MoDOT State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer retires after 29 years

-

The KC Scout board of directors are always prompt with moving KC Scout forward. One director, Nicole Hood has worked at MoDOT for 29 years and 2 months in various roles including Planning, District Traffic, Design, Project Management and her current role as the State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer. She joined the KC Scout Board of Directors during the Summer of 2017.  She has spent the last 7 years growing the “Buckle Up Phone Down” incitive into a nationally recognized movement. “MoDOT has given me the opportunity to make a difference and touch so many lives.  That’s what really has inspired me throughout my career.   I was empowered to lead engaging projects and teams and influence direction,” said Hood. She will be retiring and starting a new adventure with a career at Transystems. She is excited about the ability to instill her passion for highway safety in other projects across the nation. Her advice to KC Scout is to always maintain a positive attitude and keep smiling! 





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The FIFA 2026 World Cup Update

-
Image
It’s never too early to start planning for a major event and the event coming to Kansas City in 2026 is just that. The FIFA World Cup will be coming to the area and local leadership throughout the KC metro are starting the conversation on how the community can be ready to accommodate visitors from all over the world. The official schedule has been released and Arrowhead Stadium will host six matches including four group fixtures and two knockout games. The transportation working group has been developed and met on March 15. This group includes organization’s like KDOT, MoDOT, KC Scout, KCMO, MARC, and more! They will continue to meet monthly to discuss ways to be proactive and ready to host. More updates are to come as we approach 2026. Visit fifa.com to learn more about the 2026 World Cup: Kansas City (fifa.com)
Read more

Scout Innovations for 2024

-
Image
  On December 13   KC Scout shared three separate Innovations Challenge Entries at the local showcase, including one from ER operators Hector Ortiz, Michael Maynard and Gregory Morgan in the equipment category. Their innovation was named “ C-3PO ” which is an acronym for “ C onfigurable C argo C ontrol & P rojection O ptimizer” a low-cost, easily installed cargo containment system for securing loose items in a truck bed. It has universal safety implications for every vehicle in MoDOT’s fleet.                                                                                    Figure 1  ER's C-3PO Scout also presented two productivity entries, each with “leveraging information sharing” for improved understanding of Scout functions. respectively named LOTUS ( L everaging O utreach T raining U sing S mall G roups) and EVOLVE ( E mbedded V ideo O ption L everaging V ital E ducation). LOTUS showed the effectiveness of small group, short duration training sessions, while EVOLVE was
Read more

Neil Kornis – Scout Senior TMC Operator and Eyes on the Road

-
Image
One April 25, KC Scout was hit with a cyberattack that shut down all cameras and communication to the roadways. Without their normal resources, the Scout team quickly pivoted to using alternative means to continue providing traffic incident management services. Without cameras, the TMC relied on getting accurate lane closure information from first responders including KHP MAV and MoDOT Emergency Response. After further coordination efforts, it was decided that KHP Scout Senior TMC Operator Neil Kornis would assist with KHP MAV in the field for the further facilitation between KC Scout and KHP. “The opportunity to sit alongside with a MAV and witness them doing their job while also discussing how we could do a better job as a team couldn’t be passed up,” Kornis said. During this time, not only did Kornis act as another point of communication between Scout and MAV, but he also used this time to evaluate ways the teams could improve.  “I used the time to put myself in the MAV’s shoes and
Read more