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Surveying The DistrictPage 2

GraduatesPages 2-5

Trio of goodbyesPages 7-9

TxDOT workers line the funeral route for Martin Glass.

A flag lineup honors Martin Glass. The Patriot Guard escorts Glass.

GRADUATES

Proud Permian gradForgive the odd placement, but getting Dylan

O’Reilly’s photo in this edition of the newsletter seemed

reason enough to be just a bit awkward in terms of ap-

pearances.

Dylan recently gradu-

ated from Permian High

School in Odessa, which

means Odessa Construc-

tion Office employee

Cathy O’Reilly is once

again the proud parent of

a Mojo alum.

Dylan’s older sister,

Callye, graduated in 2008.

Dylan is active in the

church youth group at St.

Elizabeth Ann Seton

Church and plans to attend

Odessa College for his ba-

sics in preparation for pur-

suing his study of

veterinary science.

Mother O’Reilly has more than 20 years of service to

TxDOT and is happy to share her own family with her

TxDOT family anytime she can.

Since Dylan is her youngest, she called his graduation

“a momentous occasion for him as well as for me.”

For more grads, see the next three pages.

ADOPT A HIGHWAY

He’s a winnerHomer Flores, the Odessa Maintenance coordinator for Adopt A

Highway, has been named the honorable mention winner of the 2011

Adopt-a-Highway Mainte-

nance Section Employee

Award.

Awards were presented

June 23 at the Keep Texas

Beautiful Conference in

Austin.

Because of the hard work

of volunteers and employ-

ees, the Adopt-a-Highway

program continues to be a

success. More than 4,500

groups have adopted more

than 9,000 miles of Texas

highways. From its roots in

Texas, the program has

spread to 48 other states, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand

and Mexico.

BLOOD DRIVEThe May blood drive had 12 people sign up which resulted in 11

units being collected.

We’ll be having our third blood drive of the year with United Blood

Services from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Please mark your calendars.

By Mike C. McAnally

District Engineer

This has been a very hot and dry year, bringing

a variety of issues to deal with: pavements bleed-

ing, wildfires, excessive tire rubber, possible heat

exhaustion and more. Unfortunately, it looks as

though there is no relief in sight. I appreciate all

the hard work you have been performing to mini-

mize the effects of these issues. Please keep up the

great work.

You have been very busy this year bringing

projects forward, streamlining operations, improv-

ing roads and bridges and being accountable to

Texans. You have conquered ice and snow and

wildfires without complaint and worked together

more than ever before to ensure the safe travel of

the citizens of Texas.

It has not been an easy year, but please do not

forget that you have families. You need to main-

tain your mental and physical health, so think

about scheduling some personal time to spend

with them and to take care of yourselves.

Just a quick note on the legislative session I

hope you all have been keeping track. It appears

that while there will be some changes in health in-

surance, as there is every year, the State will con-

tinue its contribution toward our monthly

premiums and that is a great relief. It also appears

that we will not have any furloughs or “across the

board” salary reductions and our longevity pay

will stay in tact. This is all great news!

Finally, but most important, we are in the mid-

dle of 123 Safe Days of Summer and have been

very successful thus far. Please continue to plan

daily for safe work procedures and then execute

those plans in the field. Safety is always first and

foremost in our jobs and there is never an excuse

for safety to be compromised.

Our mission and goal as an agency and district

is ZERO – that is Zero Accidents, Zero Injuries,

and Zero Fatalities!

Surveying the district

Sign of the TimesTabitha Honeyfield graduated on May 13, 2011, with an Asso-

ciate’s of Applied Science degree in Interpreter Training (Ameri-

can Sign Language) from Howard College’s Southwest

Collegiate Institute for the Deaf).

Honeyfield also received the following awards:

>> Who’s Who Among Students;

>> Magna Cum Laude;

>> Dean’s List;

>> Phi Theta Kappa;

>> And Howard College’s Presidential award winner.

During her last two semesters at SWCID, she was honored by

being picked by the faculty to act as a Diplomat for SWCID and

attend different conferences around the state on the school’s

behalf.

Tabitha is also awaiting the results of her state board exam to

receive her state certification as an ASL interpreter / translator.

Doctoral programJohn Paul Salcido has been accepted for admission and

will attend the University of Texas at San Antonio’s

(UTSA) Doctoral Program in Biomedical Engineering for

the upcoming fall semester.

This Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. curriculum is a

joint graduate program provided by the UTSA and the

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Anto-

nio (UTHSCSA). As a condition of his acceptance to the

program, Salcido will be a Graduate Research Assistant

in a research laboratory at UTHSCSA with a focus on

Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering.

The scholarship award includes full tuition, fees, stu-

dent health insurance and a $21,000 stipend per year for

six years.

John Paul was also awarded a one-year $25,000

stipend as a research fellow. This comes from a very

competitive program provided by the Valero Energy Cor-

poration to newly admitted doctorate students.

Salcido, a 2007 Pecos High School graduate, gradu-

ated with honors in May 2011 from St. Mary’s University

in San Antonio with a Bachelor of Science in Biology

and a Minor in Chemistry. John Paul was a TxDOT sum-

mer hire in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

He is the son of John & Rosie Salcido of Pecos.

Graduates walk across the stage

John Paul Salcido, center, will be pursuing a doctorate in Biomedical En-

gineering starting this fall at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He’s

shown with his parents, John and Rosie Salcido of Pecos. The elder John

is the Bridge Inspection Program Coordinator for the Odessa District.

Tabitha Honeyfield, top right, was

joined at her graduation ceremony by

her husband, Zane, 10-year-old daughter

Alexandrea (bottom left) and 9-year-old

son Jayden (bottom right). Zane

Honeyfield is the supervisor of the

Stanton Maintenance Section.

Rebel with a diplomaHis name is Jaedon Herrera.

And he’s a Midland Lee High School

graduate.

He’s also a recipient of Midland’s

Legacy Scholarship. His plan right now is

to go to Midland College to get the basics

and then transfer to Texas Tech.

“Hopefully he sticks with that school,”

joked Jaedon’s father, transportation

engineer Fred Herrera of Central Design

in Midland.

Dad said Jaedon hasn’t settled on a

major just yet, but that’s OK since he can

focus on the basics at Midland College

until he picks a more specific path.

According to dad, Jaedon digs basket-

ball and skateboarding in his spare time.

In school he focused on taking electives

that helped prepare him for college, his

dad said.

A Wink and a nodKayla Willhelm is a proud member of

the Class of 2011 for Wink High School.

Daughter of David & Susan Willhelm

(Kermit Office Manager), Kayla was very

active in school.

In addition to being an all-district golfer

her senior year, she was part of the state fi-

nalist volleyball team and part of the re-

gional finalist gold team. She also played

basketball and ran track.

Kayla was a member of the One Act

Play Crew her junior and senior years and

an all-crew medalist both years. She also

is the first editor for the Wink yearbook.

Kayla is a member of junior leadership,

a 10-year member of the 4H livestock as-

sociation and a member of the photogra-

phy club (she opened her own

photography business her junior year).

Kayla plans to attend Midland College.

Sanderson standoutRoxanna Lynn Rodriguez’s resume al-

most looks like a list of electives instead

of a list of accomplishments. The daughter

of Sanderson Maintenance employee Juan

J. Rodriguez was busy in high school.

Among her accomplishments:

>> Two years of Girl Scouts;

>> Four years of CCE;

>> National Young Leaders Conference;

>> Two years in the National Society of

High School Scholars;

>> National Junior Honor Society;

>> National Honor Society;

>> Four years of basketball and tennis;

>> Two years of track;

>> Two terms as class secretary;

>> A year as class representative;

>> Two years of UIL Accounting;

>> A year of summer tutorings;

>> And a year in Workforce Solutions.

Mustang runs freeCody Rey Brown, the 18-year-old son of Reymond Brown of

the Andrews section, graduated recently from Andrews High

School.

Cody was selected by his peers to speak at the graduation cere-

mony. That seems a natural fit since he was involved in debate,

prose and poetry while in high school. He also was in One-Act

play, football announcing, Mustang Theatre Company, National

Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and pep rally announcing.

He plans on attending the University of Texas at Austin and

will major in business and minor in corporate communication.

Big first stepJacob Sinclair took part in

graduation ceremonies re-

cently at Midland College

PreSchool.

Jake is the 4-year-old son

of Heather Sinclair of TP&D.

No word on what his

collegiate choice will be just

yet, but Mom went to New

Mexico State University.

MORE GRADUATES

Another Aggie!Sarah Raschke, 21, recently earned a

degree in Environmental Science from

Texas A&M University in College Sta-

tion, but she’s not even close to being

done with school.

She’s enrolled in graduate studies at

Sam Houston State University in

Huntsville and is working on getting a

teaching certificate.

Once she has that, she wants to start

her teaching career by teaching sci-

ence-related classes in high school.

Sarah is the daughter of Carol and Bryan Raschke. Her dad has been

with TxDOT for 27 years and serves as the Director of Operations in

Odessa. We’re still trying to figure out how Bryan, a Texas Tech grad,

has managed to send two children to Aggieland. It’s a mystery.

Bulldog on the looseLouis Lara the Second is now a proud

graduate of Midland High School.

The 18-year-old is the son of Midland

Area Office employee Louis Lara.

Judging from his school of choice, the

lugnut doesn’t fall far from the bolt: The

younger Lara will be attending Lincoln

Mechanical School in Grand Parrie. Since

his father is an inspector for TxDOT, it’s

no real surprise that the younger Lara is

mechanically inclined.

Dad said junior is a good kid who goes

to school and works every day.

“May God Bless him to accomplish his

dreams!” the elder Lara wrote in an e-mail

submission .

Aggie AmandaAmanda Dawn Rowan graduated Cum

Laude from Texas A&M University with a

bachelor’s of science degree in Interdisci-

plinary Studies back in December.

Amanda is the daughter of Lisa Rowan

and James Rowan of Odessa. Her TxDOT

connections include her grandfather Don

McNatt (wife Rosemary) and uncle Don-

nie McNatt, both of whom work in the

Odessa complex. Oh, her cousin Michael

McNatt is a summer TxDOT hire as well.

While at Aggieland, Amanda was on

the Dean’s List and was a member of

Sigma Alpha Pi.

She is also a graduate of Permian High

School.

Off & runningWhen Balmorhea High grad Brianne

Rodriguez enrolls in Midland College, she

will already have 21 college hours of

credit thanks to dual-credit courses.

The 17-year-old is the daughter of Mary

and Joel Rodriguez. Her dad has been with

TxDOT for three years and is a crew

leader in Balmorhea.

In addition to being an A/B Honor Roll

student at Balmorhea High School, Bri-

anne also managed to find the time to par-

ticipate in volleyball, basketball,

cheerleading, UIL, Spanish Club, Business

Professionals of America and the National

Honor Society. She picked up an array of

honors along the way.

MORE GRADUATES

Early achieverYoung Andrew

Nabarrette is only

4 years old, but

judging from

the way he’s

holding that

rolled

parchment,

it seems as if he

already

knows the true

value of an education.

Andrew, a

graduate of Carver Early Childhood Education Center

in Odessa, is the grandson of Homer Flores in

Odessa Maintenance.

Service AwardsApril

Richard Underwood..............Midland Area......................25 years

Hector Aguirre Luna ......Buildings & Grounds................20 years

Brian Davis ................................Crane ............................10 years

Jose Ibarra....................................Iraan ..............................5 years

MayHomer Flores ............................Odessa ..........................30 years

Tommy Rejino ........................McCamey ........................30 years

Eric Lopez ................................Midland ..........................15 years

John Struthers............................Midland ..........................15 years

Richard Herrerra ........................Odessa ..........................10 years

Jesse Trejo ......................Buildings & Grounds................10 years

New HiresMarch

Brenda Davidson..............Maintenance Tech I ..................Stanton

Isaac Letkeman ................Maintenance Tech I ..................Stanton

April

Rueben Aguilera ............Gen.eral Transp. Tech ......Fort Stockton

Alfredo Covarrubias ......General Transp. Tech ......Fort Stockton

Guillermo Flores ............General Transp. Tech........Special Crew

May

Rufino C. Guebara ..........Maintenance Tech I ............Balmorhea

Summer Hires

Wayne Abbott ......................Support Tech II ..Fort Stockton Area

Jacob Benavidez................Maintenance Tech ..............Sanderson

Patrick Ramirez ................Maintenance Tech..........Fort Stockton

Blake Stewart ....................Engineering Tech ..........Midland Area

Kayla Natividad ................Engineering Tech ........Odessa TP&D

Ryan Mondragon ..............Maintenance Tech ..............Balmorhea

Position changesRuben Rodriguez ..............................Crew Chief in Special Crew

after transferring from Odessa Construction Office

Doug Paup ..................................Odessa Maintenance Supervisor

transferring from Crane Maintenance Section

On Down the RoadSteven Moss ......................Maintenance Tech ....................Odessa

Jesse Nevarez Jr. ........General Engineering Tech ............Stanton

Euel Blocker............Maintenance Section Assistant ........Stanton

BirthsYou’d never know it by looking at her, but Sue Lascano (Re-

gional Accounting) is now a six-time grandma.

Granddaughter Brooklyn Veronica Salazar was born May 3.

She weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. She

was welcomed into the world by her parents (Sue’s daughter

Analisa and her husband Raul) and big brother Ashton.

It was the second grandchild of the year for Sue.

Leonidas “Leo” Austin Moralez was born Jan. 19. He weighed

7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 20 inches long. Leo’s parents are

Sue’s son Justin and his wife Tammy. The Moralez family lives in

San Antonio. Leo has two brothers, Ares and Mars.

DeathsMartin Glass, an employee with the Kermit Maintenance sec-

tion, who was involved in a motorcycle accident over the Memo-

rial Day weekend, passed away June 10.

Services were June 14 at First United Methodist in Kermit.

He is survived by his 16-year-old son Jeremy as well as an ex-

tended family that includes his uncle Carl Glass, who also works

in the Kermit maintenance section. He is also survived by his

mother Nancy Forbes of Kermit, a grandmother who lives in Ker-

mit and his girlfriend, Pat Greenleaf, and her son, Kevin.

Glass, 39, was participating in a Memorial Day event known

as the Ride To Remember when the accident happened.

Two accounts have been set up at the Westex Credit Union in

Kermit for the Glass family. One is a trust fund to be held until

Jeremy turns 18, and the other is the account to help the family

with expenses.

The account for expenses is routing number 312385303 and

account number 45623. The Jeremy D. Glass Trust Fund is rout-

ing number 312385303 and account number 4144.

jjj

Allie Selene Lopez, the baby daughter of Roman Lopez Jr. of

Andrews Maintenance, unexpectedly passed away on June 9.

Allie Selene was born March 22, 2011.

Services were June 13 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic

Church with burial at Baby Land in Andrews North Cemetery.

Survivors include her parents; brother, Roman Cruz Lopez III;

grandparents, Roman Sr. and Viola Lopez and Rojelio and Aurelia

Reyes; great-grandparents, Cruz G. and Frances Lopez, Matilda

Reyes and Gloria Lira and great-great-grandmother, Irene Pena.

jjj

Cynthia M. Rogers Arredondo, wife of Adam Arredondo

who works in the Midland Maintenance office, passed away Sun-

day, June 19, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

Adam was also involved in the accident. He was treated and re-

leased from the hospital.

Funeral services were June 23 at the Calvary Chapel between

Odessa and Midland on FM 1788.

jjj

Pam Pickens, 61, who retired in 2004 from the District Ac-

counting office, passed away Sunday, June 5, of complications

from pneumonia.

Funeral services were June 8 at Frank W. Wilson Funeral

Home with burial at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Odessa.

jjj

Pauline Larum, the 86-year-old mother of former District

Public Information Officer Glen Larum, died after a brief illness

on Monday, May 9, in York, Pennsylvania.

jjj

Daniel Gonzales, the nephew of Arturo (Turk) Gonzales (for-

mer assistant supervisor in Iraan), died June 16 in a traffic acci-

dent on Highway 67 near Mertzon. Killed were 21-year-old

Daniel Gonzales, 21-year-old Jasmine Gonzales and two girls, 2-

year-old Kierra Smith and 6-month-old Emori Gonzales.

It’s the People

Gary Law — better make that Col.

Gary Law — is no stranger to service.

Service to TxDOT. Service to the citizens

of Texas. Service to the United States.

Service to the Army Corps of Engineers.

And now, for the third time, service in

the form of a deployment as part of his

career in the U.S. Army Reserves.

A 26-year veteran of the U.S. Army

Reserves, he has already spent 22 months

in Iraq and Afghanistan as an officer with

the Combat Heavy 980th Engineering Bat-

talion. In those two deployments, he

helped build convoy support centers, ex-

pand airfields, rebuild roads and bridges,

and fortify military staging facilities.

In his latest deployment, he will be

based at Fort Sill near Lawton, Okla. Law

will make trips overseas to survey situa-

tions, but the bulk of his work will be here

in the United States training soldiers.

“I have experiences that now I can

bring back and help others more effec-

tively do their job,” Law said of his new

mission. “I can help prepare them to en-

gage their mission in a more effective

way.”

Law said his mission is to help mem-

bers of the military deal with becoming

acclimated to a new country. By present-

ing soldiers with scenarios they may face

while overseas, the training helps the sol-

diers deal with situations quicker and

more efficiently.

In effect, the soldiers get to deal with

real-world scenarios in a threat-free envi-

ronment. By using the experiences of peo-

ple who have already served in hostile

environments, soldiers get a taste of the

mission before getting on a plane. That

way they already know what to expect.

“We can bring that learning to this

side of the ocean,” Law said. “That way,

when they go over, they’re effective right

off the bat.”

While based in Fort Sill, Law will be

travelling to Fort Rucker in Alabama, Fort

Hood, Fort Bliss and Fort Lewis in Wash-

ington state. His command will have 55

people plus a Reserve unit of about 100.

“It’s such an honor to be asked to

command this,” he said, adding that this

relatively new type of training has only

evolved within the past decade.

It’s a far cry from when Law joined

the Reserves in 1982.

“I got into it because it was more of

an adventure that had a little retirement

(plan),” he said, before joking that he

joined “because I could play with big

toys.”

He admits that he probably would be

retired by now, but the terrorist attacks of

9/11 changed that.

“... 9/11 occurred, and I got to work

with some really outstanding people. It be-

came such a privilege to share ideas with

them — I got hooked,” he said.

In addition to getting a master’s de-

gree in strategic studies from the U.S.

Army War College, Law has been in-

cluded in training and other events where

he was the only Reservist included.

Now he’s off to share his knowledge

with others. Working for an organization

that allows him to participate at such a

high level in the Reserves isn’t lost on

Law. He was very complimentary of

TxDOT policies that allow people to give

back to the community — and to the na-

tion in his case.

“It’s my way of contributing to the

betterment,” he said.

Third time’s a charmGary Law to lead training mission in his third deployment

Euel Blocker steps down in Stanton

Even as Euel Blocker was

stepping down from his role as

assistant supervisor in the Stan-

ton Maintenance Section, he was

offering some good advice.

“As far as safety goes, if

everyone works it like we did,

there’ll be no problems,” he said.

He was referring to the

teamwork and safety-first atti-

tude he feels the Stanton crew

employs on a daily basis.

“We always did it as a team,

and that kept us together,”

Blocker said.

And it’s that teamwork

Blocker said he’ll miss most as

he steps away from the Texas

Department of Transportation

and into a vehicle shuttling Hal-

liburton employees around the

oilfields.

It’s a new career for

Blocker, but it carries the com-

mon theme of driving.

Over his 25 years with

TxDOT, Blocker drove plenty of

things. And he said the evolution

in equipment might have been

the biggest change he witnessed.

“We’re getting better equip-

ment that helps you do things a

lot easier,” he said. He espe-

cially alluded to air conditioning

in trucks that made the job more

bearable.

Mike McAnally told

Blocker he should be proud of

his career with TxDOT.

Blocker summed it all up

like this: “There’s been good

times; there’s been bad times;

there’s been crazy times.”

Amen.

McCollum decides to drive awayMark McCollum was pursuing a pas-

sion when a chance encounter turned him

down a road that would change his life –

not to mention TxDOT fleet management.

McCollum was playing golf when

two other members of his foursome started

talking about problems Express Energy

Service was having in managing a 3,000-

unit vehicle fleet. In a matter of moments,

one of them told a vice president of Ex-

press Energy that he should “talk to Mark;

that’s what he does for the state.”

The vice president did talk to Mark.

In fact, the vice president asked sev-

eral questions.

He must have liked what he heard be-

cause soon he was asking for a resume.

And all that is what led to McCol-

lum’s decision to leave the Texas Depart-

ment of Transportation after more than 28

years on the job (officially it calculates out

to more than 31 years of service time). By

the way, 18 years of that was as fleet man-

ager, first for the Odessa District and then

as the regional guy when restructuring

kicked in.

“I wasn’t really ready to leave, but I

got a job offer thrown in my face… and I

was like, ‘Wow, are you kidding’,” Mc-

Collum said. “So I’m going to double dip

for awhile.”

While the offer was exciting from the

beginning, McCollum said he took his

own sweet time in making a decision.

“It was kind of shaky signing those

retirement papers,” he said, adding that he

had planned to work another two years for

TxDOT. “It sure took me a long time to

decide if I really wanted to do that.”

Through his time at TxDOT, McCol-

lum saw plenty of changes with regional-

ization being chief among them. He’s

proud of some of the things he’s helped

change. For instance, he said that 20 years

ago there wasn’t air conditioning in any

vehicle unless it was driven by a supervi-

sor. And air conditioning in fleet vehicles

is just one part of the improvements.

“We’re getting much better equipment

than we used to,” he said.

It’s the nirvana for many: being eligi-

ble for retirement from the state and mov-

ing on to work another full-time job.

In McCollum’s case, the job will have

a lot of similarities. And he’ll have the op-

portunity to build Express Energy’s fleet

management system from the ground up.

That means he can take the things he likes

in the TxDOT system and incorporate

flexibility and improvements that being in

the private sector affords.

“I think there’s some software out

there that’s much better than what we use

here,” he said.

Like most who leave, McCollum was

quick to say he’ll miss the people here the

most.

“It really is like leaving a marriage …

and I’ve got experience at both now,” he

said, giving some of the credit to his own

success to those around him. “People go

over and above, and they make me look a

whole lot better than I actually am.”

He also offered some advice for those

he’s leaving behind.

“I’d just tell them to hang in there,”

he said. “Brighter days are coming; it’s

going to get better.”

McCollum said it can be very frustrat-

ing for mechanics who sometimes have to

wait to get parts since they can’t just run

down to the parts store.

“Their product is out there on the

floor,” he said. “Good mechanics want to

mechanic.”

McCollum knows a little about

“pulling wrenches.” He began his career

as an automatic transmission specialist in

Lubbock.

He also spent 10 years racing cars on

oval tracks where he claimed five track ti-

tles. Racing is where he might have first

said the very same words he said on his

last day at TxDOT while contemplating

his next move:

“I’m scared and excited.”

T R U C K R O A D E O 2 0 1 1

And the winners are...

FIRST PLACE SECTIONAL ROADEO WINNERS: Front row (left to right,

10 people): Roy Garcia, Monahans; Mike McAnally, district engineer;

Lance Jenkins, Stanton; Adam Arredondo, Midland; Javier Lozano, Bal-

morhea; Sergio Miranda, Odessa; Rey Brown, Andrews; Eddie Martinez,

McCamey; Bill Wilson, Crane; and Jorge Estrada, Sanderson. Back row

(left to right (six people): Nick Torres, Fort Stockton; Mario Hinojos, Spe-

cial Crew; Ray McEwin, regional equipment shop; Danny Reyes, Pecos;

Tim Beckling, Kermit; and Fernando Ibarra, Iraan; Not pictured Bob

Blomshield, Odessa district complex.

SECOND PLACE SECTIONAL ROADEO WINNERS: Front row (left to

right, seven people); Danny Rodriguez, regional shop; Ray Valverde,

Midland; Euel Blocker, Stanton; Jim Crain, Crane; Jim Watts, Iraan; John

Jaques, Andrews; and Ruben Rodriguez, Special Crew. Back row (left to

right, nine people): Ben Casas, Fort Stockton; Manuel Mendoza, Bal-

morhea; Juan Rodriguez, Sanderson; Ernest Fuentez, Pecos; Jaime Be-

navides, McCamey; David Dingle, Kermit; Rafael Dominguez, Monahans;

Mike McAnally, district engineer; and Paul Perez, Odessa. Not pictured:

Bobby Meroney, Odessa district complex;

Odessa District Engineer

Mike McAnally congratu-

lates Midland section em-

ployee Ray Valverde for

winning second place in

the 2011 Odessa District

Roadeo.

District Engineer Mike

McAnally congratulates

Monahans section em-

ployee Rafael

Dominguez for winning

first place in the 2011

Odessa District Roadeo.

Phase 1 members who haven’t responded to

dependent audit letters face losing dependent

coverageIf you are in Phase 1 of the Texas Employees Group Benefits

Program (GBP) dependent verification audit, you have received

repeated communications from Aon Hewitt since March 2011. If

you have not responded, and don’t respond by mid-July, your de-

pendents will lose health, dental and life insurance on Aug. 1,

2011.

You will receive one final notice from Aon Hewitt to send in

the requested documents. ERS asked your benefits coordinator to

contact you in a final effort to remind you to comply. Disregard

your benefits coordinator’s message if you’ve sent in the re-

quested documents and received a confirmation letter from Aon

Hewitt. ERS and your benefits coordinator just want to help en-

sure you don’t lose dependent coverage.

All GBP participants who have health care coverage for their

dependents must comply with the audit. As of June 16, 82,597

members have verified that their dependents are eligible for the

GBP.

Coverage of children to age 26On Sept. 1, 2011, the federal Affordable Care Act raises the

age for children’s eligibility in the Texas Employees Group Bene-

fits Program (GBP) to 26, regardless of marital status.

During Annual Enrollment, July 11-Aug. 5, you can enroll

children who turned 25 before Sept. 1, 2011, or children under

age 26 who are married. This includes children currently covered

by COBRA. You did not have to cover your children through the

GBP previously to enroll them during this summer’s Annual En-

rollment.

Evidence of insurability (proof of good health) is not required

to enroll these children in the GBP during Annual Enrollment.

Their coverage will begin Sept. 1.

SKIP ends August 31, 2011 State funding for the State Kids Insurance Program (SKIP)

will end on Aug. 31, 2011. State employees who are covering

their children in SKIP can now apply for the Children’s Health

Insurance Program (CHIP) or Children’s Medicaid. Both pro-

grams let employees pay reduced premiums for their children age

18 or younger.

On June 17, ERS sent a letter to current participants about

SKIP ending. ERS does not manage enrollment or eligibility for

Medicaid or CHIP. The Texas Health and Human Services Com-

mission (HHSC) will contact participants about applying for

CHIP or Children’s Medicaid. If you have questions, call HHSC

toll-free at (877) 543-7669 or visit www.chipmedicaid.org.

If your children are approved for CHIP, you will have to drop

their Texas Employees Group Benefits Program (GBP) health

coverage because they cannot be enrolled in GBP health coverage

and CHIP at the same time. If your children are approved after

Annual Enrollment (July 11-Aug. 5), it will be a qualifying life

event and you will have 31 days to drop the GBP coverage.

You can keep your CHIP-approved children enrolled in GBP

dental and dependent life coverage.

If you are a current SKIP participant and do not apply for

CHIP or Children’s Medicaid, or if your children are not eligible

for these programs, your children can continue their coverage in

the GBP. However, you will pay significantly more for your chil-

dren’s GBP health insurance starting Sept. 1.

For more information, see the frequently asked questions at

http://www.ers.state.tx.us/SKIP_Ending/

Evidence of insurability applications On June 1, Fort Dearborn Life Insurance Company (also

known as Dearborn National®) began accepting Evidence of in-

surability (EOI) applications for Plan Year 2012 coverage. Appli-

cations must be postmarked by Aug. 5.

EOI is not required for health coverage during Annual Enroll-

ment this year. This applies to all employees, retirees, and de-

pendents who are eligible for Texas Employees Group Benefits

Program health coverage and who: are not currently enrolled, or

are currently enrolled and change health plans; HMO to HealthS-

elect or HealthSelect to HMO.

Some optional coverage requires EOI.

If you want certain optional insurance, you must provide EOI

for: Optional Term Life Insurance; Dependent Term Life Insur-

ance; and Disability Insurance (Short- and Long-term).

The EOI Application is on the ERS website under Customer

Support.

Changes for Plan Year 2012On May 24, the ERS Board of Trustees approved health insur-

ance carriers and preliminary premium rates and optional insur-

ance rates for Plan Year 2012. Premium rate increases, effective

Sept. 1, were needed to address the insurance funding gap. ERS

will send more information on Plan Year 2012 benefits prior to

this summer’s Annual Enrollment, July 11-Aug. 5. During the

meeting, the Board:

>> Increased the premium rates for HealthSelectSM of Texas

and the Community First and Scott & White Health Plan HMOs

by an average of 8 percent;

>> Kept the Dental DHMO premiums at the same rate;

>> Increased premiums slightly for the State of Texas Dental

Choice PlanSM; and

>> Kept premiums for optional insurance (Optional Term Life,

Dependent Term Life, Short- and Long-term Disability Insurance,

and Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment) at the

same rate as last year.

Visiting the field? Be Alert, Be Aware, Be Safe!TxDOT field employees typically are referred to as the high risk environment workers for the department.

This is true due to the level of exposure to traffic and other hazards present in those operations. However, we

also have non-field employees or employees who visit field operations a smaller percentage of time and we

must ensure we have a maintained level of alertness and awareness. The following are some recommendations

for employees visiting field operations:

• Try to call the office and let them know you plan on visiting the site.

• Have all your proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with you before departing. Upon arrival and

before you get out of your vehicle, ensure you are wearing all required PPE. This includes: safety vest, safety

footwear, hardhat and MAY include items such as: safety eyewear, sunscreen, gloves and hearing protection.

• Wear clothing appropriate for road work – (IE: No shorts on the roadway or right of way; wear long

sleeves when working around oil or emulsion)

• While approaching work area, drive through the entire work zone or next to the work area to understand

the layout and flow of the work being performed.

• If parking your vehicle, observe where the trucks/ trailers/ and other vehicles NOT being directly used in

the work being performed are parked. This should be away from the general operation.

o If possible, park where these vehicles are located; park on the same side of the road as the work being

performed AND park with leaving in mind: avoid backing and prevent clustering of equipment).

o Avoid parking a vehicle in tall grass and brush since a hot muffler can easily start a brush fire on dry

vegetation.

• After parking, verify that the work leader knows you are at the worksite AND ensure they know when

you are going to depart as well.

• Observe the work being performed from a safe distance, until the work sequence is understood. LOOK

for and expect potential hazards.

o For every five seconds spent looking forward, look back at least one second.

• Try to walk close to the fence line and away from the roadwork. However avoid brushy area.

o Watch out for unlevel terrain, critters, and plants such as Poison IVY/Oak/Sumac.

• When approaching a work crew, make visual contact with workers.

• Be cautious while approaching big pieces of equipment from any angle.

o There are multiple blind spots around equipment and you must ASSUME OPERATORS CANNOT SEE

YOU.

o Avoid approaching equipment from behind; always expect it to backup.

o Observe and Acknowledge back-up-alarms. If you walk behind equipment...... you became a spotter.

• When departing, notify work leader on site and leave the worksite the way you arrived (away from big

equipment, walking along fence line, etc.)

• Before entering your vehicle, look around to identify hazards and route to depart.

• Be alert and use caution when exiting the worksite.

o Be aware of traffic control pattern and flow through area.

o Avoid “U Turns”: Seek a safe place to turn around without making u-turns even if it means going out of

your way until there is a safe place to turn around.

Remember: Together, we can meet the challenge of Safety: Mission Zero- one day at a time.