MnLTAP is pleased to congratulate two new Roads Scholars!
- Brian Tadych, public service worker – asphalt, City of Edina
- Derrick Chorzempa, public works maintenance worker, City of Robbinsdale
Tadych earned a Leadership, Supervisory, and Operations Management Certificate this spring, while Chorzempa earned a Maintenance Operations and Technical Certificate. These dedicated professionals share their stories below.
Brian Tadych
How did you get interested in public works?
I started with public works almost 18 years ago. I needed a different job with a more regular schedule. I came from a blacktop contractor and was working 80+ hours a week in the summer.
How does the Roads Scholar certificate help you in your current job and career plans?
This certificate became a requirement for higher wages on our most recent contract.
What’s a typical day like?
A typical day for me is paving overlays and patching in the summer, and snowplowing along with equipment maintenance in the winter. Mix in sweeping in the spring and fall, and that’s a year.
How has your job changed over the years?
As far as job changes over the years, there’s way more management doing the work that took only a few people in the past, and there aren’t as many experienced people operating equipment anymore.
Any funny or surprising incidents?
We seem to have people drive over the blacktop before it’s compacted every day and then want the tire tracks to go away when it’s in front of their house.
What do you do for hobbies/fun?
I’m a high school trap coach and enjoy watching and helping kids succeed in the sport. I also enjoy fishing as much as I can.
Derrick Chorzempa
My interest in public works started as a summer job working seasonal for the City of Robbinsdale, which led me to pursue it full time. I like the variety of classes offered through the Roads Scholar program, including the self-paced online courses. In my free time I enjoy being outdoors—usually up north on the water, fishing.