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Points, Crider assume new roles at department

Tom Points and Monica Crider will assume new positions within the department on April 27, following their recent promotions announced April 17. Crider will be the new contracting services engineer and Points the new transportation systems engineer.

Points' new job involves the computer programs that support ITD's business such as design, construction and maintenance. He will be serving the needs of users and tailoring systems to meet those needs. The section also performs all the roadway-data collection for pavements and bridges. He takes Jason Brinkman's old position.

Points earned a degree in geological engineering from the University of Idaho in 1995, and spent the next four years as geotechnical engineering consultant in Spokane before beginning work with Washington State DOT in Seattle. When the opportunity came for him to return to the Boise area in 2001 with District 3, he started as a staff engineer. His ITD career also includes stints as project manager in Design, an assistant engineer in Traffic, a Materials engineer, a Quality Assurance engineer, and a regional or resident engineer prior to becoming Maintenance/Operations engineer and a short time as Project Development engineer prior to this promotion.

Points helped develop the State Avalanche Program, based in Lowman, and was a resident engineer during GARVEE, which gave him the chance to coordinate the Vista, Garrity and Franklin interchange construction projects in the Interstate-84 Treasure Valley corridor.

Points lives in Middleton with his wife and two children.

Crider began her career with ITD as an intern in early 2000, updating the Hydraulics Manual for the state hydraulics engineer. Shortly afterward she graduated from Boise State University and was hired as an Engineer-in-Training (EIT). What she enjoyed most about the EIT program, she said, was the opportunity to diversify and learn new things. While in the EIT program, she underfilled the Local Roads engineer position at District 3 and within two years lateralled to the position of Design Group staff engineer. In 2007, she graduated from BSU with her master's degree in business administration.

She moved to headquarters in 2008 as the Consultant Administration engineer; this position became the assistant Roadway Design engineer when new responsibilities were added. With the last reorganization she became the state Design engineer.

She enjoys her involvement with Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance women in transportation. She has been on the board of WTS since 2006, and is the current president of the local Treasure Valley Chapter. She said she feels very lucky to be part of two great organizations that are making a difference in transportation, and is grateful for her husband of over 20 years, who supports and encourages her in her endeavors.

Crider's new position has a lot of diversity, not unlike the EIT program all those years ago. She said the newly formed section will perform procurement of consultant services, bid and award construction contracts, perform procurement for Design Build/CMGC contracts, manage and approve products on the Qualified Products list, manage the research program, provide library services, provide customer service in the area of utilities and railroads, and provide standard drawings for use in construction plans, among other items.

"As you can see, very diversified," she explained.

Crider said, "This is where we are today on the job functions, but we are meeting as a group next week to iron out the details, so some things might change."

Crider said she's "extremely excited about the new position, especially working with others to collectively accomplish goals that support ITD's mission."

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to provide excellent customer service to all divisions at ITD," added Points.

"Both Monica and Tom bring valuable experience to their new positions, along with a positive vision for the future in Engineering Services," said Blake Rindlisbacher, division administrator.