Salem - The Extra Mile - March 2023

Salem District Newsletter
Volume 17 Issue 03
March 2023
What’s Inside
• Onboarding Partnerships
• Employees Rally Together
for 26 Miles
• Employee Profile:
Mallory McGowan
• Line Marking Season
• Southwest Out and About
• Work Zone Safety
Hunter Grubb and Marcus Bullen from Fancy Gap AHQ work together to compact the stone
around a newly installed crosspipe on Route 722 (Cranberry Road) in Carroll County.
TheExtraMile
ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AMONG US
Three Salem District engineers were recently presented with a certificate for
completing the Essentials of Engineering Excellence (E3) Program. The recipients
were David Kiser (Assistant Martinsville Residency Engineer),
Craig Moore (Assistant District L&D Engineer) and Tony Handy (Area
Construction Engineer).
David Kiser
Craig Moore
Tony Handy
Essentials of Engineering Excellence is a professional development graduate
program that was developed and deployed by VDOT in partnership with the
University of Virginia. “The purpose of this program is to give VDOT engineers
an opportunity to enhance their technical skills in a flexible format,” explained
District Learning Manager Guy DeMarco.
Once he heard about the program, Tony was eager to sign up for the professional
and personal development that the training courses could provide. “I got a lot of
really good technical training from the E3 courses,” he said.
cont. pg. 2
WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT
By Ken King, P.E.
Ken.King@VDOT.virginia.gov
When it comes
to financial
planning, most
people look
for a good
investment
with a great
return. Investors
need to feel
confidence in where their
money is going.
VDOT has been very fortunate
over the last several years to
have the support of the General
Assembly, which has provided
us additional funds to make
transportation improvements. We
have received more money for
our overall construction program
and for improving Interstate 81.
The additional funds would not
have been possible if it wasn’t for
the great work that each of you
has done to build trust and show
that VDOT is a good investment.
cont. pg. 2
Bedford • Botetourt • Carroll • Craig • Floyd • Franklin • Giles • Henry • Montgomery • Patrick • Pulaski • Roanoke 1

KING cont.
We have come a long way to
earn this trust.
In the early 2000s, VDOT
struggled to have a realistic Six-
Year Improvement Program. At
that time, the budget seemed to
be a wish list, and people could
not count on projects being
delivered.
Today, our spending plan
includes fully funded projects
that we consistently deliver and
complete on time and on budget.
Confidence in VDOT has been
strengthened thanks to your track
record and good work.
I also am happy to share that the
Commonwealth Transportation
Board has approved an
additional $70 million investment
in routine maintenance statewide
for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24).
Salem District‘s portion totals
$7.6 million which will go
toward work on stormwater
management basins, pipes,
ditching, shoulder maintenance
and tree trimming throughout
our 12 counties.
This additional investment
coupled with our planned
workload has required
significant strategizing to
ensure that our state forces and
contracting partners can use
these funds to accomplish these
improvements for the people
we serve.
Even though FY24 will be busy,
it offers a huge opportunity
for us to invest in the
transportation network, so it
is critically important that we
deliver a high return on this
investment that has been
entrusted to us.
I know we will deliver, and
our roads will be safer, more
efficient and better support
the quality of life in our
home communities.
Our greatest investment
is in safety. With this in
mind, we will be observing
National Work Zone
Awareness Week
April 17-21. Stay safe
out there.
-Ken
ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE...CONT’D
“Surprisingly, my biggest take away was not the technical skills though. I think I benefited
the most from the management and soft skills that I learned from courses such as Project
and General Communication, Ethics and Decision Making and Negotiations Logistics.”
In addition to the valuable training that the courses provide, participants earn two
continuing education units for each course completed and up to six hours of credit
which can be transferred to a graduate degree program at UVA or another institution.
Tony was grateful for the continuing education credits he received for his Professional
Engineering, Land Surveyor and Certified Construction Manager certifications. He highly
recommends the program to his coworkers. “It is a great way to get exposure to areas
where you have limited experience,” he said when explaining that his undergraduate
degree is not in civil engineering. “It was nice to gain some formal education in that
type of engineering.”
The E3 Program consists of 12 four-week courses that are taught online. Taking into
account work and personal life balance, participants are given 36 months to complete
the program.
Anyone interested in signing up for this program must have a four-year degree.
For more information, contact Guy DeMarco at 540-375-9563 or
guy.demarco@VDOT.virginia.gov.
ONBOARDING PARTNERSHIPS
When new employees are hired
at VDOT, they are assigned to an
onboarding partner (aka mentor)
to help them learn how to do their
job and acclimate to their work
environment. These partners serve as
an informal “go-to” resource for the
new employee through their first
year of employment ensuring that
they transition smoothly into their
work environment.
