District News

Headquarters

Welcome

Samantha Brown, Patrol-Support Services-Dispatch; Ismael Gallegos, Driver Services-Laramie; Charles Glaser, Patrol-Support ServicesDispatch; Melony Hodgeman, Fuel TaxAdministration; David Hood, Financial Services-General Ledger; Aspen Joiner, Highway Development-Administration; Beau Kelley, Geology; Caylee King, Port of Entry-Cheyenne I-25; Patricia Rock, Fuel Tax-Administration; Erik Wagner, Bridge-Operations Inspection; and Forrest Zwieg, Highway DevelopmentPhotogrammetry/Survey.

Services-Administration; Brent Burgess, Planning-Counter Shop; Kyle Creswell, Materials-Pavement Management System; William Earnest, Patrol-Capitol Services Protection; Denis Girardin III, GIS/ITS; Troy Grandpre, Highway Development-Project Development; Tommy Kennedy, Patrol-Capitol Services Protection; Benjamin Kiel, Patrol-Capitol Services Protection; Daniel Kindsvater, Emergency Communications-WyoLink; Jana Molland, Motor Vehicle ServicesRegistration/Title WYDOT Headquarters; Jennifer Nordwick, Highway Development-Project Development.

Service Awards

Bryan Wenger, EquipmentAdministration – 30 years; Chelsey Lindsay, Budget – 15 years; Melissa Palka, Construction Staff – 5 years.

Promotions and Transfers

Colton

Archuleta, Driver Services-CheyenneAdministration; Mia Belving, Procurement

Retirements

Cristy Bigelow, senior accountant in Cheyenne, retired in February with 11 years of service to the state, including about five and a half years with WYDOT.

Gerald Collicott, fabricator at the Rigging shop at WYDOT headquarters, retired in February after 20 years of service with the state.

Collicott first started with the mechanic shop in Cheyenne.

After 29 years of service to the state, project engineer Paul Smith with WYDOT project development in Cheyenne retired in February.

Smith first started with WYDOT as a planning/inventory engineer technician and also spent time as a design engineer for project development.

He graduated from the University of Wyoming’s College of Engineering and even spent time working for UW as a lab technician and as a graduate assistant and researcher.

Cheyenne man represented Wyoming in tri-state contest

On Saturday March 18, Cliff Spoonemore, of Cheyenne, took first place in the Toastmasters District 26 Northern Division

Table Topics contest. In this contest he was pitted against other toastmasters from around the state and western Nebraska. All were given the same topic and required to deliver a 1-2 minute speech on the subject of “Is it better to be Loved or to Love others?”

Spoonemore was judged to have given the best speech and will represent the Northern Division of District 26 which encompasses all of Wyoming except Uinta, Lincoln and Teton counties and the Nebraska panhandle. He will compete against the rest of the District at the District 26 spring conference to be held in Breckenridge on April 29.

Spoonemore is a member of Roadmasters Toastmasters who meet at the Wyoming Department of Transportation training building every Monday at noon. He has been a member of this club for five years.

Currently, he is a maintenance operations engineer at the Department where he has been employed for 39 years. He and his wife, Jeri, have two daughters.

District 1

Welcome

Larretta Ackerman, Driver ServicesRawlins/Baggs; David Gordon, Cheyenne

Maintenance; Stephen Kruhmin, Emergency Communications-Microwave; David Polzella, Rawlins Mechanics; Peter Tyler, Medicine Bow Maintenance; and Lamar Williams, Laramie MaintenanceGuardrail.

District 2

Welcome

Russell Eason, Douglas Maintenance; Shay Herrera, Port of Entry-Casper; Curtis Roper, Douglas Maintenance; Justin Skinner, Douglas Maintenance; Charles Stephens, Wheatland Maintenance; and Daniel Taussig, Lusk Maintenance.

Service Awards

Samual Blaney, Port of Entry-Lusk years; Claudia Cartwright, Douglas Construction – 5 years; and Larry Murphy, Lusk Maintenance – 5 years.

Promotions and Transfers

Wyatt Houston, Elk Mountain

Maintenance; Dustin Macy, District 1 Construction Staff; and Caleb Pimmel, Rawlins Construction.

Service Awards

Mark Urban, Cheyenne

Construction – 25 years.

Debra Cain, Driver ServicesTorrington/Lusk – 25 years; Jeffrey Mueller, Torrington Maintenance – 25 years;

Joshua Simonson, Casper Maintenance –15 years;

Marc Wheeler, Traffic-Electrical – 15 years;

Wade Wintermote, Douglas Construction – 15 years;

District 3

Welcome

Adam Benton, Traffic-Electrical; Amanda Chadwick, Rock Springs

Mechanics; Alan Micklich, Farson

Maintenance; Brooke Pollard, Pinedale

Construction; Rocky Sanchez, Emergency Communications-District 3 Radio Shop; and Fallon Schwab, Afton Construction.

Promotions and Transfers

Ty Jereb, Rock Springs TrafficStriping.

Service Awards

Kurt Anselmi, Jackson Construction – 25 years; and Tonia Spurrier, Rock Springs Construction – 5 years.

