Salem - The Extra Mile - September 2023

Salem District Newsletter
Volume 17 Issue 09
September 2023
What’s Inside
• One VDOT Celebration
• Employee Profile:
Frank Meade
• Roanoke Prepareathon
• Snapshots from Around
the District
(Left to right) District Traffic Operations Center Manager Nathan O’Kane along with
Mike Magda and Chad Fisher of the Safety Service Patrol represented VDOT at
Roanoke’s Prepareathon on Sept. 16 at the Berglund Center Coliseum. See story, pg. 3
TheExtraMile
UNITY AND TEAMWORK EMPHASIZED
AT ANNUAL ONE VDOT CELEBRATION
Employees, vendors and guests from
across the district gathered Sept. 12 at
the Franklin County Recreational Park
for the annual One VDOT Celebration.
Hosted by Civil Rights, this year’s event
centered on the concept of teamwork.
Following opening remarks by District
Engineer Ken King and Commonwealth
Transportation Board Member Dr. Ray
Smoot, the floor was given to this
year’s guest speaker: legendary Virginia
Tech football coach Frank Beamer.
“I feel like I’m family here,” Beamer
said as he named his father and
brother among personal connections to
VDOT.
With more than 30 years of experience
as a head football coach in college
athletics, Beamer knows what it takes
Frank Beamer signs his autograph for an employee
after speaking at the 2023 One VDOT Celebration.
for a team to be successful. He identified five important aspects of a successful
team: leadership from within, clear direction, self-motivation, appreciation and
trust.
cont. pg. 2
LEADERSHIP
FROM WITHIN
By Ken King, P.E.
Ken.King@VDOT.virginia.gov
Like me, I
hope you
enjoyed the
message of
leadership
shared
by Coach
Beamer
at our recent One VDOT
Celebration.
Coach pointed out that one of
the keys to successful teams
is leadership from within.
He shared stories about his
previous teams at Virginia
Tech, and he specifically noted
Danny Cole as a player who
exemplified leadership from
within.
cont. pg. 2
Bedford • Botetourt • Carroll • Craig • Floyd • Franklin • Giles • Henry • Montgomery • Patrick • Pulaski • Roanoke 1

KING cont.
He described Danny as
someone who didn’t speak
out publicly very often, but
when he did, it moved the
team to take action. I think this
key to leadership is extremely
important to VDOT as well.
We are such a large agency
with so many disciplines and
specialties that must come
together as one to support a
successful outcome. Throughout
my years with VDOT, I have seen
many Danny Coles in our ranks
who speak out to their groups
when a call to action is needed
that moves the needle and
advances the initiative.
It happens during winter storms,
during the development of
projects, and when executing
daily tasks. Some of the
most motivational people
I have worked with were
knowledgeable and respected
leaders from within the team.
I am sure you have experienced
this as well. Whether you were
one of the internal leaders or
you took action in response to
their call, you have been an
important player in making
the team succeed.
Strive to be the leader from
within when the need arises
and be prepared to take
action when called upon.
Thanks for all you do each
and every day.
Support the teams you
are a member of and
take care of one another
to ensure every team
member goes home
safely. Go VDOT, Go
Team!
-Ken
ONE VDOT...CONT’D
“I’ve had the opportunity throughout
my career to have some great
players,” he said. “Many have gone
on to play in the NFL; many have gone
on to be successful in the business
world; many became strong husbands
and fathers. The one common bond
among all of them is they were part of
a team.”
Just as teamwork is essential to
success in sports, it also applies to
VDOT. “Let’s practice and apply Coach
Beamer’s five core principles in our
daily activities and we too can be
successful in making a great team,”
said Civil Rights Manager Lori Law.
“Together Everyone Achieves More!”
District Engineer Ken King presents a framed photo
to Frank Beamer as a token of appreciation.
Beamer also acknowledged the importance of communication among team
members and leaders. “Say what you mean, and mean what you say,” he
said. When asked which of his pep talks over the years was his best, Beamer
quipped, “I would say any one of the 12 pep talks we had when we went 12
straight against UVA.”