When Locally Administered Project
(LAP) Engineer David Thompson
(right) joined the Salem District in July 2022, he was assigned to his counterpart LAP
Engineer Jessie Nester (left) as his onboarding partner.
“There is a lot to learn as a new VDOT employee,” David said. “Jessie as my mentor
provided me with a solid foundation for success in this position.”
“Typically, onboarding partners have several years of work experience, and they will be
very familiar with the new employee’s duties and responsibilities,” explained District
Learning Manager Guy DeMarco.
Jessie previously worked for the Town of Christiansburg for 13 years before coming to
VDOT almost five years ago. His locality expertise has proven very helpful to David.
“His solid experience has been a great asset to draw from,” said David, who noted
that while he has a reference manual that he can refer to, nothing beats real-world
examples. “Jessie helped shape my understanding of the different types of funding.”
“There is still a lot to learn, but he has definitely aided in my learning this sooner than
later,” said David. “I appreciate that he is always willing to take time to answer any
questions that I may have.”
If you are interested in becoming an onboarding partner for your future coworkers,
express interest to your supervisor.
2
Bedford • Botetourt • Carroll • Craig • Floyd • Franklin • Giles • Henry • Montgomery • Patrick • Pulaski • Roanoke

EMPLOYEES RALLY TOGETHER FOR 26 MILES
A new trail project in its earliest stage
of development has many Salem District
employees walking 26 miles on old railbed
in Craig and Botetourt counties.
With Kelly Dunn from Location and Design
leading the early development of the
project, many are working together to plan
the Craig Botetourt Scenic Trail including:
Elaine Thurman, Jenna Kingrey and Travis
Higgs from Materials; Jay Crumpacker and
Thomas “T” Haymaker from Hydraulics;
Ryan Casey, Hollyn Kemp and Eric Wolf from
Environmental; and Dean Hackett, Todd
Marshall and Jack Bayne from Structure and
Bridge.
It is slated to run parallel to Craig Creek
from New Castle in Craig County to Eagle
Rock in Botetourt County. The proposed new
gravel trail will be constructed from both
shared roadways and existing railbeds dating
back to the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Top Photo: Elaine Thurman, T. Haymaker and Jay
Crumpacker are inspecting the surface of the old
railbed to determine what level of improvement
would be needed to make it usable.
Bottom Photo: District Hydraulics Engineer Jay
Crumpacker is inspecting an existing culvert that is
running beneath the old railbed in Craig County.
HR CORNER
SAVE THE DATE!
Jackie Weisgarber from the
Social Security Administration
will be hosting a virtual meeting
on June 13 at 2:00 p.m. to talk
about the following topics:
• Social Security Retirement
• Social Security Disability
• Medicare
Be on the lookout for more
information coming soon from
Human Resources Benefits
Administrator Heidi McClintic
who can be reached at
heidi.mcclintic@VDOT.virginia.gov.
EMPLOYEE PROFILE: MALLORY MCGOWAN
Despite her humble nature and
hesitation for being in the spotlight,
Construction Manager Mallory
McGowan was recently featured on
DOTi in celebration of National Women
in Construction Week.
Watching her dad build a career in
welding and cutting timber, Mallory
decided to pursue a career in
construction engineering because she
was familiar with that environment.
She graduated from the University of
Virginia in 2013 and started using her
degree right away.
She worked for a consultant firm in
the industry for ten years and enjoyed
her interactions with the construction team at VDOT. When the
opportunity presented itself, she decided to make the switch to
become a VDOT employee in spring of 2022.
Mallory stays busy managing construction projects for the
northern construction area. The two projects keeping her busy
now are a bridge rehab project on Route 11 in Buchanan and
a new roundabout at the Starkey and Buck Mountain Road
intersection in Roanoke County.
“I live in Buchanan, so I feel like I have
a greater stake in the bridge rehab
project,” she said. “It also helps that
I have a greater knowledge of the area
where we are working.”
She likes that the Buchanan project is
so unique because they are replacing
metal bearings under the bridge.
“The crew will work under the roadway
and raise up the bridge a quarter of an
inch to replace these bearings,” she
explained. “I’ve learned a lot doing
research into this type of project that
I haven’t done before. Getting into the
details has been fun.”
Mallory enjoys so many things about her job at VDOT,
but one of her favorites is knowing she can make
a difference in her community. “There is a lot of
satisfaction knowing you had a part in the success of
a project.”
Mallory is married to Clifton, and they have three children
together. In their spare time, they stay busy enjoying
sporting events, local festivals and community events.
