​The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Leslie S. Richards today recognized 30 PennDOT employees for their outstanding performance with the Star of Excellence Award, PennDOT’s highest recognition.

Two employees from PennDOT’s District 9, which represents Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties were among the honorees. 

“Every day, I am reminded of our employees’ dedication, their excellent customer service, and in many cases, their sacrifices,” said PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards. “The accomplishments of our Stars of Excellence exemplify PennDOT’s mission to provide the very best transportation services to Pennsylvanians every day.

Local winners Kelli Scalia from Huntingdon County and Zachary Ickes of Somerset County were honored this afternoon at an awards luncheon at the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg.

“It is such an honor to recognize such outstanding employees. We appreciate the extra effort they put into their daily duties and their efforts in finding cost savings for the department,” said Thomas A. Prestash PennDOT District 9-0 Executive.

Zachary, a Highway Foreman 2, from Berlin is well respected by Somerset County Employees and external partners for his work ethic and knowledge of crew operations and planning. Zach began his career with PennDOT as a Radio Dispatcher and utilized the Department's Workforce Development program to develop leadership and communication skills which resulted in several promotions throughout his 16 years of service. He effectively directs his crews to provide great customer service and excellent planning for operations each day. This planning results in Zach being able to manage his resources as well as equipment required, especially in communicating with vendors and the garage. Zach's crew completes quality work and the quantity of work exceeds production standards. In addition to performing this work county wide, the crew also performs shoulder back-up for the surface improvement work performed by Department Super Paving Crew. Cost savings of approximately $700,000 are attributed to the Department Force Operations he led and completed, without a contractor, for both Base Repair and Slide Repair.

Kelli, a Roadway Programs Coordinator, from Huntingdon, developed a succession plan to train employees in the store room as the current employees are nearing retirement.  With her forward thinking, job knowledge will be retained in Huntingdon County which will ensure they continue to perform at a high level, which ranks best in the state for inventory control. She continues to anticipate materials needs with careful attention to details. She ensures materials are available for projects, but does not overstock, which maintains a balanced budget. Kelli is always willing to learn about other positions within PennDOT, attended the Assistant County Maintenance Manager Academy this past fall, and has volunteered take the role of Acting Assistant County Manager during scheduled vacations and performed successfully.  She is a mentor to new hires and her approachable demeanor sets the example for all Huntingdon employees to follow.  Additionally, she organized a Holiday Food Drive in the local area by coordinating with other agencies and helping her community. Cost savings of $46,000 are attributed to her ability to control inventory.

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.

Subscribe to PennDOT news in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset Counties at www.penndot.gov/District9.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tara M. Callahan-Henry, 814-696-7101