Ken King presented Coach Beamer with a photo of employees forming the
VDOT logo, a symbol of unity and teamwork. Part of the inscription on the
photo read: “In recognition of the special connection between the VDOT family
and the Beamer family, we present this photo as a heartfelt token of our
appreciation.”
For the remainder of the event, attendees participated in corn hole, fishing and
other team-building activities. The traditional kickball tournament brought the
day to a close with the Bedford/Martinsville Residencies team taking the win.
(Left) Angela
Bryant tries her
hand in the
grip-strength
competition.
(Right) Heidi
McClintic and
Donna Fizer
pose for a photo
at the event.
2
Bedford • Botetourt • Carroll • Craig • Floyd • Franklin • Giles • Henry • Montgomery • Patrick • Pulaski • Roanoke

EMPLOYEE PROFILE: FRANK MEADE
Although he has been with VDOT for
less than two years, Operator Frank
Meade with Dublin Area Headquarters
has been doing similar work much
longer. It was middle school when
he started working summers for his
family business in excavation and
underground utility work.
“When I worked for my family, you
knew what you were doing the next
day,” he said. His experience at
VDOT has been a little different. “You
juggle a lot here, and it’s easy to get
confused, but at the same time you
have so much support here. All you
have to do is ask.”
“I thought when I applied it said heavy
equipment operator – y’all tricked
me on that,” Frank joked. “There’s
so much more and you get handson
learning with people who have
experience.” He said that recently he
has had the chance to be involved with
computer systems.
When he started, Frank had to shift
his mentality from a profit-oriented
environment to working to VDOT
standards. One of the most interesting
parts of his experience so far, he said,
has been contract monitoring which
allowed him to work with a variety of
departments and gain more insight
into the complexity and coordination
involved in each project. “The safest
way, the most reliable way, the most
environmentally friendly way – I can
see that now,” he said. He’s even been
able to take some of that experience
and pass it on to his family who has
been receptive to his suggestions.
There is no question that Frank values
his work, and a lot of his time away
from VDOT is spent working on
projects for himself and others. But,
if there’s one thing that Frank values
more than work, it’s family. “And that’s
not just family at home, that’s these
guys here,” he said. “If any of them call
me and need help with something, I’ll
go. That’s the most important thing to
me.”
Frank described himself as a “jokester”
who tries to make sure everyone
stays in good spirits. He hopes that
his coworkers would describe him as
someone they can count on.
“We’ve all been there for each other,”
he said. “I never had that. I never
actually had a group of people who
can just look at you and tell there’s
something wrong.”
Frank said that VDOT is where he
wants to be long term and hopes to
gain a variety of experience.
“To actually have people that want to
be around you, want to talk to you,
want to work with you and want to
encourage you, that’s something that
I’m blessed with and I’m grateful to
have with these guys. It’s not just
here at Dublin – I see it at every
headquarters. It’s the family that you
thought you’d never have.”
“It’s a weird family,” he added with a
grin, “but I love them all.”
ROANOKE PREPAREATHON CONNECTS COMMUNITY WITH LOCAL RESPONDERS
Several district employees recently
had the opportunity to represent
VDOT at Roanoke’s Prepareathon held
at the Berglund Center Coliseum on
Sept. 16.
Hosted by the City of Roanoke
Stormwater Utility, Emergency
Management, and public safety
partners, Prepareathon is an
initiative with the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) that
encourages local organizations and
individuals to be prepared for flooding
and other natural disasters that affect
our area.
From left, Human Resources’ Tabitha Adkins, Salem
Residency Resident Engineer Brian Blevens, and
District Traffic Operations Center Manager Nathan
O’Kane at the event.
The public event was free and
included food, prizes and the sharing
of valuable information and resources
available in case of emergencies.
Kids and families were able to take
pictures with and explore rescue
vehicles as well as meet their local
response teams.
