Recognizing Acts of Excellence: Spring 2024 Honorees

Brian Inglis, Senior Technician
Structural Engineering

The Act: Brian is naturally innovative, always wanting to expand his personal knowledge and offer more of himself for the good of the project and team. One such example is earning his Part 107 Drone Pilot License, envisioning he could implement this skill into bridge inspections. Brian recently discovered that a previous bridge inspection lacked elevation views due to the bridge’s length and position along a canyon gorge. To address this, he used a drone to capture the bridge from angles over the gorge, a creative tactic for this client. This new technique significantly enhanced the report’s detail and quality.

Another example of Brian's innovation shining through is his use of the Structural Inspection Management Software Application (SIMSA), recently adopted by Colorado Department of Transportation. This new system replaces paper notes with tablets for real-time data entry and photo uploads, streamlining the inspection process. Brian embraced this technology and led SEH's transition to tablet-based inspections. He thoroughly prepared for the change and now trains other inspectors in using SIMSA, ensuring the success of this modern approach.

Vince Burr, Senior Resident Project Representative
Construction Services

The Act: A street project presented significant challenges, mainly resident access. With over 150+ homes in the neighborhood and only two access points, the project required ongoing updates and coordination between the project team, residents, and contractors. Vince managed the complexity with remarkable efficiency.

What sets Vince apart is his exceptional dedication to the safety and well-being of residents impacted by the project. His proactive approach to coordinating with residents and addressing their needs, especially during critical phases of the work, underscores his genuine concern. His efforts have not gone unnoticed, with public works staff and residents expressing their deep appreciation for his commitment and care.

The Act: Securing approval for the geometric layout was a crucial milestone in a recent interchange project. Our team successfully designed and modeled the roadway geometrics, including multiple roundabouts and extensive interchange improvements. Despite concerns about a potentially lengthy confirmation process due to past experiences with similar projects, our proactive approach made a significant difference.

Early coordination with relevant design support units and committees, coupled with our team’s extensive experience in roundabout and interchange design, ensured a smooth review process. Thanks to our thorough quality reviews and the collaborative efforts of our design and layout team, we addressed only a couple of minor comments, leading to prompt authorization of the layout. Specifically, Scott’s expansive roundabout and interchange design experience and familiarity with the layout approval process; Ken and Luke's quality reviews; and the design and layout preparation support provided by Jason, Cory, Matt, and Derek resulted in only two minor or follow-up design-related comments. These were quickly resolved, paving the way for layout agreement. The successful and timely approval underscores our commitment to delivering quality solutions and maintaining strong professional relationships.

Team Photo
Top L-R: Matt Barnes, Technician and Ken Brubaker, Professional Engineer (CO, MI, MN)
Middle L-R: Derek Carlson, Technician; Cory Flor, Senior Technician; and Scott Hotchkin, Senior Professional Engineer (CO, IA, IL, IN, MN, NC, ND, NE, SD, TX, VA, WI)
Bottom L-R: Luke Johnson, Professional Engineer (MN) and Jason Lenneman, Graduate Engineer
Highway Design