By Joseph Palmersheim

No, Virginia, there won’t be a “Plowy McPlowface II.”

For the second year in a row, MnDOT is inviting the public to name another round of eight snowplows – one for each MnDOT district in the state.

Name ideas can be submitted on the MnDOT website until Wednesday, Dec. 15. The contest is open to both the public and MnDOT employees.

This year’s contest includes a few basic rules:

• Each person may submit up to three names.
• Each submission can have up to 30 characters.
• Previous winning names aren’t eligible. Politically inspired names (including phrases, slogans or plays on politicians’ names) or names including profanity or inappropriate language are also ineligible.

“Last year’s contest attracted national and international attention,” said Jake Loesch, director, Communications and Public Engagement. “We had 122,000 people submit and vote for their favorite plow names. Since people seemed to have so much fun with last year’s contest, it seemed like a great opportunity to continue that engagement and do it again.”

MnDOT staff will review all name submissions and select some of the best name ideas. The public will vote on their favorites in January 2022. The eight names that get the most votes will then make their way onto a snowplow in each district.

“People responded to this because it’s something fun and different,” Loesch said. “It gives our agency the opportunity to engage with people and let them have a say. It’s clear that Minnesotans take pride in our state and respect the work our snowplow drivers do to keep us all safe on the roads. This is also a great chance for MnDOT to remind folks about safe winter driving and giving snowplow drivers plenty of room to work.”

By Joseph Palmersheim

Dave Aeikens did everything fast.

“He walked fast, wrote fast and made friends fast,” said Christine Krueger, Metro District Communications and Engagement director. “We wish his time with us had not gone so fast. He leaves a big hole in our hearts.”

Aeikens, a Metro District public affairs coordinator, died Nov. 21 after complications from a liver condition. He was 53 years old.

The five-year MnDOT employee served as a public face of major projects around the Twin Cities, like Interstate 35W Downtown to Crosstown, Around the Airport, and I-94 Maple Grove to Clearwater. He worked with MnDOT staff and local media outlets to share details of the agency’s work, but never lost sight of who ultimately needed to hear the message, Krueger said.

“He was passionate about getting people the information they needed or had a right to know,” she said. “It didn’t matter if those people were CEO’s, concerned neighbors, frustrated motorists or reporters on deadline. He treated everyone with respect and kindness. His 25-year reporting career taught him how to build contacts, ask good questions and share critical information. He applied that to his work at MnDOT and quickly earned people’s trust and respect.”

Prior to MnDOT, Aeikens worked for KSTP and the St. Cloud Times. He also served as president of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Mike Dougherty, District 6 director of Public Engagement and Communications, met Aeikens when both were journalism students at the University of St. Thomas in the late 1980s. They kept in touch over the years as both colleagues and friends.

“Dave told several of us that he loved his job and it was the best one he’d ever had, which I took as a huge compliment of MnDOT, its people and its collaborative culture, given his love of journalism,” Dougherty said. “I’ll miss his upbeat attitude and excitement about work and the lives of those whom he worked with. We chatted a lot and now it’s so strange to realize that he won’t be at the end of that phone or Teams call.”

As Aeikens’ health declined, Dougherty said Dave was greatly impressed, but not surprised, at the support and concern he received from his work team at MnDOT.

“It speaks well about why he loved his team and his work at MnDOT,” Dougherty said. “He made many friends here and that was his life, a great big assortment of friends from whatever he was involved in or interested in. We’ll miss him.”

Services were held Wednesday, Dec. 1, in Northfield.

Obituary

Zachary Tess is the assistant district engineer for Program Delivery in District 7. His first day in the new role was Wednesday, Dec. 1.

The 14-year MnDOT employee started with District 7 as a student worker in 2007, and has worked in a variety of roles. Most recently, he served as project management group lead for District 7. He has more than 10 years of experience with transportation project development, including project management and design.

Tess earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He received his Professional Engineer’s license in 2013, and became a Certified Project Management Professional in 2018.

Tess replaces Peter Harff, who left MnDOT in September to pursue a new opportunity in the private sector.

Scott Morgan is the assistant maintenance engineer in District 7. His first day in the new role was Wednesday, Dec. 8.

The 19-year MnDOT employee most recently served as the hydraulics engineer in District 7. He also worked as the maintenance operations and bridge engineer for six years, and served as the bridge and hydraulics engineer for seven years. In addition, Morgan served in a six-month work out-of-class position as assistant maintenance engineer earlier this year.

Morgan earned both bachelors and master’s degrees in agricultural engineering from the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering in Minneapolis. He has been a licensed professional civil engineer since 1997.

