Staunton District - Highway Scanner - March 2023

NEWS & NOTES
"PROVEN TRACK RECORD" IN CONSTRUCTION
Staunton VDOT has a new District Construction Engineer – Robbie Good. He assumed the role at the end of February.
The Luray-native comes to the role with his professional engineer license and more than 25 years of experience in
construction and engineering. Good says he’s both grateful and excited for the opportunity.
Good joined VDOT in 1996 as an hourly inspector trainee. Four years later and with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from
Virginia Tech, Good participated in the engineer development program and was promoted to project manager. Good
worked in the private sector for a few years, but found his way back to the department in 2006 as a construction
manager, and then as area construction engineer for the northern part of the district. In that role, Good administered
over 220 contracts with a combined value exceeding $500 million.
“Robbie has administered a wide range of projects with varying scope
and complexity,” Staunton District Engineer Todd Stevens says. “He has
a proven track record in delivering quality projects safely, on time and on
budget.”
For Good VDOT is more than a place to work, it’s a legacy. “My greatgrandfather
retired from the Department of Highways. My grandfather
and father also worked for VDOT,” Good shares. “This foundation for
service, coupled with the mentors and peers that I have learned from and
worked with over the years has led me to this point. I am grateful for their
support and all of the relationships built along the way.”
Good intends to support Materials, Contract Administration and
Construction staff to make sure they have what they need to be successful.
He also plans to develop relationships with the contracting and consulting
industry. “Those partnerships will be critical to our success as all of this
work, especially along the I-81 Corridor, begins to unfold,” Good says.
DETERMINATION LEADS TO SUCCESS
Staunton District Equipment Repair Manager Joe Hildebrand is the only VDOT shop manager in the state with the
distinguished honor of being an AEMP Certified Equipment Manager. AEMP is the Association of Equipment Management
Professionals, and the industry standard for those who manage and maintain heavy equipment.
When Hildebrand heard the news, he called his wife. “She was excited. She was tickled pink,” Hildebrand shares. “First
thing she said was ‘Thank God’.” For roughly a year, after days spent overseeing equipment repairs on anything from
chainsaws to motor graders in the Staunton District shop, Hildebrand would often head home to spend hours at night
studying.
Staunton District Equipment Manager L.T. Williams recommended Hildebrand for the program. “That is a great
accomplishment,” Williams says, and he would know. He earned his certificate more than 20 years ago, but recalls the
experience like it was yesterday. “It’s a hard test,” Williams laments. “I remember exactly how it was.”
Hildebrand’s more than two decades of experience as a technician,
with four at VDOT as shop manager, helped prepare him for the
challenge. It involved a points-based application process, an eightweek
learning lab and a 150-question test which Hildebrand used
every bit of the allotted four hours to complete. Hildebrand describes
the accomplishment as feeling like he’s on cloud 9.
LEFT: District Equipment Repair
Manager Joe Hildebrand.
CENTER: District Equipment
Manager L.T. Williams.
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SEPTEMBER MARCH 2023 2020