Retirements

Becky Hager, senior staff technician with Rock Springs

Construction, retired in February after more than 40 years of service with the state.

Bill Johns Afton striping technician

Bill Johns retired in February after 27 years of service with the state.

District 4

Welcome

Parker Tiffany, Sheridan Mechanics.

Promotions and Transfers

Stephan Charles II, Buffalo Construction; Kayla Hardesty, Sheridan Construction; Joseph Lambert, Newcastle Mechanics; Andrew Reimers, Buffalo Maintenance; Charles Schuler III, Gillette Mechanics; Kerry Welch, Buffalo Construction; and Robert Williams, Sheridan TrafficStriping.

Service Awards

Lawrence Konetzki, District 4 Maintenance Staff – 45 years; William Torrance, Emergency Communications-District 4 Radio Shop – 25 years;

Brian Brownell, Sheridan Mechanics – 20 years;

Retirements

Shane Pugh the retiring Riverton maintenance foreman, retired in February after more than 31 years of service with the state.

Pugh started with the striping crew out of Lander, and also spent time as a maintenance technician and HEO in the Lander and South Pass areas. He also previously worked in the Wyoming Game and Fish construction/maintenance and sign shop.

Joseph Yalowizer, Port of EntrySheridan – 10 years; and

Dea Koch, TrafficElectrical – 5 years.

District 5

Promotions and Transfers

Bryce Gilbert, Thermopolis Maintenance; and Scott Nolting, Riverton Construction.

Service Awards

Chad Shaffer, Shoshoni Maintenance – 20 years;

Barbara Archibald, District 5 Maintenance Staff –15 years; retirement luncheon at the Wyoming Department of Transportation office in Riverton. Pugh is the retiring Riverton maintenance foreman and Thomas the retiring heavy equipment operator. Both men leave WYDOT after serving as state public servants for decades, working to make Fremont County roadways safe during all seasons of the year.

Brian Martin, Lander Construction – 15 years; and Crystal Gullickson, Driver Services-Cody/Lovell – 5 years.

Beyond his work with the state, Pugh served with the US Air Force. In his spare time, Pugh loves hunting, fishing and woodworking.

After 30 years with the state, the retiring heavy equipment operator Neil Thomas retired in February.

Thomas started with WYDOT as an equipment operator in Worland and also spent time as a maintainer in Midwest. He graduated from Hot Springs County High School in 1986.

In his spare time, Thomas enjoys hunting, fishing and collecting rocks.

Plow driver and a little sand got commercial driver going

To whom it may concern,

This evening (Feb. 25) I spun out in my semi hauling fuel climbing a hill on South Pass. The top of the hill was a solid sheet of ice and put me, and other drivers, in a very dangerous situation.

One of your plow operators named Fred (I didn’t catch a last name) came to my rescue. He got sand put around my vehicle to get me moving and cleared me a path using sand to get me to safe roads. I wanted to give a huge thank you for employing such a wonderful helpful human being. He deserves all the praise in the world for saving what could have ended up in potential lives being in danger. In my long history of driving on Wyoming roads commercially and responding to these roads as a firefighter, tonight’s situation was the most dangerous one I have ever been in and Fred truly saved the day.

Casper area snow maintainers recognized by citizens

District 2 Public Involvement Specialist, Jeff Goetz, wrote up this Facebook post about a group who recognized the good work of our maintainers.

Every significant snow storm brings challenges and frustrations. Closed roads, closed businesses and schools - it can be very stressful on all of us.

Our snow plow operators face their challenges head-on, working long hours to open roads and keep them as clear and safe as possible. Often this work is criticized, and it’s nice for our folks to get a pat on the back from the community we all serve and are part of. Such was the case during this most recent storm for our Casper plow drivers.

Some thoughtful residents brought us food and snacks, drinks and even one pretty cool thank you card! HQ BBQ was very generous in their efforts – our drivers really appreciated that!

So we wanted to say thank you for thinking of us, and for everyone’s generosity. And to everyone, when the next storm buries us all deep in snow, a simple gesture whether it’s a handdrawn card, or helping someone clear out their driveway, can really make a person’s day, and help to bring our community a bit closer together. Thank you Casper!

Wyoming Strong – Don’t crowd the plow

Edie Reed, a CDL examiner in the Rock Springs Driver Services office, created this work of art featuring a WYDOT snowplow. Beyond using the plows as a muse for art, Reed has even volunteered to help plow this year amid staff shortages. Thank you Edie, and buckle up buttercup!

Centennial family thankful for snow plow crew

A local family expressed their gratitude to maintainer Edwin Leyba and supervisor Al Branscom in Laramie. From their note:

“Dear Edwin and Alan,

We are a family that lives in Centennial, and we wanted to tell you how thankful we are for you plowing Highway 130 between Laramie and Centennial. I’m sure you’ve put in a lot of hours keeping that open and we didn’t want your efforts to go unnoticed.

Thank you again! With gratitude,

The Demoret family – Kyle, Maria, Wyatt, Madelynn, Cordell and Lucienne.”

Each of the Demoret children drew or colored their own version of thank you for Leyba and Branscom.