the “Save the Date” email and EBB slide announcing Richmond District’s third annual Unity Day. The event will take place on Thursday, October 4, and will feature a change of scenery at the Chesterfield Fairgrounds. Please take this time to get to know your VDOT family and meet new people. The district civil rights team and the Unity Day planning committee work hard to make this event fun and unique every year, so I want you to take the time to enjoy the events, food and fellowship before we “plow” into snow preparations. As a reminder, Unity Day attendance is mandatory for all district employees. Make sure you have worked with your supervisor to determine if you will be at the event or standing up at your workplace as a member of one of our skeleton crews. I am excited to see what the new event has in store, and I cannot wait to see you all there. Take care and be safe, Bart
Save the Date: Unity Day 2018 The Richmond District will hold its third annual Unity Day on Thursday, October 4 at the Chesterfield Fairgrounds. Featuring a new venue, new games, dancing and delicious food, Unity Day is sure to be a fun event for all. Unity Day is a yearly celebration of our unique and diverse talents, backgrounds and services to our community. The event gives us all a chance to learn more about each other while celebrating our VDOT family. The event’s theme, VDOT Unity in Every Community, will be incorporated into each of the day’s events. As a reminder, Unity Day attendance is required for all Richmond District employees, so make arrangements to ensure that you and your team can attend. Resident Engineers and Residency Administrators will be responsible for coordinating skeleton crews within each residency. If you have questions about Unity Day prior to October 4, please contact the District Civil Rights office.
Date: Thursday, October 4 Time: 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Location: Chesterfield Fairgrounds
“VDOT Unity in Every Community” Around the Cone 2
District Crews Tackling Storm Damage Repairs Following a series of severe storms and heavy rain in May and June and eight tornadoes in September, Richmond District crews set to work on making repairs to damaged roads and pipes. Numerous roads were closed due to washouts, pipe failures, high water or downed trees/debris. Crew members swiftly set up detour routes for drivers in the area, cleared debris to assess damages and scheduled material deliveries and repairs.
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Artwork for Safety Following their recent Commissioner’s Award win for safety in the workplace, Richmond District Construction Engineer Shane Mann and Project Controls Engineer Ron Hobson wanted to involve younger generations in VDOT’s continuous reminder that safety is number one. The duo whipped up an idea to hold a safety art contest, giving children in the VDOT family the opportunity to express their creativity and think about why safety is important to them and their families. Younger children received a coloring page featuring Mann with his ten safety tips, and older kids were able to branch out and create an original drawing depicting a safety tip. Judges Shane Mann and Marchel Johnson deliberated, and a winner was selected from each group. Winners received a gift card from the district construction division and will have their artwork displayed in the safety conference room.
Pictured above: Wyatt Dyson (age 7) with his certificate for winning the coloring safety art contest Pictured below: Wyatt’s coloring submission
Pictured above: Abigail Wright (age 11) with her certificate for winning the drawing safety art contest Pictured below: Abigail’s drawing submission
Pictured left: Marchel Johnson and Shane Mann review the art contest entries
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Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Construction! The Richmond District construction team got together for a family outing at the Richmond Squirrels baseball game in July. Construction team members and their families and friends (75 total) cheered on the Squirrels to victory and enjoyed a spectacular post-game fireworks show.
Sprader Bridge Dedicated On June 19, family, friends and officials gathered at the Middle Road bridge over I-295 in Prince George County to dedicate and name the bridge the “Sgt. Lawrence G. Sprader, Jr., Memorial Bridge� in honor of Sergeant Lawrence G. Sprader, Jr. Sergeant Sprader was killed during an army field exercise in 2007, and Governor Ralph Northam signed the bridge naming into law on June 2. The new bridge sign was unveiled during the ceremony, and was soon affixed to the bridge by VDOT crews.
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Safety Solutions The 2019 Chief Engineer’s Safety Excellence Award (CESE) program is officially underway. The CESE program encourages VDOT employees to think outside the box when it comes to safety in the workplace, whether you’re in the office or completing field work. Districts are scored by how many safety ideas and videos they submit, as well as by how much safety training they complete. The district with the highest score takes home the CESE cup at the state roadeo games, and some of the best safety ideas may even get implemented statewide. We want the Richmond District to step up their safety know-how this year! If you have a great idea on how to improve safety in your daily tasks, or if you’ve thought of an interesting safety video topic, please reach out to the Richmond District safety team so that we can work with you on your entries. Ideas and videos can be submitted through June 1, 2019. Keep an eye on the CESE safety training calendar. This year’s training courses will focus on: • • • •
fire extinguisher safety, emergency action planning, sprains/strains (overextension) and poisonous plants, snakes, spiders and ticks.