“Prepareathon was a great
opportunity to share the many ways
VDOT plans for and responds to
emergencies, both weather events and
crashes,” said District Maintenance
Engineer Anne Booker. “Encouraging
our community to be prepared for
the unexpected will help us improve
safety and deliver on our mission.”
Bedford • Botetourt • Carroll • Craig • Floyd • Franklin • Giles • Henry • Montgomery • Patrick • Pulaski • Roanoke

GOING THE EXTRA MILE
Citizens Express Gratitude for VDOT
I submitted a pothole repair request
yesterday. I left my house around 11:00
this morning and the potholes had
already been filled. That’s an amazing
response time! Thank you to the local
office for being so responsive as I’m sure
they have plenty of other things to do.
- K. Mawyer, Burnt Chimney AHQ
Thank you for removing the downed
tree from the road so promptly! Much
Appreciated!
- J. Mitchell, Willis AHQ
This new hydraulic broom is being used to
remove debris ahead of line-painting crews
AROUND THE DISTRICT
You did an amazing job grading Runnett
Bag Road on Route 715!
- T. Vidovic, Check AHQ
Thank you to the crews who come out
and remove trees from the roads. You
always come out quickly when I make
reports. You are the unsung heroes of
VDOT!
- S. Gill, Sydnorsville AHQ
I was very pleased with the recent
mowing job. I can now see without
pulling into the road. The gentleman that
called me was very professional.
- Anonymous, Southwest AHQ
I would like to compliment the local area
headquarters for the great work they
have done. Thank you!
- S. Prock, Martinsville AHQ
Left to right, Tim Duncan and Kurdtis Osborne of Hanging
Rock AHQ were on scene for a rainy touch-a-truck event
at Green Hill Park in Roanoke County
Pearisburg AHQ completed sidewalk repairs this
summer in the Town of Rich Creek in Giles County.
Just a couple of days ago I submitted a
request to have our road graded. It has
been completed already! Red Hill Road
has never looked better. And the ditches
were cleared just in time for the storms
coming through today. The local VDOT
crews here in Big Island are the best.
Thanks so much!
- K. Moore, Big Island AHQ
The man grading the road did an
excellent job on Lovell Road NE!
- T. Simpkins, Check AHQ
Thank you to everyone who had a hand
in getting the limbs taken care of so
quickly. The guys did an awesome job on
the trees. I really appreciate it!
- D. Dalton, Big Island AHQ
I had a fantastic experience with the
crew that worked on the culvert pipe
replacement. Thanks so much!
- K. Graham, New London AHQ
4
Southwest AHQ enjoyed a recognition lunch for winning last year’s dry-run competition.
New Hires
Michael Shaw, Operator, Dublin AHQ
Patrick Roberts, Operator, Fancy Gap AHQ
Jeremiah Showalter, Operator, Laurel AHQ
Andrew Nichols, Traffic Engineer, SWRO
Timothy Duncan, Operator, Hanging Rock AHQ
Nicholas Schrecongost, Natural Resources
Specialist, Salem Environmental
Anthony Savage, Laborer, Hillsville AHQ
Justin Trimble, Laborer, Laurell AHQ
Promotions/Transfers/
Relocations
Lucas Showalter, Apprentice, Salem Southern
Construction Area
EMPLOYEE UPDATES
Virginia Department of Transportation
Salem District
Office of Communications
731 Harrison Avenue, Salem, VA 24153
jeremy.bartlett@vdot.virginia.gov
540-387-5250
©2023 Commonwealth of Virginia
Dustin Osborne, Operator, Hillsville AHQ
Darrell Sowers, Interstate Maintenance
Operator Manager, Salem Maintenance
Gary Isley, Operator, Martinsville Sign Shop
Matthew Stump, Operator, Pearisburg AHQ
Retirements
Senior Engineer Mark McKissick retired from
Location and Design after 30 years of service.
Operator Helbert Treadway retired from
Sydnorsville AHQ after 29 years of service.
Deaths
Retiree Scott Stewardson passed away in
August.
OCT
09
COLUMBUS
DAY