Gov. Parson gives State of the State Address | |
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On Jan. 18, Gov. Mike Parson delivered the 2023 State of the State Address to the Missouri General Assembly. In his recommended budget, Parson called on the General Assembly to make an investment to widen and rebuild the I-70 corridor. His plan invests $859 million and expands six lanes from St. Louis to Warrenton, Kansas City to Odessa, and work both east and west from Columbia. I-70 is one of the most traveled stretches of highway in Missouri.
He also prioritized major investments in infrastructure, including $25 million to update railway crossings across the state to modern day safety standards.
Parson highlighted one of the largest projects currently underway in the state, the I-270 North project in St. Louis. He highlighted the I-270 project’s Project Pave, which is a STEM program that works to mentor, teach, and support students in North St. Louis County high schools. He recognized one of the students who graduated from Project Pave and secured full-time employment with Millstone Weber as an IT Technician directly out of high school. The director of Project Pave and seven students were recognized in the gallery during the speech.
|  | Gov. Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson recognized the I-270 Project Pave administrator and some students as part of his State of the State Address. | |
Parson recognized the success of the Focus on Bridge program, which includes repairing or replacing 250 of our state’s poorest bridges. To date, MoDOT has 222 bridges completed, and the remaining bridges will be under contract by March. He highlighted the Governor’s Rural Road Program to address crumbling roads in rural areas. Thanks to the rural routes program established in last year’s budget, 1,700 lane miles of low-volume roads in the poorest conditions will be resurfaced by the end of June of this year.
He mentioned the Transportation Cost-Share program, which the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission recently awarded 28 local transportation projects with the funding to improve roads and bridges and bring economic development to their areas. Through the $75 million dollar investment and partnering with both public and private entities, it leveraged more than $175 million dollars in new projects.
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Leadership in Action program | |
Leadership can take many forms. Sometimes it can be an action or attitude that might go unnoticed or unrecognized but has a big impact. Often, it appears in the actions of a fellow employee who is not in a formal leadership role. That's part of the inspiration behind the "Leadership in Action" employee recognition program. The program is based on a peer-to-peer recognition structure - an employee seeing another employee demonstrating MoDOT values and recognizing them for that leadership.
The criteria for who should receive a coin is up to the judgement of a coin holder. It could be a small act of consideration and barely noticed, or it could be for something big. Either way, this program allows employees to receive recognition from some of the most important people in their day-to-day lives – the colleagues they work with every day. Passing of the coin in recognizing leadership is what makes this program successful. If you are a current coin holder, please be sure to be looking for the next leader to move that recognition forward.
Passing Along a Leadership Coin
When you are ready to pass the coin onto the next leader, please send the program administrator the following information:
- The number of the coin.
- The name of the recipient.
- A brief description of why they earned the Leadership Coin.
You may send the information three ways:
- Send an email to LeaderCoin@modot.mo.gov.
- Send a text to 573-257-7230.
- Leave a voicemail at 573-257-7230.
Keepsake Coin
The purpose of the Leadership in Action program is to pass these numbered coins and provide continuous recognition of great leadership at MoDOT. If you would like to keep a coin permanently, please send an email to LeaderCoin@modot.mo.gov and we can provide a non-numbered keepsake coin.
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New Missouri Way Training Series now available | |
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The next installment of the Missouri Way Training Series is now available to MoDOT team members!
The new Show-Me Excellence Yellow Belt training provides courses on enhanced problem-solving tools, such as Root Cause Analysis, Fishbone Diagram, Eight Wastes Process Mapping, Key Metrics and Dashboards.
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This new course is now available on MOLearning at the link above. It lasts just over three hours but is broken into sections, allowing viewers to watch at their convenience.
The training also counts toward the LDR hours required for all supervisors.
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How does alcohol affect my weight?
Everyone’s body has a set number of calories necessary to maintain weight based on several factors such as sex, height, weight, body composition and activity level.
One serving of alcohol contains about 98 calories. Other drinks that mix wine or distilled spirits with juices or other beverages have even more.
Calories from alcohol are often referred to as empty calories, meaning that your body cannot use these calories for energy like it can with protein, carbohydrates and fat. In addition, alcohol is a toxin that your liver must metabolize before it can work on any food you have eaten. This compounds the effects of consuming high-calorie foods with alcohol.
Alcohol may also increase feelings of hunger. One study showed a 20% increase in calories eaten at a meal when alcohol was consumed before eating. There was a total caloric increase of 33% when calories from the alcohol were added. Since alcohol provides many calories in a small volume, these additional calories can very easily contribute to weight gain over a short amount of time.
How can alcohol lead to nutrient deficiencies?
Nutrient deficiencies may occur over time when alcohol starts to replace nutrient-dense foods. Malnutrition is a common concern among long-term alcoholics. The effects of long-term malnutrition may include liver disease, pancreatitis and increased risk for some cancers.
