NOVA Fall 2019

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VDOT NOVA DISTRICT MAGAZINE
FALL 2019
IN THIS ISSUE
NOVA Gives Back!
Meet Design-Build
Incident Management Open House

A Note From
Helen Cuervo, P.E.
District Engineer
As the holidays near, I want to thank you for all of the work you have done over the
past year. You are part of an incredible team serving more than two million residents,
giving your all to keep Northern Virginia moving.
It’s important that we each take some time to reflect upon all that we’ve accomplished
this year. In this issue, we recognize some of our district’s success stories, ranging from
awards for outstanding design and project delivery, to finding new and creative ways
to share our stories with our residents, to making extraordinary contributions to our
agency as an apprentice.
In addition to your commitment on the job, I’m grateful for a team that finds so many
ways to give back to our community. This issue we highlight just a handful of ways you
make a difference, whether you’re contributing to a banner year for the Commonwealth
of Virginia Campaign, mentoring our next great generation of engineers, or raising
monarch butterflies in an important preservation effort. We appreciate all that you do
and hope that it inspires others to give their time as well.
Thank you again for this past year. It’s an honor to witness the dedication you put in to
our district each day.
Happy Holidays,

NoVa Celebrates UNITY
It was a day full of fun, food and fellowship at
Northern Virginia’s 4th annual Unity Day celebration.
District employees gathered at Bull Run Regional
Park to celebrate diversity. Flags from over 40
countries decorated the pavilion representing the
origins of the District’s 1700 staff members. Pirate
hats and eye patches highlighted the “National Talk
like a Pirate Day” theme.
“The key element that connects a diverse group of
people is respect,” said Deputy District Administrator,
Renee Hamilton. We should all be proud to be a
part of an organization that truly represents the
communities it serves.
The celebration was full of team-building activities
like soccer, volleyball and cornhole. VDOTer’s danced
to their favorite music and enjoyed a variety of food
including BBQ from NoVa’s Leesburg Maintenance
Manager, Mark Spring.
Click here to view photos from the event.
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Helping to Save
the Monarch
Butterfly
Monarch Life Cycle
Larva (caterpillar)
It started as a Christmas gift to Megaprojects Director Susan Shaw: a kit on
how to raise monarch butterflies, to help revive the vital pollinator species
that has steadily declined in recent years.
Shaw planted the first milkweed seed in early spring and a few months
later found the first butterfly egg.
“I followed a YouTube series by Mr. Lund Science on how to create a
habitat and raise the larva (caterpillars) into adult butterflies,” Shaw
explained. By the end of fall she had raised and released over 47
butterflies.
Egg (3-4 days)
Pupa State 2 (10-14 days)
Larva (10-14 days)
Shaw documented the process with pictures highlighting
each stage of the monarch life cycle. She even
tagged and registered dozens on Monarchwatch.
org, to track their migration to Mexico. As
more eggs began to grow, Shaw recruited
a few helping hands from nearby public
schools.
Pupa (chrysalis) Stage 1
Pupa Stage 3
“I gave 27 eggs to a 2nd grade class
at Poplar Tree Elementary School
and 6 eggs to Oakton High School,”
Shaw said. “Each school reported
successful releases.”
Adult butterfly
As Shaw awaits updates from
Monarchwatch.org, she is working
with I-66 project teams to identify
potential pollinator habitats along the
interstate. Check out page 23 from
the Summer 2017 Inner Loop for
other roadways where NOVA
is working to protect naturally
growing habitats. Learn more
about monarchs and how you
can help to save them at VDOT’s
pollinator habitat program page.
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VDOT Helps
Senior Girl Scout Make a Difference
With school in full swing, drivers near Briar
Woods High School in Ashburn are reminded
to slow down, thanks to Girl Scout Ambassador
Maddie Saadah.
Maddie, a Briar Woods senior, wanted to raise
awareness about pedestrian crossing as part of
her work toward the Gold Award, the highest
Girl Scout achievement.
“The idea came to me as a freshman, when I’d
see kids dart across the street to school among
speeding cars,” Maddie explained. With the
closest crosswalk along busy Belmont Ridge
Road nearly half a mile from the school, Maddie
believed a lot of drivers weren’t aware that it’s
a school zone.
Ron Sutphin and Gill Mann from NOVA Traffic
Engineering answered Maddie’s call, and just
prior to the first day of class, the paint crew
installed two “SCHOOL” markers across two
lanes of Belmont Ridge at each approach of
Briar Woods.
“I think it’s going to be a great help, Loudoun
County Public Schools believe it’s going to help,
and Maddie is an inspiration to us all,” said
Sutphin.
