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ITD Mail

Thankful for opportunity to serve
David S. Ekern
Idaho Transportation Department

In March of this year, I accepted the position of Law Enforcement Liaison attached to the Office of Highway Safety. This position was the first LEL position in the Northwest and it was a great honor to be offered the position.

When I accepted the part-time employment, I was assigned as a lieutenant with the Nampa Police Department. I had the time to devote to off-duty employment, and I was able to contribute to the OHS mission. Times and life sometimes throw us a “curve ball” and circumstances change with opportunities. In June, I was promoted to the position of assistant chief of police at the Nampa Police Department. I am sure that you can empathize with me when I say that I have been inundated with meetings, seminars and other duties that upper management people must attend. Since my full-time career path has changed, I have had to decide to resign from the LEL position.

I would like to offer up my thanks for your office’s support of the Office of Traffic and Highway Safety. In my short tenur,e I have seen the morale of the office increase and positive programs are under way. I would also like to give my highest compliments to the staff of the OTHS. Mark Strait, Kevin Bechen, Steve Rich, Patricia Balomet and Mike Elmer were all welcoming and eager to help get the new LEL program going. I can say, without reservation, that the whole staff at the OTHS are first-rate people who care about the mission of their office.

I offer up the highest “kudos” to Mary Hunter, whose idea it was to create an LEL position. Mary is a hard worker who is always striving to increase public safety awareness and save lives. As the LEL position is refilled with a person that has more time to devote to it, I can only envision even better things in the near future.

I am looking forward to continuing my department’s long-time partnership with the ITD and OTHS. If there is anything that I can do for ITD, call me and I will be glad to help in any possible.

Bill Augsburger