FHWA's Idaho division presents partnership
awards to ITD employees

Representatives from the Idaho division of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) praised the work of several ITD employees recently when announcing the 2010 partnership awards.

FHWA state administrator Peter Hartman and assistant Gus Shanine presented plaques to several recipients during the Idaho Transportation Board meeting in Boise, Dec. 8.

Recipients

Thomas Points and Jayme Coonce
This certificate recognizes ITD’s District 3 Resident Engineer, Thomas Points and Project Engineer, Jayme Coonce for an FHWA Partnership Team Award for their extraordinary efforts in the successful delivery of the I-84, Vista Avenue Interchange project.

As one of Idaho’s largest and most complex American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects, it has undergone great scrutiny by three FHWA National Review Team program reviews.

Jayme’s performance as an effective project manager is best evidenced by the high quality of the project’s pay item and other supporting documentation, as well as her in-depth knowledge of each phase of the construction project.

Tom’s leadership contributed significantly to the successful construction of this complex project. The project was completed on time, was significantly under budget, and will be appreciated by the travelling public for many years.

Tom and Jayme’s joint participation with the national program reviews allowed thorough and efficient project reviews highlighting the successful partnership that ITD and FHWA share in Idaho.

Monica Crider
This certificate recognizes ITD’s Assistant Roadway Design Engineer, Monica Crider for an FHWA Partnership Award for her outstanding performance and for consistently going the extra mile.

Monica’s active promotion of development and delivery of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) training for ITD design and construction staff is greatly appreciated. She was also very valuable and a persistent resource in developing the recently adopted Value Engineering (VE) guidelines for Idaho.

This effort has already provided considerable savings on Idaho’s first VE study to use the new guidelines. Monica is a tireless crusader in her partnering efforts to facilitate and successfully deliver ITD’s Project Development Conference every two years.

She provides leadership through her efforts to develop the agenda and solicit presenters for the conference providing a valuable training opportunity for many transportation professionals in Idaho. Her current leadership efforts as Acting EEO Manager are also greatly appreciated as she takes the lead to bring resolution to numerous FHWA National Review Team action items dealing with ITD’s DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) Program.

John Ingram
This certificate recognizes ITD’s Construction Associate, John Ingram for an FHWA Partnership Award for doing an excellent job in providing leadership and technical assistance to ITD’s Construction Program.

He actively participates in the change order process. Through his extra efforts in facilitating discussions, modifications, and clarifications, John ensures change orders are being processed properly and in a timely manner.

John also independently performs construction inspections on state administered projects to ensure consistency in contract administration on all Federal-aid projects, across district borders. His professional knowledge is greatly appreciated on these construction related responsibilities.

As he assisted the FHWA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act National Review Team during their Contract Administration and Quality Assurance Reviews, he provided answers to numerous questions on how Idaho administers construction projects and assisted the team in finding documentation for many complex issues.

His efforts contributed significantly to the satisfactory outcome of the Contract Administration and Quality Assurance Reviews.

Mary Hunter
This certificate recognizes ITD's Highway Safety Manager, Mary Hunter for an FHWA Partnership Award for her exemplary efforts and leadership in improving highway safety on all roadways in Idaho.

Since assuming the duties of the Highway Safety Manager, she has been a tireless champion for highway safety.

Some of the activities that demonstrate her commitment to highway safety include her leadership in updating Idaho's Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), work to implement the plan, and partnering with FHWA on a number of safety initiatives.

Through the national SHSP Lead State initiative, Mary assisted FHWA in developing national guidelines for implementing the SHSP. Mary also partnered with FHWA to share Idaho’s best safety practices at national conferences and webinars. Mary continues to partner with the Idaho Division in sharing highway safety messages at the Western Idaho Fair and other community events by providing funding for booth rental fees, safety materials and staff resources. Mary’s outstanding leadership, passion for highway safety and partnership with FHWA makes Idaho’s highways safer for all users.

Ken Sorensen
This citation recognizes ITD’s District 1 Resident Engineer, Ken Sorensen for an FHWA Partnership Award for his outstanding leadership efforts in the continuing construction of the Sandpoint North & South and Dover Bridge projects in Northern Idaho.

As two of Idaho’s largest and most complex projects in one of its most environmentally sensitive areas, these projects have undergone a high level of oversight and scrutiny by FHWA, resource agencies, and the public. Ken has done an outstanding job in addressing questions and issues raised throughout the construction of these projects.

When an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act FHWA National Review Team reviewed the Dover Bridge Project, Ken went out of his way to thoroughly answer all questions and explained ITD’s process in detail to ensure the team had a clear understanding of the issues.

In working with the resource agencies and local environmental advocates, Ken holds a monthly meeting where they review the Sandpoint North and South project site and have any questions or concerns they may have addressed by project personnel. Ken has also done an incredible job in reaching out to the public throughout the construction of these projects.

An example is the weekend he donated his time to serve as the tour guide for several bus tours the local Chamber of Commerce put on for interested citizens to tour the project site. Ken’s leadership, technical expertise, and his efforts in reaching out to the agencies and the public have contributed significantly to the ongoing success of these projects and the development of partnerships with the numerous project stakeholders.

Published 12-23-2010