Maddie and her principal are happy to report
they have already observed drivers slowing
down in the area.
Maddie’s final report to Girl Scout Council is
due next fall, and we wish her the best in this
major accomplishment! Check out this video for
highlights from the installation and Maddie’s
heart-felt thanks to NOVA staff.
“I’m so happy
VDOT got
involved!”
PLAY VIDEO
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WalK4Kids
Health
Raises
Over $7,000
Annual Soccer
Tournament Helps
Disadvantaged Youth
NoVa’s soccer team finished strong this year, winning third place in
the 18-round CVC soccer tournament. The event, lead by Kamran
Motamedamin, raised over $2,000 in donations. Ninety-nine percent
of the proceeds were donated to Inmed, an after school program
that helps disadvantage students. Nova sends major kudos to the
team and everyone who participated and contributed to the cause.
Northern Virginia is making a difference one step at a time with
its first ever Walk4Kids Health charity drive. The event was held
October 1 at the District headquarters to kick off the official start
of the 2019 Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC).
RAISED MORE THAN $24,000 TO DATE
*LAST DATE TO DONATE CASH,
CREDIT CARD OR CHECK
DEC. 31, 2019
*LAST DATE TO PLEDGE VIA
DIRECT GIVING
JAN. 2020
More than 90 VDOTers, consultants and state employees pounded
the pavement, walking laps around the building during their
lunch hour. Participants raffled for prizes, enjoyed refreshments
and received tickets for every half-mile trek. One dedicated
VDOTer even ‘tele-walked’ in solidarity with the cause. Collectively
participants walked 222 miles and raised $7,000 and counting.
The drive sets a new record in NoVa for the most money raised
in a single event. The proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital.
NoVa sends a special thanks to the Planning and Investment
Management (PIM) group for organizing the drive. Everyone
who helped, participated, and donated toward the charity made
the event a huge success. Click here to see highlights from the
Walk4Kids Health drive, and to learn how you too can help make
a difference, visit www.cvcgives.org.
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GET
TO KNOW
DESIGN BU D
By: Christiana Briganti-Dunn
Motti Belete
Alex Naghdi
Richard Jones
Jay Babra
Scott Burdick
Richard Gutridge
Sanjeev Suri Arif Rahman Christiana Briganti-Dunn
Trudee Hunter
Tiffany Brown Mark Gibney
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The Northern Virginia Design-Build Program is
responsible for delivering some of the largest
Design-Build projects in the Commonwealth,
including the Route 7 Corridor Improvements
from Reston Avenue to Jarrett Valley Drive ($314
million), the I-66 Inside the Beltway Eastbound
Widening and direct access ramp to West Falls
Church Metro ($125 million), and the Route 606
Widening in Loudoun County ($119 million).
Design-Build delivery is challenging, dynamic, and
Delivering quality projects
on time and on
budget!
rewarding. Since this method allows for concurrent
phases of design, right-of-way acquisition, utility
relocation, and construction, it requires a particular
mindset. Project managers must be able to wear
multiple hats, have highly developed negotiation
and collaboration skills, remain ever flexible, and
be committed to finding the right solution at the
right time.
We have only about 30% of the information
available at the time of procurement, then handle
review and approval of packages with incremental
portions of the design. The challenges we face also
lead to opportunities – such as innovative design
solutions to improve traffic operations and safety,
reducing or eliminating utility conflicts and/or rightof-way
impacts, and meeting immediate needs
for communities (businesses, places of worship,
schools, parks, historic properties, or residences)
through design changes and interim improvements
by resequencing the construction schedule. And…
Design-Build projects are generally delivered years
in advance of standard methods such as Design-
Bid-Build.
With all of this, we could not do what we do
without the support of many sections in our district
– Construction, Environmental, Land Development,
Location & Design, Materials, Maintenance,
Megaprojects, Operations, Permits, Programming,
Project Controls, Public Affairs, Structure & Bridge,
Traffic Engineering, and Central Office Divisions
such as Alternative Project Delivery, Right-of-
Way & Utilities, Construction, Civil Rights, Federal
Programs, and Administrative Services.
Since our inception in 2002, NOVA Design-Build
has successfully delivered 52 projects totaling
nearly $1.5 billion. 94% were delivered at or under
budget (saving $100 million and counting), and
75% were delivered on-time or early. These projects
range from roadways on new alignment, widening,
bridge replacements, new and reconstructed
interchanges, maintenance, tolling services, and a
park and ride lot.
The collective hard work of the Design-Build
team has led to many honors, with 14 awards in
the last three years (six in 2019 alone) from the
Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), the Heavy
Construction Contractors Association (HCCA), and
the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance
(VTCA).

