February family happenings
This segment of the Transportation Matters for Iowa blog is a space where Iowa DOT employees can share family milestones with their co-workers. Celebrating life events like the birth of a new baby, a wedding, retirement or other personal news brings us closer together as an Iowa DOT family. If you are an employee and want to submit information for this section, please click on the "submit a story" link in the upper right corner or contact the correspondent in your office or work location.
Employees from the Mason City driver’s license station, materials, annex, and District 2 Office wanted to help make Christmas merrier for a local woman undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The group worked with North Iowa Community Action to donate gifts and money in the spirit of the season.
Congratulations to Steve Timmerman on reaching the milestone of 40 years of service with the DOT.
Good luck to Bryan Dannen, former transportation student co-op in the District 2 Office. Bryan finished his work in the district office Dec. 20. His co-workers surprised Bryan with a huge monster cookie decorated in Bryan’s favorite colors of red and yellow. Go Clones! While Bryan left the district office, he stayed with the Iowa DOT as a transportation engineer intern in the Performance and Technology Division. We wish Bryan good luck and much success in his future.
Mark Black, District 2 maintenance manager, recently retired. Even though he opted out of a full-fledged party, the staff surprised him with this candy card at their Nov. 19 safety meeting.
It said, “We were going to give you 100 Grand for your retirement but the money slipped through our Butterfingers. We didn’t have an Extra Whatchamacallit to sell, and it wasn’t PayDay. We didn’t think a pet Kit Kat, a trip to New York, or an Orbit around the Milky Way would be appropriate. We do want to wish you Mounds of Almond Joy both Now & Later as you eat this card. We hope it doesn’t make you Rolo-ver and get sick. If it does, you won’t hear any Snickers from us. Happy retirement!!! With hugs & Kisses from your favorite Airheads at the DOT.”
Steve Johnson, highway maintenance supervisor for the Waukon/Decorah maintenance area, retired on Dec. 27, after 36 ½ years of service. Steve started his employment with the Iowa DOT as an engineering aide 2 in July 1977, working for Gerald Lund in the Waterloo construction office.
He was promoted to construction technician while working in the Waterloo construction office, and then promoted to highway maintenance supervisor in Cresco in 1991. This position later transitioned to include the Decorah garage.
Due to several restructuring rounds at the DOT, Steve has also served as a supervisor for other areas including, the Charles City/New Hampton/Osage area from 2002 to 2004, and the Decorah/Waukon area from 2004 until his retirement.
Steve’s dedication, experience, and talents over the past 36-plus years will be missed. The construction background that he brought to his maintenance areas was valuable and he has served the travelling public in the northeast part of Iowa very well.