By Doug Mack

It was the most punderful day of the year on Feb. 8 as MnDOT revealed the eight winners of the third annual Name a Snowplow Contest. The announcement was the culmination of a process that began in November, when the agency asked the public for nominations and received more than 10,000 entries that celebrated winter weather, big trucks and clean roads through clever wordplay.

Here are the eight winners and their respective districts:

• Clearopathtra – District 1
• Blader Tot Hotdish – District 2
• Better Call Salt – District 3
• Sleetwood Mac – District 4
• Blizzo – Metro District
• Scoop! There it is – District 6
• Han Snowlo – District 7
• Yer a Blizzard, Harry – District 8

Staff in the Office of Communications and Public Engagement narrowed the list down to 60 finalists based on criteria, including originality and number of people who submitted the name, during the initial nomination period. The final voting was open to the public, with more than 64,000 people casting ballots.

Media interest in the contest remained high, with stories in print, television and radio outlets across the state, and national coverage including a segment on NBC Nightly Newson Feb. 13.

The singer Lizzo, fresh off a Grammy win for Record of the Year earlier in the month, posted a video on Twitter celebrating her namesake snowplow — Blizzo – and said, with tongue firmly in cheek, “Of all the awards that I have received, this, by far, is the highest honor.” As of Feb. 13, the video had been viewed more than 1 million times.

By Doug Mack

The Minnesota Senate confirmed Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger with bipartisan support on Feb. 6. She has served as the agency’s commissioner since May 2022, when she was officially appointed by Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.

Daubenberger has worked for MnDOT for more than 23 years. Before taking her current role, she served as deputy commissioner and chief engineer for three years. she has also served as assistant commissioner for engineering services, the state bridge engineer, and previously worked in planning, project management and design roles for the MnDOT Bridge Office and Metro District. Earlier in her career, Daubenberger worked in consulting for six years, in both bridge and road design.

“Nancy Daubenberger’s work to improve and expand our state’s extensive transportation system has already put the Minnesota Department of Transportation in a strong position for the future,” Walz said. “I look forward to working together to build a world-class transportation system with options for every Minnesotan.”

“Nancy Daubenberger is an accomplished leader who understands the importance of building coalitions to address the diversity of transportation needs across our state,” Flanagan said. “I’m excited to continue working alongside Nancy to build a safe, sustainable, and efficient transportation system that works for all Minnesotans.”

“I’m deeply grateful to Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan for the trust they have placed in me to lead MnDOT, and to be confirmed with bipartisan support in the Senate,” Daubenberger said. “MnDOT has important work ahead of us to achieve our vision of a multimodal transportation system that maximizes the health of people, the environment, and our economy. I look forward to continuing that work with partners across state and local government, the Legislature, as well as the labor and business communities.” 

By Doug Mack

How do you move around?

It’s a question central to MnDOT’s work as the agency seeks to understand transportation needs and plan the systems and infrastructure of the future.

It’s also a question that Sarah Petersen, MnDOT’s Sustainability and Public Health Fellow, is asking directly to both internal and external audiences, through an interactive website and a series of workshops.

Petersen is helping MnDOT explore creative ways of achieving Minnesota’s transportation greenhouse gas reduction goals by experimenting with artistic projects, tools and strategies that focus on community voices and experiences. With this project, she is helping MnDOT understand more about transportation users’ needs so that the agency can better serve the people of Minnesota and build a more sustainable and equitable transportation system.

“I’m excited for what this project can help MnDOT discover,” Petersen said. “Hearing directly from folks about their own experiences with transportation in their daily lives could provide certain kinds of data that MnDOT hasn’t had access to yet. I’m looking forward to hearing from people what works for them, and what they wish worked better in terms of their own transportation options. And I’m glad to try to help MnDOT expand its public engagement efforts in ways that support more people’s transportation needs even better than we have been.”

Petersen’s outreach efforts are primarily focused on the broader public, but she also wants to hear from MnDOT employees across the state and encourages their participation in any of the activities, including exploring the Tell Us How You Move Around website and taking the one-question survey.
Petersen is also holding three one-hour workshops for agency employees:

1. Tuesday, Feb. 21, from noon to 1 p.m. (online via Microsoft Teams)
2. Thursday, Feb. 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (in-person event at Central Office in St. Paul)
3. Thursday, March 2, from noon to 1 p.m. (online via Microsoft Teams)

Advance registration is required for all events.