Morgan replaces Jed Falgren, who left District 7 in 2019 to work in Central Office as the acting state maintenance engineer, director for MnDOT’s Transportation System Management and Operations, and state maintenance engineer for MnDOT.

Open enrollment for the next cohort of MnDOT’s Leadership Development Program runs Monday, Dec. 13, to Friday, Jan. 14, 2022.

Participants in this 11-month program will learn valuable leadership skills, network with other MnDOT employees, gain exposure to different MnDOT offices, and learn from professionals. A variety of online and in-person classes are already scheduled.  

LDP allows all employees to work on core competencies and attend learning opportunities that fit their work schedule. More than 1,700 employees have participated since LDP started in 2012.
Group 18’s program year starts March 1, 2022, and ends Jan. 27, 2023.

Employees can enroll by completing the Commitment Agreement found on the LDP website. Two important notes:

• Supervisor signature is required on the Commitment Agreement
• First-time participants are required to choose and attend an orientation session in February 2022.

Visit the LDP website for additional details. Interested employees can attend one of several upcoming Lunch and Learn Information sessions on Dec. 16, 2021; Dec. 21, 2021; or Jan. 5, 2022. Links for these sessions will be shared via NoteMailer. 

By Joseph Palmersheim

For nearly 29 years, MnDOT’s Seeds program has helped student workers bloom where they are planted.

Coming out of a pandemic, the program is looking for a little more “soil.”

There are 19 students currently in the Seeds program, ranging from student clerical workers to para-professional senior workers. Prior to COVID-19, the program had up to 36 students. The program can accommodate up to 45 students.

“The number of Seeds students significantly lowered due to the pandemic,” said Thuy Tran, Seeds Student Worker program manager. “Supervisors and managers went through a phase of uncertainty. They weren’t sure at the time on how to make work accessible for students in a remote setting as well as dealing with competing priorities among full-time staff as a result of the pandemic. As time has gone by, we have all been able to adapt to our new work environment. We now look to rebuild the number of students in the program.”

Started in 1993, the program provides paid college-level student worker positions to highly motivated minority or economically disadvantaged college students, students who are recently separated veterans, students with disabilities or female students in STEM or non-traditional fields of study. The program is designed to reflect the diverse communities MnDOT serves.

MnDOT staff and departments can help the Seeds program by identifying opportunities for students in their work units. Offices and districts are responsible for 50 percent of the salary for all Seeds student worker positions; the remainder comes from state funding.

“The Seeds program is a great pipeline for talent development, provides quality on-the-job experiences, employment opportunity and growth at MnDOT,” Tran said. “Additionally, the program has a high hiring rate of Seeds students upon graduation.

Learn more about the Seeds program. Contact Thuy Tran to request a Seeds worker.

The October issue of New Library Materials is available. This issue features “Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII,” by Chester Nez. New

Library Materials is a compilation of resources added to the library collection during the previous month. Visit mndot.gov/library/stay-current.html and click New Library Materials to sign up. Questions and feedback are welcome at Ask a Librarian.

By Joseph Palmersheim

Craig Westlund is a carpenter who has been with MnDOT for seven years. He is based in District 2.

What do you do in your role?
As a carpenter, I build office spaces and remodel for a variety of departments. As well as building a number of mezzanines for storage in District 2, I do a wide variety of other building maintenance projects as the needs arise.

What do you find interesting about it?
The most interesting thing about my job is the variety of work. It can be anything from replacing old, rusted doors all the way to adding new windows in truck stations. Carpentry is a very rewarding job. I enjoy seeing my progress as a job is started and then seeing it finish.

What’s a typical day like for you?
A typical day is hard to pinpoint. Mostly, it is projects based on need. Having 17 truck stations to maintain, there is always something to remodel or fix, from office spaces, breakrooms, windows and doors.

How did you become interested in carpentry?
I got interested in carpentry in high school. When I graduated, I went to the Northwest Technical College and completed their carpentry program. I’ve been a carpenter for 25 years. I enjoy building with my hands.

What’s your favorite part about what you do?
My favorite part of this job is finishing the projects. I like seeing the job start, from ordering the materials to building the project and then finishing it. Completing the job and seeing the department using it is pretty awesome.

One of the last things I will add is that I appreciate how MnDOT has the proper tools and safety equipment for me to use. It’s a great place to work!

Do you or a co-worker have an interesting job to share with readers? Send us your ideas, and we’ll contact you for more information.

Recent employee profiles:

• Tom Shields keeps drivers moving, informed
• Kaelyn Stahovich uses chemistry to test materials
• Rick Shomion helps train plow drivers