Bedford • Botetourt • Carroll • Craig • Floyd • Franklin • Giles • Henry • Montgomery • Patrick • Pulaski • Roanoke

GOING THE EXTRA MILE
Citizens Express Gratitude for VDOT
I was very impressed with the timely
response to remove a tree that had
fallen on Forbes Mill Road.
-K. Milton, Big Island AHQ
Thank you VDOT for taking care of my
request on Wilson Church Road and Old
Country Road. You did a great job.
-K. Flowers, New London AHQ
Thank you to the crew that repaired
the ditch on Colonial Court. They did an
excellent job and it looks brand new.
Thank you so much!
-E. Lipscomb, New London AHQ
FACEBOOK KUDOS
Thank you for what you do in keeping
the road safe and drivable.
-T. Peery
LINE MARKING SEASON
On March 1, the Salem District hosted a training
for operators and inspectors to prepare for
the line marking season. Approximately 40
VDOT employees attended the training from
the Bristol, Lynchburg and Salem districts. The
interactive training event was a joint effort
between Central Office and paint vendor PPG.
The Salem District displayed its new paint truck at
the training and provided a demo.
SOUTHWEST AHQ OUT AND ABOUT
Patching operations
on Route 116.
Sam Weddle clearing
ditches on Elm View Road.
4
PREPARING TO BE WORK ZONE SAFE
National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is April 17-21!
This year’s theme is, “You play a role in work zone safety. Work
with us.”
To kick things off, Mr. Carter Cone traveled and collected
signatures around the district and is now on his way to
represent Salem District at the statewide vigil on Wednesday,
April 19 at 6 p.m. on Afton Mountain.
Don’t forget to celebrate “Go Orange Day” on Wednesday,
April 19 too by wearing the color orange and sharing your
picture with Jen Ward for our social media pages. You can
send your photo by email at jen.ward@vdot.virginia.
gov or by text at 540-529-9399. This year we will be using
the hashtags #NWZAW,
#GoOrangeVA and
#Orange4Safety if you’d like
to follow along.
WZAW posters are on
their way to the residency
offices for distribution to
area headquarters across
the district. Help us draw
attention and awareness
by displaying them in work
areas by Friday, April 14!
If you have questions or
need information, please
contact Jen Ward at
jen.ward@vdot.virginia.gov
or 540-529-9399.
District Engineer Ken King signs
Mr. Carter Cone
EMPLOYEE UPDATES
New Hires
Rachel Adams, Accounting Specialist, Business Office
Travis Arthur, Emergency Operator, New London AHQ
Thomas Chaney, Emergency Operator, Peters Creek AHQ
Matthew Ellis, Equipment Repair Tech, Salem District Shop
Ronald Foust, Emergency Operator, New London AHQ
Larry Haden, Emergency Operator, Fairystone AHQ
Kevin Hand, Operator, Carlisle AHQ
Dakota Handy, Operator, Martinsville AHQ
Jeremy Jennings, Emergency Operator, Dublin AHQ
Eric Knapp, Sr Inspector, Western Construction
Samuel Lane, Emergency Operator, Dublin AHQ
Trey Lemons, Operator, Fancy Gap AHQ
Douglas Lyons, Emergency Operator, Hillsville AHQ
Samuel “Adam” Marshall, Operator, Hillsville AHQ
Christopher Norman, Sr Equipment Repair Tech,
Martinsville Regional Shop
Guy DeWayne Richardson, Emergency Operator,
Fancy Gap AHQ
Levi Showalter, Emergency Operator, Laurel AHQ
Mark Snyder, Operator, Hillsville AHQ
Luke Taylor, Operator, Troutville AHQ
Stuart Walters, Operator, Buchanan AHQ
Jeffrey Weeks, Operator, Blacksburg AHQ
Jordan Weeks, Emergency Operator, SML AHQ
William White, Operator, Sydnorsville AHQ
Justin Woosley, Operator, SML AHQ
Promotions / Transfers / Relocations
John Crawford, Operator, Eagle Rock AHQ
Nathan O’Kane, Traffic Operations Manager, SWRO
Bryce Oliver, Operator, Fairystone AHQ
Brian Sarver, Sr Structural Engineer, Structure and Bridge
Bryan Smith, Sr Structural Engineer, Structure and Bridge
Deaths
Customer Service Representative Michael Gabriel passed
away on March 7.
Virginia Department of Transportation
Salem District
Office of Communications
731 Harrison Avenue, Salem, VA 24153
nancy.simmons@vdot.virginia.gov
540-387-5236
©2023 Commonwealth of Virginia