The New
Prince William Residency
“We’re proud of our new digs,” says Prince
William Residency Administrator Steve Shannon.
The team has already settled into its new work
home, with its modern rock front exterior, and
flood of natural light and welcoming blue accent
walls inside. Over the summer, current and former
VDOTers watched bulldozers take down the
familiar red brick footprint of the old Manassas
Residency that had served the district since 1966.
The new office is more efficient with many
“green” features, and tools to improve safety
and workflow. There are gliding storage units, a
custom bicycle rack, security cameras, as well as
four conference rooms with video-conferencing
technology that can occupy more than 200
people. Business administration, permits and
maintenance are finally all under one roof, on
the same floor—and it’s good to have the team
together, says Shannon.
A key addition, says Shannon, is a new secondary
road and gated entrance for trucks during severe
weather mobilizations. More than 100 pieces of
equipment pass through the area headquarters
to serve western Prince William County when it
snows.
All that’s left is to finish is the new parking
lot and details of the green space, and all that
remains from the old building are two bricks, one
of which Shannon plans to engrave and gift to
his retired predecessor, Dave Brown.
Shannon gives a special thanks to everyone
who helped plan, design and construct the new
building, especially Facilities Manager Jennifer
Thompson who worked diligently with Virginia
Correctional Enterprises on logistics and decor.
PLAY VIDEO
Our district boasts quite a few Patriot alums,
with the Volgenau School of Engineering
just down the road in Fairfax. VDOT has long
had a strong partnership with the school, as
staff from many disciplines volunteer their
time with students to help grow our next
generation of engineers.
For the Fall 2019 semester, Project
Development Engineer Nick Roper, P.E. and
Maintenance Engineer Lauren Mollerup, P.E.
helped shape the curriculum and mentor the
school’s Senior Design Capstone class.
Using a real-life VDOT case study selected
by Roper—an “S” curve to be straightened
along Braddock Road-- the students
developed alternative design solutions to
experience real-world project delivery with a
focus on planning, design, and construction
of transportation infrastructure.
District Maintenance Engineer Lauren
Mollerup, a Patriot herself via grad school,
used her time with the students as an
PASSION
FOR
PREPPING
OUR
PATRIOTS
opportunity to remind them of long-term
needs. “I wanted to make sure that they
carefully consider future maintenance when
they are designing projects,” she said,
tailoring her presentation to maintenance,
operations and emergency response.
The semester included guest speakers
on roadway design and geotechnical
engineering, hydraulics and hydrology,
maintenance of traffic, sequence of
construction, construction management, and
project management.
Professor Cerasela M Cristei, Ph.D, P.E. said
the classes was extremely well received, and
was grateful to Nick and Lauren for sharing
their passions with the students.
The students gave their final presentations
on December 6. Congrats to the class and
kudos to our team for giving back to the
next engineering generation!
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Northern Virginia hosted a third
successful event at the District
Office on Saturday, Oct. 26,
with more than 30 agencies
participating, 70 pieces of
equipment and over a thousand
residents attending. Displays
included an outdoor touch-atruck
and indoor expo with local
response partners in advance of
National Traffic Incident Response
Awareness Week (Nov. 10-16,
2019). See promotional video,
photos and Twitter posts from
the event.
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#twitter_love
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Did you
know?
There are many other ways to
get to and from work besides
driving alone?
Internal
Commuter
Options
If you drive I-66, you can get more information and sign up for
a vanpool in the I-66 corridor by contacting James Davenport at
703-691-6717 or jdavenport@nspiregreen.com. If you don’t
drive I-66, you can get more information on the Vanpool Alliance,
a public-private partnership supporting vanpool riders and
providers in northern Virginia, by visiting vanpoolalliance.org.
One option is commuting in a vanpool with five or more people. Financial incentives are available to make it easier to vanpool,
check out why a couple of your co-workers use vanpools:
VDOT provides up to $115 a month towards the cost of
commuting via vanpool or mass transit, and also reimburses up
to $20 a month of bike-related expenses to employees who bike
to work at least 60 percent of the time. For more information,
contact the VDOT Accounting section.
Subsidies are available for vanpools, bus fares and carpools
within the I-66 corridor. Visit the Transform 66 webpage for
details.
Angelique Grant
Fairfax Residency/
NRO Business Administrator
“Being in a vanpool saves driving time in the morning
because we are able to use HOV. We share the driving
responsibilities so if I am not driving I can take a nap, follow
up on personal emails, or read a book if I wanted. The cost
savings are tremendous and it saves me 100 miles a day that
I would be driving every day. I save money on gas and vehicle
maintenance.”