Can alcohol be good for me in moderation?
Some studies have shown that moderate consumption of alcohol (one or two drinks per day) may have some health benefits. Other studies (on those over the age of 30) suggest that some alcoholic beverages, red wine in particular, may lower blood pressure and levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. These benefits, however, may also be gained from a healthy lifestyle, including a diet low in fat and high in physical activity. It is also of note that the antioxidants and phytochemicals in red wine may also be found in red grapes and red grape juice.
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Kansas City employee commended by customer | |
Motor Assistance Shift Supervisor Gregory Morgan. | |
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Motor Assistance Shift Supervisor Gregory Morgan was recently commended for his outstanding service by a MoDOT customer.
On Jan. 6, David Jordan got a flat tire on Interstate 70 near Noland Road in Independence during rush hour traffic.
“I have changed a lot of tires in my life with no problem, but my jack kept falling off the car due to the road being slanted,” said Jordan. He expressed how he had an amazing experience and interaction with Morgan. When MoDOT was dispatched, the problem was quickly diagnosed, and Morgan came back with the tools needed to take care of the problem.
“Sincerely, this man was an angel because I didn’t know what else to do since my phone was being repaired and I couldn’t call anyone,” said Jordan.
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Morgan explained to the customer it was a pleasure for him to help people and see them smile. He has been with MoDOT for 44 years and the department is lucky to have him. | |
Blood drive held at Northwest District Office | |
Another successful blood drive was held Jan. 11 at the Northwest District Office. Senior Risk Management Technician Amber Dydell coordinated the drive with the Community Blood Center. The four-hour drive drew employees from several maintenance buildings, the district office, retirees and at least one member of the public. In total, 12 pints were collected from 11 donors, including three who were donating for the first time. | |
St. Joseph Maintenance Worker Daniel Roe, a first-time blood donor, enjoys some snacks after donating during the blood drive at the Northwest District Office. | |
Pavement Specialist Kris Buczek (back left), Albany Maintenance Crew Leader Danny Woody (front left), Albany Intermediate Maintenance Worker Wyatt Starmer (partially hidden, right) and Albany Maintenance Leader Jason Baldwin (hidden, back right) participated in the blood drive held Jan. 11 at the Northwest District Office. | |
Roy Cota
Southwest District Motorist Assistance Operator
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Southwest District Motorist Assistance Operator Roy Cota has been with MoDOT for eight years. His job duties are wide and varied. After checking his truck and equipment to make sure everything is in order at the beginning of his shift, he’s ready to respond to calls to help stranded drivers or assist first responders during traffic crashes. When he’s not needed in those situations, he’s patrolling the area around Joplin and the western part of the district, looking for damage to state property that may have occurred overnight and things like abandoned or stalled vehicles.
He says what he likes best is helping people at a job that also allows him to support his wife and four children.
When he’s not at work, you can find Roy enjoying time with his family.
Roy brings a unique set of skills and experiences to his job.
“My diverse background aids me in assisting more people,” Roy said. “I have used my language skills (he is fluent in Spanish) to translate, my emergency skills to save lives and my transportation knowledge to keep traffic moving.”
One thing Roy said he didn’t expect on the job was how much interaction he’d have with law enforcement, first responders, the general public and public officials. And it’s that interaction that is recognized as one of Roy’s strengths. In November 2022, he received the Chief’s Cross award from the Joplin Fire Department. It recognized his “efforts to continually support and advance the mission of the Joplin Fire Department.”
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Corbin, Mark NW 33
Ellison, Marisa NE 22
Dauma, Tanya NE 29
Mallett, William NE 28
Wombwell, Travis NE 30
Fisher, Mark KC 29
Kunze, David CD 25
Zeigenbein, Douglas CD 23
Engelage, Victor CD 18
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Bollinger, Dale CD 22
Reynolds, Mark CD 21
Gettemeier, Kathy SL 34
Mckee, Scott SW 28
Campbell, Steven SW 29
Gayman, Matthew SW 28
Morgan, Randall SW 22
Hess, Paula SW 22
Hill, Terry SE 15
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Vermillion, Jackie SE 33
Pfeffer, Mark SE 30
Green, Timothy SE 23
Drinkard, Charlotte CO 26
Smith, Michael CO 28
Welch, Denise CO 6
Hay, Brent CO 13
Jackson, Kelly CO 26
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The mission of Connections is to be a source of MoDOT news
and feature articles that connect employees statewide.
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Comments
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We want to hear from you!
Send comments and suggestions to:
bethany.belt@modot.mo.gov
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MoDOT Communications
P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, Mo 65102
573-751-2840 | www.modot.org
Editor: Sr. Communications Specialist Bethany Belt
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