District Briefs

Welcome

Katherine Ascough, Bridge-Hydraulics.

Promotions and Transfers

Ron Minjarez, Bridge-Engineering Design.

Service Awards

William Wilson, Highway Development-Engineering Services – 40 years; Paul Bustos, Office Services-Printing – 35 years;

John Goyen, Highway Development-Photogrammetry/Survey – 25 years;

Christine Grant, Budget – 20 years;

Steven Lund, Motor Vehicle Services-Plate Production – 20 years;

Lois Neckel, GIS/ITS – 15 years; Jennifer Naatz, Motor Vehicle Services-Registration/Title – 10 years; and Marshall Newlin, Bridge-Engineering Design – 10 years.

Retirements

Joshua Hardee retired as a lieutenant from the Highway Patrol in June after 17 years of service. Since 2016, he served as an explosives detection K-9 handler for the Highway Patrol’s Capitol Protection unit, Troop O. He also spent time as a narcotic K-9 handler in Casper. He started with WYDOT in 2006 as a trooper in Midwest. He received an associate’s degree in business administration from Casper College.

Camelia Kidd, Driver services quality control supervisor, retired in June with 33 years of service to the state.

Originally from Missouri, Kidd graduated from Laramie County Community College. She spent part of her career with the Department of Revenue and WYDOT’s Motor Vehicle Services program before landing at Driver Services.

District 1

Service Awards

Jesse Jenkins, Cheyenne Maintenance – 10 years; Andres Martinez, Patrol-Rawlins – 10 years; and James Elliott, District 1 Maintenance Staff – 5 years.

One sweet farewell to long-time District 1 HR Representative

By Andrea Staley

On June 6, our dear HR Representative in District 1, Ellen Teigen, retired. After 33 illustrious years, she has hung up her cap and is on to new adventures with her family and friends.

Having started at the old Wyoming Highway Department as a data controller in Laramie, she moved to HR in 1996. Many changes have happened throughout Teigen’s career, but one thing remained –her passion for her work. She consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to understanding the needs and aspirations of the employees of D1.

Teigen’s wealth of knowledge and experience made a profound impact on each employee she came into contact with. Through her dedication to each employee that worked for D1, she was able to foster an environment of open communication, compassion and genuine commitment to the well-being of all.

While we will miss her dearly, she is looking forward to her days now filled with camping, spending time with family and friends, and especially that extra time with her granddaughter.

Thank you so much Ellen, from everyone in District 1!

Adolph Narvais, Facilities Management-Grounds – 20 years;

Robyn Eifert, Procurement Services-Buying – 15 years;

District 2

Retirements

Scott Hokanson, highway maintenance specialist II in Kaycee, retired in June with 27 years of service to the state.

Born in Newcastle, Hokanson received an associate’s degree from Sheridan College and a bachelor’s degree from Chadron State College.

Ricky Schultz, highway maintenance technician in Wheatland, retired in June with 17 years of service to the state.

Schultz graduated from Wheatland High School.

Bruce Simmons, Senior Construction and Field Survey technician in Torrington, retired in June with 46 years of service to the state.

He started with WYDOT as a rodman and spent part of his career with the survey crew in Casper as well as the Casper field lab in the summers of 1977 and 1978 as well as from June 1979 to 1980.

He received degrees from Eastern Wyoming College, Casper College and University of Wyoming in civil engineering and farm and ranch management.

In The Community

District 2 and the WTDEA participated in the 2023 Central Wyoming Fair and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rodeo Parade July 11 in Casper. Neon Lights and Cowboy Nights was this year’s parade theme, so what better to convey drunk driving messages that a couple of cowboys who’ve had too much to drink –but aren’t riding!

District 4

Welcome

Levi Irons, Gillette Mechanics.

Service Awards

District 3

Service Awards

Klief Guenther, Patrol-Rock Springs – 25 years;

Bradford White, Patrol-Evanston – 25 years;

Amy Pearson, Driver Services-Evanston – 15 years;

Brad Baxter, Evanston Construction – 10 years;

James Dimele, Patrol-Pinedale – 10 years;

Darin Kaufman, District 3 Traffic Staff – 10 years; and

John Broad, Patrol-Sheridan – 25 years;

Dwayne Hunt, Patrol-Gillette – 25 years;

Dustin Hockett, Sheridan Maintenance – 15 years; and

Gary Klier, Port of Entry-Sheridan – 5 years.

Retirements

Charles Schuler

District 2’s Zach Miller, Kyle Williams, Tracy Firnekas and her son, Church, and Debbie Herbold with her grandkids, Hallee, Gracie, Jackson and Daniel posing near the float entry prior to the parade.

III, a senior heavy mechanic in Gillette, retired in June with four years of service to the state.

District 5 Service Awards

Kim Kurasz, Dubois Maintenance –25 years; Daniel Hite, Patrol-Cody – 5 years; and Jason Ramsey, Patrol-Lander – 5 years.

Retirements

Mark Redland, highway maintenance technician in Ten Sleep, retired in June with more than 28 years of service to the state. He began his career with WYDOT in November 1994.

Crews with Geovert scale the hillside above US 20/WYO 789 for loose rocks and mud after a $71,880 emergency contract with the Broomfield, Colorado, rock scaling company was launched in late April. Motorists in Wind River Canyon endured traffic delays of up to 20 minutes during the safety-critical project.