AASHTO Journal - State DOT Leaders Honored at AASHTO Annual Meeting

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials paid tribute to 12 state department of transportation individuals, teams, and programs at the 2025 AASHTO Annual Meeting.
[Above photo by AASHTO]

Eric Duff – state environmental administrator for the Georgia Department of Transportation – received the Alfred E. Johnson Achievement Award for improving policies, strengthening partnerships, and setting a higher standard for environmental leadership at his agency.

In 2019, he launched the Interagency Office of Environmental Quality, bringing together state and federal partners to make environmental reviews more efficient.

The Utah Department of Transportation earned the Frances B. Francois Award for Innovation for pioneering LiDAR Detection for Vulnerable Road Users.

Since 2021, Utah DOT has collaborated with top research universities to study LiDAR or Light Detection and Ranging 3D detection technology that provides detailed intersection data; work that has been published by the Transportation Research Board and shared nationally.

Ray Buzalsky – construction engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation – received the Thomas H. MacDonald Memorial Award for his exceptional five decades of service, during which he served as an inspector, chief inspector, and recordkeeper for construction projects across the Fort Worth district. He is also recognized as a statewide subject matter expert in change order coordination with the Federal Highway Administration.

Sondra Rosenberg – deputy director of planning and administration for the Nevada Department of Transportation’s – received the President’s Special Award of Merit for the critical role her leadership has played towards advancing safety, mobility, and quality of life through transportation.

Sondra Rosenberg at left. Photo by AASHTO.

Rosenberg has served as a trailblazing leader for the Nevada DOT in many areas after joining the agency in 2008, including in administration, planning, human resources, communications, internal audit, and external civil rights.

Committed to implementing national transportation policy, she has played an active role in AASHTO’s planning and policy committees and was appointed as the vice chair of the Transportation Policy Forum in 2023.

Several individuals and teams received President’s Transportation Awards, presented to those whose exemplary work aligned with AASHTO’s vision, mission, and goals/objectives as outlined in the association’s strategic plan. Those winners are:

Amanda Austin, P.E.: Texas Department of Transportation
Stuart Anderson: Iowa Department of Transportation
The “Empathy at the Intersection” project team: Connecticut Department of Transportation and Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Dom Pannone and Katherine Keith: Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Dr. John Milton; Washington State Department of Transportation
Multi-modal Section 106 Programmatic Agreement: Connecticut Department of Transportation; and
The Hurricane Helene EMAC Response Team: Minnesota Department of Transportation

“Every year, AASHTO recognizes individuals and teams who have had undeniable impacts on their profession, their community, and the transportation industry as a whole,” said Jim Tymon, AASHTO’s executive director, in a statement.

“We are so proud to recognize the exceptional work of these winners and hope that publicizing their contributions inspires the next generation of trailblazing transportation professionals,” he added.