Information on commuter services offered by localities across the
region is available on the VDOT Northern Virginia Commuter
Resources webpage.
If you have any questions about commuter options, contact
Fatemeh Allahdoust at 703-259-2933 or
Fathemeh.Allahdoust@vdot.virginia.gov
Valerie Jones-Washington
Transportation & Land Use
Executive Administrative Assistant
“Riding the van has played a major role in my decision to
commute to work in Fairfax County from Stafford County.
The out-of-pocket expenses are shared between the vanpool
riders and it’s very economical. My van is very roomy and
comfortable. On my van, I must possess a valid driver’s license
and I’m required to drive the van once every other week,
which is better than driving every day and sitting in bumper
to bumper traffic on I-95 SB regular lanes. Overall, it’s been a
great experience! ”
Employees learn about their many
commuting options at the VDOT
Commuter Fair in June.
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The VDOT of Tomorrow project aims to prepare the agency –
and each of its employees – for whatever the future holds. In
total, ten strategic initiatives aim to reach three main goals:
prepare our people, modernize our methods, and empower
innovation.
In each district, a team of “Change Champions” have been
selected to help provide you with resources and updates, and
in turn share your ideas on how we can prepare for the future.
Have you heard yet?
You’ll be hearing more from your ADAs, section managers
and Champions in coming months, as surveys and other
conversations help guide the plan.
The team’s contact info is on the EBBs—always feel free to
reach out with your questions or ideas. Check out the VDOT
of Tomorrow site at any time for more details and updates—
from the main InsideVDOT page, click “VDOT of Tomorrow”
on the right.
Have Questions? Contact one of our
VDOT of Tomorrow Change Champions
“I have seen our
equipment become more
advanced and “smarter,”
I see our teams using
remote-controlled
mowers, crash cushions
you can operate inside
the cab, safer and more
comfortable personal
protective equipment
which ensures more
employees are going to
use it. We understand
Paul Matticks
Assistant Maintenance Administrator,
Fairfax Residency
electronics and robotics but it’s also very evident in new PPE,
identification markers and gear you can wear in a work zone to
keep you better protected, and equipment to allow us to perform
our work from a safe point, or possibly even in the office.
“Today we are not where
we were yesterday,
and tomorrow is very
exciting! Innovation is
more than technology,
it’s making processes
and procedures more
efficient. Some examples
I’ve seen include Active
Traffic Management along
I-66, Automated Incident
Response Plans in the
TOC, and 3-D printing.”
Candice Gibson
Deputy Program Manager, Northern Virginia Regional
Multi-Modal Mobility Program Initiative
Renée Hamilton
Jenni McCord
Bill Cuttler
Janice Dapper
Autumn Liner
Jenni Estrella
Karen Hardy
Mark Hagan
This will help do our jobs safer, more efficiently and put us in a
place where we’re ready to take on more challenges. The same
tools and technology being developed every day can help keep
Virginia moving, not only today but tomorrow and beyond. It’s an
investment in our employees that will repay itself every day.”
10 Years of Service
Amir Shahpar
Tara Atkins
Mark Spring
Jon Dowell
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WE HEAR
ARE IN ORDER!
YOUR WORK SHINES! CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR FOLKS WHO WERE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2019:
Commissioner’s Award for
Outstanding VDOT Leader
Renée Hamilton
Deputy District Administrator
Commissioner’s Award for
Outstanding Project Delivery
“Project Cooper” Team
(Renée Hamilton, Rahul Trivedi, Amir Shahpar, Steven Welch, Fatemeh Allahdoust,
Jennifer McCord, Kathleen Leonard, Stephen Bates, Ling Li, Kim Pryor and Larry Camp)
Virginia Department of Labor and
Industry’s Top 25 Apprentices of the Year
Haroon Ander
Construction Inspector
Rene’e was honored for her dedication over many disciplines,
from preliminary engineering to construction and maintenance,
to working with myriad political, special interest and citizen
groups, to representing the agency on the Metropolitan
Washington Council of Governments. Her invaluable
relationships across the D.C. area, careful compromise and
coordination have poised VDOT to successfully deliver critical
regional transportation improvements. She was also recognized
for her compassion and guidance, helping staff to accomplish
their goals and achieve success.
For nearly a year, the team worked confidentially with state and local partners to
help the Virginia Economic Development Partnership on the transportation piece
of the proposal for Amazon’s new Crystal City headquarters. The team’s expertise
in data analysis, mapping, modeling, and cost estimating for carpooling, bus,
Metro and other projects helped tell the story of the region’s robust multimodal
transportation system, commitment and vision for the future. Amazon is expected
to bring an initial 25,000 high-paying jobs, and an additional 22,000 permanent,
direct and indirect jobs, and more than $3.2 billion in new state revenues over
twenty years.
