From staff reports
Two local men were among 29 employees with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation who were honored for their outstanding performance with the agency’s Star of Excellence award.
Chad Tarr and Jon Richardson were honored Wednesday with PennDOT’s highest recognition award.
Tarr and Richardson work in PennDOT’s District 1, which covers Venango, Forest, Mercer, Crawford, Erie and Warren counties.
Gramian and other department executives honored winners of the award during an online ceremony.
“Over the years, Jon and Chad have both shown their willingness to take on innovative and impactful projects to help increase department efficiencies and be good stewards of the funding we are provided,” said Brian McNulty, executive from PennDOT’s District 1. “Above that, they take time to mentor newer employees in order to share their knowledge to help strengthen PennDOT and improve our service to the residents and visitors of the northwest region,” he said.
Richardson, who lives in Polk, is a survey tech supervisor. He has been instrumental in the evaluation and implementation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Drone Technology at the district and state levels and ensuring the accuracy of data. He produced training recommendations, presentations, and a best practices document for using the drone and software.
His efforts will save the department time and money, increase safety and decrease traffic disruptions as PennDOT moves toward increased use of this new technology. The estimated annual savings from the drone program is $20,000.
As part of the Hunter Station Bridge replacement project, Tarr worked with the contractor to develop a traffic control plan, replacing the 45-mile detour with temporary signals and saving motorists an estimated $404,378.
The Star of Excellence Awards are presented annually to employees who represent the department’s values of service, performance and integrity. The recipients represent a variety of organizational positions, spanning from highway maintenance and driver and vehicle services workers, to traffic control specialists, communications staff and design and engineering specialists.