In each workshop, participants will explore their current transportation habits and options, analyze individual and system transportation options with other attendees, and engage in interactive exercises to test new options for moving around in daily life. Participatory exercises will focus on “mode shift” or driving less, including production of personalized maps and, at the in-person workshops, personalized safety attire prototypes.

All of these initiatives are part of Petersen’s goal, as MnDOT’s Sustainability and Public Health Fellow, to engage in deep community listening, story gathering and collection of public insights from those experimenting with driving less and mode shift. Jessica Oh, strategic partnerships director in the Sustainability and Public Health Office, said that Petersen’s work is a key part of the agency’s aim to understand what perspectives and lived experiences may be overlooked in other information-gathering efforts as it works towards its broader, long-term goal of reducing vehicle miles traveled.

Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger has announced several updates regarding MnDOT’s assistant commissioners, including one new appointee and four who will continue in their existing roles:

• Karin van Dyck has been appointed Assistant Commissioner of Workforce and Agency Services, effective Feb. 15. She has been the Director of the Office of Human Resources since 2011, leading the agency’s Human Resources and Labor Relations functions.
• Michael Beer will continue in his role as Assistant Commissioner of the Engineering Services Division. Beer had been serving as the Interim Assistant Commissioner since March 2022. 
• Tim Sexton will continue to serve as Assistant Commissioner of the Sustainability, Planning and Program Management Division. Sexton had been serving as the Interim Assistant Commissioner for this division since July 2022.
• Jay Hietpas will continue to serve as Assistant Commissioner of the Operations Division. He has held this role since August 2019.
• Kristine Elwood will continue to serve as Assistant Commissioner, State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications. She has served the agency in this position since August 2019. 

The full list of Commissioner Daubenberger’s staff is available on the MnDOT website.

Paul Johns appointed new State Construction Engineer

Paul Johns is MnDOT’s new State Construction Engineer and Office of Construction and Innovative Contracting director. Johns had been serving in an interim capacity in these roles after the recent retirement of Tom Ravn.

By Matthew Shands, Assistant to the CFO, Commissioner’s Office

The MnDOT Library has a new data management resource, available to all employees. “Data Management Body of Knowledge,” also known as DMBOK, is a creation of the Data Management Association that provides critical information on all topics relating to data management, including data governance, database operations, data security, data warehousing and data quality.

To access DMBOK, go to the MnDOT Library website and search for “DMBOK.”

Using the DMBOK as a professional development tool will support MnDOT’s ongoing efforts to enhance the agency’s information infrastructure and to apply effective data management principles. This, in turn, will strengthen the agency’s ability to manage data effectively and get the most value from its roadway construction project data.

MNIT and MnDOT data management leaders are developing a series of lunch-and-learn sessions to share the information presented in the DMBOK. Some groups have DMBOK discussion series already in the works, including the Data Optimization Users Group, also known as DOUG, which is comprised of MnDOT and MNIT staff engaged in developing and using MnDOT’s data applications for road and bridge construction projects.  

Data governance efforts are a growing priority for the agency for a variety of reasons, including the critical importance of data ethics, which has grown alongside MnDOT’s ability to explore and use the vast amount of data and information available to the agency.

“The DMBOK will be a valuable resource for MnDOT or MNIT staff,” said Melanie Olson, MNIT’s Data Warehouse Supervisor and an active DOUG member, who was instrumental in promoting the resource. “It will support efforts that are well-aligned with MNIT’s mission to deliver secure, reliable technology solutions.”

By Doug Mack

Orlanda Klinkhammer, Office of Civil Rights, received the Claudia Osterman Women’s Advocate Award from the Association of Women Contractors at the organization’s 2022 Holiday Celebration on Dec. 1, 2022. Klinkhammer is the fourth person to receive the award, which honors “a person who has gone above and beyond in advocating for women in construction.”

In a career that has spanned more than 35 years in the Office of Civil Rights (beginning before it even had that name), Klinkhammer has worked on many projects and ongoing duties, including directing inquiries from small business owners and organizing events designed to increase the small business participation in MnDOT projects. She has also been active with AWC for many years, including serving on its board of directors from 2005 to 2007.

In prepared remarks at the event, Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger hailed Klinkenhammer’s work as a vital contributor to OCR’s operations, saying, “Orlanda has dedicated her entire career serving small business owners and they, in turn, have placed their professional trust in her abilities.”

By Joseph Palmersheim

Gabe Dretsch, an environmental coordinator in District 4, recently won a 2023 innovation award from the Minnesota Erosion Control Association. The organization honored Dretsch and three other winners during an event on Jan. 25.

“I was surprised and honored to even be nominated for the award,” Dretsch said. “It is exciting to see that the work we are doing in the district may open the door for us, and other districts, to more effectively protect water resources through our storm water management. Our goal is to treat the water resources along or adjacent to the project area as effectively as we can, and not just do the minimum to meet permit requirements.”

Dretsch, who has been with MnDOT for five years, works mostly with environmental documentation and environmental permitting for District 4’s projects. He’s passionate about working with different functional areas throughout the district, and MnDOT’s Office of Environmental Stewardship, to minimize environmental impacts on jobs and improve the natural resources along the state’s highways.

Dwayne Stenlund, a natural resource program coordinator based at Central Office, nominated Dretsch for the award. He reviews permit compliance on projects, and works with Dretsch to ensure understanding of commitments made to stakeholders during that process. Dretsch has natural curiosity and an interest in improving ways of operation, Stenlund said.

“I don't know if people know how hard it is to thread the needle and get environmental permits for our projects,” Stenlund said. “We have to make promises to a variety of stakeholders, including tribes, the DNR, the MPCA and the local community. It costs money to protect the environment during construction, and it's not a trivial amount. It takes a lot of trust, and our word [as an agency] matters. You need a person like Gabe, who is a champion for the environment. I nominated him as a way to say ‘Keep doing it,’ and to say thank you. The work he does is key to the success at MnDOT.”

Being a champion for the environment is nothing new for Dretsch. As a young person, he wanted to pursue a future in wildlife management.

“I’ve always had a passion for restoration and conservation of our natural resources,” he said. “I’ve worked for the public sector in a natural resources-related field for about 8 years prior to joining MnDOT. I ended up at MnDOT because I saw it as an opportunity to advance my career and step out of my comfort zone.”

By Micaela Resh, Office of Research & Innovation

MnDOT’s Research Steering Committee and the Minnesota Local Road Research Board have announced funding awards for the latest round of academic transportation research Request for Proposals. Researchers from qualified universities around the USA submitted more than 80 proposals and 28 new academic research projects received funding.

In these projects, researchers will address transportation challenges such as:

• Assessing the need for floodplain culverts based on geomorphology
• Mitigating community harms of dense highway infrastructure “spaghetti junctions”
• Right-turn lane safety improvements for pedestrians
• Human-centered testing of rear-facing display to reduce vehicle collisions with snowplows
• Use of plastics in road materials (paving)

“We’re proud of MnDOT’s robust research program and our ability to continue to serve as a national leader in this area,” said Katie Walker, MnDOT Research & Innovation Director. “This new selection of research projects addresses a wide array forward thinking transportation questions. We’re grateful for the many hands that play a part in this process.”

Each spring, the MnDOT Research Steering Committee and the Minnesota Local Road Research Board solicit research ideas from transportation practitioners and later request proposals from universities. In December, the research governing boards meet to hear these proposals and select projects for funding. To receive updates on any of the funded projects, select “subscribe” on the project webpage. To volunteer for a project advisory team, contact MnDOT Research.

Have an idea for MnDOT's next funding cycle? Visit IdeaScale to submit your idea by March 15.

By Doug Mack

After hosting a successful lunch-and-learn event on Feb. 13 featuring representatives from Departments of Transportation around the USA, the African American Employee Resource Group continues its celebration of Black History Month with a look at the local history.

The upcoming event, “Hidden in Plain Sight: A History of the Places We Go,” will feature a presentation by Christopher Lehman, Professor of Ethnic Studies at St. Cloud State University. Prof. Lehman will share his research on the history of Southern slaveholders and their influence on Minnesota commerce and economy as they traveled to Minnesota seeking new opportunities before the Civil War. His award-winning book “Slavery’s Reach: Southern Slaveholders in the North Star State” will serve as the foundation for this presentation. Read more about Professor Lehman on the Minnesota Writers Directory.

• Monday, Feb. 27, noon – 1:30 p.m.
• Join the Hidden in Plain Sight Lunch and Learn on Teams

To learn more about the AAERG, including how to join, visit their page on visit the AAERG page on iHub.