AASHTO Journal - South Dakota DOT Receives PEN Excellence Award

The South Dakota Department of Transportation recently received the 2025 Excellence Award designation; the highest honor given by the Performance Excellence Network or PEN; a regional Baldrige-based program serving South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota.

[Above photo by South Dakota DOT]

This award follows a rigorous year-long evaluation of South Dakota DOT’s management practices and performance systems designed to help the agency identify strengths, uncover opportunities for improvement, and drive long-term performance excellence.

“[We gave this] Excellence-level Award, the highest level in the program, for the first time since 2018,” said Amy Czechowicz, PEN’s president and CEO. “The South Dakota DOT has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to continuous process improvement and performance excellence throughout its journey and is very deserving of earning the Excellence Award honor.”

The PEN Performance Excellence Award is presented at five levels: Commitment, Engagement, Advancement, Achievement, and Excellence.

Joel Jundt. Photo by the South Dakota DOT.

The organization noted that its Performance Awards are based on the Baldrige Framework and reflect a rigorous, independent evaluation of an organization’s leadership, strategy, customers, measurement and knowledge management, workforce, and operations.

“Our work toward continuous improvement doesn’t stop with the distinguished honor of being recognized at the Excellence Award level,” said Joel Jundt, secretary of the South Dakota DOT, in a statement.

“Participating in the PEN assessment process over the past 13 years has given us the opportunity to step back and take an objective look at how we operate – understanding where we excel and where we can improve,” he noted.

“That outside perspective helps us focus on what truly matters and to make data-driven decisions that strengthen our organization,” Jundt added. “With staff working across divisions, regions, and programs, having a shared framework ensures our work connects to our strategic goals and that we operate as one coordinated organization. It also reinforces a culture of continuous improvement, where we are always evaluating how we can better serve the public.”

He emphasized that the recognition reflects South Dakota DOT’s ongoing commitment to customers. “Ultimately, this process helps us deliver safer, more reliable, and more efficient public transportation services for the citizens of South Dakota today and into the future,” Jundt said.