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HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Tuesday recognized 48 PennDOT employees with Innovation Awards for their efforts to improve work practices and create efficiencies. Two team members from PennDOT’s District 1, which represents Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Warren and Venango counties, were among the honorees.
“PennDOT has a strong legacy of creativity to help us meet our daily mission and goals,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “I’m proud to recognize these employees for their creativity and dedication to the department.”
Employees were recognized for ideas and smart practices submitted through IdeaLink 20/20 and PennDOT WorkSmart, online employee engagement systems that allow employees to share their ideas and efficient work practices.
Over the last decade, PennDOT employees have submitted approximately 3,700 ideas through IdeaLink, nearly a quarter of which have been implemented. Since 2016, approximately 240 smart practices have been published in PennDOT’s WorkSmart system.
Gramian and other department executives honored winners Adam Elms, Warren-Forest County Manager, and Frank Byers, Warren County equipment operator, during a virtual ceremony. Elms and Byers were recognized for creating a new storage area for brine pumps and a mock brine pumping area for testing and troubleshooting. The effort has resulted in faster, more consistent brine production and an overall improved process.