Haroon is one of two VDOT apprentices named to the list—an exceptional
recognition, as there are about 12,000 active apprentices across the state!
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CHECK OUT THIS LIST--IT WAS ANOTHER BANNER YEAR FOR DESIGN-BUILD! CONGRATS TO OUR PROJECT TEAMS FOR THEIR HARD WORK!
Awards from Design-Build Institute of America, Heavy
Construction Contractors Association and the Virginia
Transportation Construction Alliance
Design-Build Teams for I-66/Route 15, Route
606 and Route 7
American Council of Engineering Companies of
Metropolitan Washington Awards
Wilson Boulevard, I-66 Inside the Beltway
and Aden Road Project Teams
I-66/Route 15 Interchange
*DBIA National Transportation and
Aviation Leadership Award
Route 606 Loudoun County
Parkway/Old Ox Road
Widening and Reconstruction
*DBIA Mid-Atlantic Region
Honorable Mention
*Heavy Construction Contractors
Association Excellence in Infrastructure
Honorable Mention (Category: Greater
than $15 Million)
*Virginia Transportation Construction
Alliance Engineering Award
Honorable Mention
Route 7 Widening & Bridge
*Rehabilitation over Dulles Toll Road
DBIA Mid-Atlantic Region Merit Award
*HCCA Excellence in Infrastructure
Award (Category: Greater than
$15 Million)
Congrats to these teams for being recognized at the Engineering Excellence Awards in December, including
Grand Prize in the non/minimal design category for the Transform I-66 Inside the Beltway HOV to Express
Lanes Conversion, a Local Prestige Award for the eastbound Wilson Boulevard Bridge Rehabilitation over
Route 50 (The substructure was replaced in just 54 hours! Check out the video), and Honorable Mention for
Preservation of the Aden Road Historic Truss Bridge.
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Commissioner’s Award for
Public Relations Society of
Outstanding America VDOT Leader and AASHTO Awards
Renée Hamilton
Deputy District NOVA Administrator Communications
Commissioner’s Award for
Outstanding Project Delivery
“Project Cooper” Team
(Renée Hamilton, Rahul Trivedi, Amir Shahpar, Steven Welch, Fatemeh Allahdoust,
Jennifer McCord, Kathleen Leonard, Stephen Bates, Ling Li, Kim Pryor and Larry Camp)
Public Relations Society of
America Thoth Awards
NOVA Communications
In May, the team received four awards from PRSA at the 72nd Virginia Public Relations Awards in Richmond, including NOVA Communications accepted three Thoth Awards for excellence in public relations at the 51st Virginia
Rene’e
Commonwealth
was honored
Awards
for
of
her
Merit
dedication
for the Brief
over
Events
many
and
disciplines,
Observance and Shoestring
For nearly
Budget
a year,
categories
the team
for
worked
the 2018
confidentially
Public
with state
Relations
and
Awards
local partners
in Washington
to
D.C., including Integrated Media Relations: Snow Operations, Integrated
from preliminary engineering to construction and maintenance, help the Virginia Economic Development Partnership on the transportation piece
Incident Management Open House, as well as Capital Awards for Social Media for “Live-Tweeting as a Practice” and
Communications: Incident Management Open House, and Government Communications Team of the Year!
to working with myriad political, special interest and citizen of the proposal for Amazon’s new Crystal City headquarters. The team’s expertise
New Media and Digital Communications for the Richmond Highway interactive map.
groups, to representing the agency on the Metropolitan
in data analysis, mapping, modeling, and cost estimating for carpooling, bus,
Washington Council of Governments. Her invaluable
Metro and other projects helped tell the story of the region’s robust multimodal
In August, your very own @vadotnova was honored with a national AASHTO TransComm Award for Live Tweeting as a
relationships across the D.C. area, careful compromise and
transportation system, commitment and vision for the future. Amazon is expected
Practice in the Best Use of a Single Social Media Platform category!
coordination have poised VDOT to successfully deliver critical to bring an initial 25,000 high-paying jobs, and an additional 22,000 permanent,
regional transportation improvements. She was also recognized direct and indirect jobs, and more than $3.2 billion in new state revenues over
for her compassion and guidance, helping staff to accomplish twenty years.
their goals and achieve success.
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We want to highlight the work you do to serve
the residents of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun,
and Prince William counties.
We share your stories here, on InsideVDOT, the
Electronic Bulletin Boards, VDOT-TV and social
media.
Have a good story? Tell us what’s happening!
novapublicaffairs@vdot.virginia.gov