Aspiring Idaho Transportation Department engineers learned
from each other and from their professional mentors last week
when they participated in the annual two-day Engineer In Training
conference in Pocatello.
A dozen ITD employees, representing nearly every part of
Idaho, met informally on April 5 for a no-host dinner. It
was a prelude to a full day of presentations on April 6 and
a half day on April 7 at Pocatellos Holiday Inn. All
12 of the engineers in training gave formal visual presentations
about projects they have been involved in or experiences they
have gained the past year.
District 5 Engineer Ed Bala welcomed conference participants
and introduced ITD Director Dave Ekern who spoke about the
departments process of transforming transportation.
Chief Engineer Jimmy Ross and Matt Farrar, who coordinates
the mentoring program for engineers in training, also spoke
before turning the program over to presenters.
Ekern and Ross both addressed transportation issues and challenges
and the need to find 21st century solutions to the problems
of growth and funding, Bala explained.
In a mid-morning address on the second day, State Sen. Bob
Geddes spoke about how constituents viewed ITD services and
how the department will begin to address funding challenges
in the future.
Attorney Mitch Brown talked about defense and documentation
strategies for tort and civil litigation.
The conference included a tour of Thelma E. Stephens Performing
Arts Center under construction in Pocatello, and team bowling
and billiards at Idaho State University.
Topics covered by engineers in training during the conference
were: