Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is proud to announce that several employees are recipients of the Governor’s Awards for Excellence, presented annually for exemplary service to the commonwealth.
“PennDOT employees go above and beyond for the public every day,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “I am so proud of all that these employees have done, and I thank Governor Wolf for recognizing their hard work and service to the people of Pennsylvania.”
Employees from Engineering District 12 (Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties) and the bureaus of Office Services and Fiscal Management received a group award. On Memorial Day in 2019, PennDOT’s Greene County maintenance office in was destroyed in a fire. There were no injuries, but the building was a total loss. Despite having no building to operate from, staff continued operations in Greene County with no interruption in services to the public. They also worked quickly to secure both a temporary office space and a garage space. Less than eight months after the fire, a new permanent building was designed, put out for bid and is currently under construction.
“The teamwork of this group demonstrates PennDOT’s agility to react to emergencies,” said District 12 Executive William Kovach. “They did whatever it took to provide reliable services to the public, and I’m extremely proud.”
The recognized individuals are:
- William Baird, Highway Equipment Manager 2;
- William C. Gipe, Materials and Services Manager;
- Christopher S. Inman, Purchasing Agent Supervisor;
- Tamie Kiger, Clerical Supervisor 2;
- Timothy J. Mankey, Traffic Control Specialist;
- Ryan Stephen Medvitz, Civil Engineer Manager;
- Terrence G. Pearsall, Transportation Facilities Management Chief;
- Jack C. Rice, Transportation Facility Manager 3;
- Tammy H. Tedesco, Administrative Officer 4; and
- Leslie D. Wynn, Fiscal Management Specialist 4.
PennDOT REAL ID Program Manager Sarah D. Baker has also been recognized for her efforts in making REAL ID-compliant driver licenses and photo ID cards available to Pennsylvanians. Because of prior legislation that prohibited Pennsylvania from complying with the federal REAL ID Act, PennDOT only had 19 months to make REAL IDs available to Pennsylvanians. Baker immersed herself in federal REAL ID guidelines to ensure that PennDOT’s program complies with applicable laws and regulations. Baker also coordinated closely with contractors on the construction of five new driver’s license centers, was instrumental in the design of IT infrastructure to support the REAL ID program, and conducted extensive research on customer management so that each location was designed for the optimal customer experience.
“Sarah’s efforts were – and still are – critical to the success of PennDOT’s REAL ID program,” said Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services Kurt Myers. “Thanks to her commitment, Pennsylvanians have access to an efficient process that complies with all applicable federal requirements.”
The PennDOT award recipients will be among 49 state employees representing nine commonwealth agencies recognized by Governor Wolf at a virtual ceremony.
