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Director challenges long-term employees to become mentors

Competent, dedicated employees are critical to the success of businesses and organizations explained Idaho Transportation Board member Dwight Horsch Tuesday.

He used 42 years of experience operating a family farm in the Aberdeen area to emphasize the role employees play in both the private and public sector when he spoke at the semiannual service awards ceremony for Headquarters employees.

Before concentrating on the 102-year-old agricultural business, Horsch and his wife operated a trucking business for 16 years, which brought them into constant contact with ITD. That gave him a deep appreciation for the services ITD employees render.

You could ask anyone in the Pocatello area who the District 5 representative to the board is and most likely would be unable to answer. But ask them if they received their driver’s license, vehicle title or registration and the majority would acknowledge ITD’s role, he said.

“You have set a very high mark,” he told a standing-room-only crowd assembled to honor employment milestones.

Director Brian Ness confessed that he and executive team members probably don’t say thanks often enough, but he credited employees for their role in improving customer service at ITD the past three years.

One of the things that has helped ITD advance its strategic plan and its mission of safety, mobility and economic opportunity is that “all 1,800 employees are headed the same direction. Transportation touches the lives of every person in Idaho, and you are an important part of that,” Ness said.

ITD will continue to be customer-focused, whether it’s workers on the front line or those who serve front line employees. Customer service is the job of every ITD employee, he insists.

He calculated the years of service represented by 59 Headquarters honorees to be at least 1,065 years. The eight individuals who retired in the last six months of 2012 represent another 210 years.

With about one-half of ITD’s employees eligible for retirement in the next five years, it is important to for long-term employees to mentor their newer colleagues, Ness said. Those who have reached five or 10 years of employment will be the core of the future workforce. And it is incumbent that those in the 25-year range begin mentoring those in the five- and 10-year classes to prepare them for assuming leadership roles.

Photo: Director Brian Ness congratulates Peggyt Koomler and Kevin McCulley for reaching -- and surpassing -- the 40-year employment milestone.

ITD Spring 2013 Service Awards

5 Years	Ava Acosta	Sherry Buwalda	Gregory Graybadger	Lisa Helton
	Kerry Krueger	Randall Kyrias	Anthony Loomer	Michael Pape
	Brian Shea	Cheryl Stephens	Danny Thanadabouth	Sajonara Tipuric
	Lisa Troglia	Julie Shistler
10 Years	Ian Adams	Janet Browen	Donna McRobert	Alicia Oakes
10 Years	Kirstin Weldin
15 Years	Amir Azari	Susan Boyd	Inez Hopkins	Daryl Marler
	Brian Reed	Steven Rich	Marilyn Thueson	Carolyn Watts
	Muhammad Zubery
20 Years	Duane Brothers	Brenda Gunther	Debra Hall	Carlin Hill
20 Years	Lisa Johnson	Melinda Lowe	Umesh Narsinghani	Betty Oakes
25 Years	Brian Farrington	J. Nestor Fernandez	Scott Fugit	Patricia Henderson
	James Holland	Rex Hufford	Jeffrey Kopsa	Bruce Macewan
	Carl Main	Nancy McPherson	Craig Schumacher	Dave Tuttle
	Robert Williams
30 Years	Terry Baker	Daniel Barrera	Linda Emry	Vicky Fisher
30 Years	Randy Gill	Todd Glass	Mary Ann Thorpe
35 Years	Glenna Carraway
40 Years	Peggy Koomler	Kevin McCulley
Retirees	Rick Bachmeier, 26 years	Doug Benzon, 38 years	Joan Benzon, 12 years	Martin Chaney, 12 years
Retirees	John DeThomas, 5 years	Helen Jones, 35 years	Robert Linkhart, 38 years	Terence McAdams, 44 years