If you have questions about any of these topics, or need help accessing training content, please reach out to the safety team or your supervisor. We can’t wait to see and hear what the Richmond District has in mind to enhance safety at VDOT! If you have any safety-related questions or if you would like more information regarding the 2019 CESE program, contact the Richmond District Safety Team at (804) 837-9118. Make safety a priority every day! Sincerely, Marchel Johnson & Reggie Patterson Richmond District Safety
Employee Spotlight - Debbie Bell Debbie Bell, Fiscal Technician in the Richmond District Business Office, began her VDOT career as a temporary employee in January 1998, assigned to the Richmond District Human Resource Department fulfilling the district’s “Way to Go” program recognition orders. She was then assigned to the Chesterfield Residency as a back-up receptionist. As this position was short term, Debbie applied and received an hourly position in the Residency’s Accounting Office. This position soon turned into a fulltime position in June 1999, with Debbie entering invoices, creating purchase orders, and performing general business functions. In October 2003, Debbie transferred to the district’s Traffic Engineering Department performing similar fiscal duties and assisting in maintaining the section’s budget. In 2004, Debbie was recognized by her peers as the Richmond District 2004 Administrative Employee of the year. When VDOT’s blueprint was implemented, Debbie’s position was moved to the newly created District Business Office as one of four fiscal technicians. During her time in the Business Office, Debbie has earned her Virginia Contracting Associate Certification and sat on numerous committees to include participating on the SPCC Process Improvement Initiative committee for the past year. Debbie has been the District EBA treasurer for eight years and has served as the Virginia State Employees Council Treasurer since 2015. She enjoys her job, co-workers and VDOT! During her down time, Debbie enjoys crocheting, knitting and is a diehard Pittsburgh Steeler fan. She enjoys spending time with her husband of 21 years, Tony, and her son Dylan. Around the Cone 6
29th Statewide Roadeo and Safety Training Day
1st
On August 2, the Richmond District roadeo team brought their best game to the 29th annual Statewide Roadeo and Safety Training Day. The district came in third for the coveted Jim Cline team award, and brought home a first place win and two second place prizes. First place winners attended the Southeastern Regional Equipment Operators’ Roadeo in Rogers, Arkansas from September 4-6. Congrats on the great teamwork and competition this year, guys, and keep up the good work!
2nd Marc Clary, Sturgeonville AHQ First Place - Tandem Axle Dump Truck
2nd John Eckert, Richmond District Equipment Shop Second Place - Lowboy
Timothy Osborne, Nottoway AHQ Second Place - Single Axle Dump Truck
New Maintenance Engineer Sean Nelson, P.E. began his role as the new Richmond District Maintenance Engineer on July 9. Sean has over 13 years of progressive engineering experience working within VDOT; most recently he held the Resident Engineer position at VDOT’s Fredericksburg Residency. Prior to his time as the Resident Engineer, Sean also served as the Assistant Resident Engineer for Fredericksburg, as well as Fredericksburg’s District Pavement Manager. He was a Senior Pavement Engineer at Elko, District Pavement Engineer and Regional Lab Manager in Culpeper and is a graduate of VDOT’s Core Development Program.
New Interstate Maintenance Administrator Gary Jennings began his role as the Interstate Maintenance Administrator for the Richmond District’s new Interstate Maintenance Office on August 10. Gary worked most recently with Transurban as their North American Roadway Maintenance Manager, where he planned and managed roadway maintenance activities on the I-95 and I-495 Express lanes in NOVA and the A25 in Montreal, Quebec. Gary also had an 18-year VDOT career, spending 4 years as the Maintenance Operations Manager and 4 years as the Assistant Resident Engineer both in the Sandston Residency. Around the Cone 7
The Buzz “I am contractor for VDOT. Every day when I set up my work zone, I call TOC (hope that is right abbreviation). Everyone I speak with is extremely polite, respectful, caring, and patient. I have to give a big shout out to these folks for an amazing job they do. Please make sure this message is passed along. I really appreciate them. More than they know. Thanks!” Bill Donghia - NaturChem Crew Leader
“Traveling from RVA to Charlottesville today, I’m pleased to see that you are cutting back on mowing the sides of the road.” David from Newport News “We were on I-95 southbound mile marker 94.6 awaiting roadside assistance approx 7:40pm on 6/16. VDOT [Safety Service Patrol] happened to arrive while we were waiting. The gentleman who helped us was excellent. He replaced the flat and offered excellent advice and info for local hotel, etc. We wanted to be sure to let you know. We are a mother and daughter traveling long distance. Great service. Thank you!” Chris
See letter above Clarksville AHQ Superintendent Randy Royster received this letter from the Clarksville Town Manager thanking the team for their help with Lakefest 2018. Congrats and keep up the good work, Clarksville!
What’s the buzz in your area? Do you have a coworker who deserves a shout out? Send good news stories and pictures to VDOTRVA@VDOT.Virginia. gov or call the communications team, and you may see your story in the next edition of Around the Cone! Around the Cone 8
Richmond District Employee Update
Welcome to our new Richmond District employees Timothy Constantino, Sign Fabricator - Central Region Operations (CRO) Central VDOT Sign Shop Serge Feuze Lekem, Senior Structure and Bridge Engineer - Richmond District Structure and Bridge Kenneth Gaddy, Operator Maintenance - Mechanicsville Area Headquarters Gary Jennings, Interstate Maintenance Administrator - Richmond District Office Thomas Kendrick, Project Management Engineer - Richmond District Location and Design Jordan Lanyon, Structure and Bridge Operator - South Hill Bridge Crew Channing Miles, Warehouse Specialist - Central Region Operations (CRO) Central VDOT Sign Shop Sean Nelson, Assistant District Administrator - Richmond District Maintenance (transfer from Fredericksburg District) Diante Newell, Operator Maintenance - Sturgeonville Area Headquarters Jason Poindexter, Operator Maintenance - Charles City Area Headquarters Carlos Rivera, Construction Manager - Northern Region Construction Chance Sellers, Operator Maintenance - Chester Area Headquarters John Smith, Operator Maintenance - Powhatan Area Headquarters Donald Suleski, Senior Engineering Technician - Richmond District Materials (transfer from Central Office Materials) Julie Taylor, Administrative Specialist - Richmond District Maintenance John Whittier, Traffic Engineer - Central Region Operations (CRO) Traffic Operations Management (transfer from the Central
Office Pipeline Program)
Jonathan Wilmouth, Operator Maintenance - Victoria Area Headquarters
A fond farewell to our retirees Carl Bagley, Facilities Section Manager - Richmond District Facilities Cecil Fitts, Operator Maintenance - McKenney Area Headquarters Steve McNeely, Assistant District Administrator - Richmond District Maintenance David Steele, Project Management Engineer - Richmond District Location and Design
40 years of service 34 years of service 30 years of service 18 years of service
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 9