The Van Buren County Road Commission was recognized with three prestigious IMPRESS awards for its innovative projects in communications, operations, and collaboration by the County Road Association.
Managing Director Bret Witkowski tells us that this recognition is a testament to the staff’s efforts in enhancing the agency’s performance.
“To be able to get recognized by your association, I think, is good morale, and it really shows that staff are doing the right things to try to improve the agency,” Witkowski says. “One of the biggest challenges is we’re one of the smaller ones in the state, and we’re surrounded by other agencies that can pay more. So it’s important for us to be able to grow our leadership from within, and that was the big picture part.”
The county received accolades for its Paint a Plow program, the Big Picture Leadership Program, and successfully transitioning to in-house roadside mowing services.
“Paint a Plow is a way to try to get us connected into the community and through the schools,” Witkowski says. “It was very popular. The last one was for what’s called Roadside Mowing. So you drive through communities, grass gets close to the roads, it gets high, and it’s difficult to see around turns. Staff worked together to bring that in-house.”
These awards celebrated projects that effectively addressed time constraints, reduced labor costs, improved communication, and promoted teamwork.
