Seventeen standouts earned Roads Scholar certificates in 2021. We recognize and thank you for your hard work!
The Roads Scholar Program offers two certificates—one focused on general maintenance operations and one focused on leadership and management. The curriculum is designed to provide participants with fundamental training in safety, management, and advanced technologies, as well as offer exposure to other topics relevant to the transportation field.
Maintenance Operations and Technical Certificate
- Kevin Bartholomew, City of Mahtomedi
- Andy Brennan, City of Mendota Heights
- Tony Gleason, City of Lakeville
- Carey Kotilinek, City of Buffalo
- Frank Krahn, Bennington Township
- Jarrett Krensing, City of Mendota Heights
- Mike Loehrs, City of Watertown
- Jed Rice, Mower County
- Matt Zinniel, Stearns County
Leadership, Supervisory, and Operations Management Certificate
- Travis Gossard, City of Edina
- Jamey Hecksel, Carver County
- Carey Kotilinek, City of Buffalo
- Tim Meuleners, Carver County
- Nick Nystrom, City of Robbinsdale
- Brian Randt, City of Mahtomedi
- David Stifter, City of Champlin
- Troy T. Walsh, League of Minnesota Cities
- Josh Yonak, City of Golden Valley
What our grads say
Tony Gleason is assistant to the lead at City of Lakeville Streets Maintenance. "I liked the many different options for classes that were available to me through the program. They were all very relevant to the tasks we complete on a daily basis. I also really liked having the ability to participate in most of the classes online. With the online courses you could move at your own pace, and I feel like I retained a lot more of the information."
Jamey Hecksel and Tim Meuleners are lead highway maintenance operators at Carver County Public Works. "With the knowledge gained from taking these courses, I have the tools to continue building a good working relationship with my co-workers and managers," Hecksel says. "This program has shown me new ways of communication—this will help me be a better leader in the future. I enjoyed meeting future leaders at the classes and learning from them their different leadership styles."
Meuleners says the "program has taught me the importance of being self-aware and prioritizing personal development, while also focusing on helping in the development others. I learned to encourage strategic thinking. These classes gave me an overview of the qualities of a virtuous leader and helped to boost my self-confidence."
Carey Kotilinek is a City of Buffalo street and facilities maintenance superintendent. Kotilinek holds the distinction of earning leadership and maintenance certificates this past year, a first for the program. "The leadership portion of it really helped me improve my communication skills and how to be confident as a woman in a male-dominated position," Kotilinek says.
"I have encouraged a few of my crew members to be part of this program as well," Kotilinek adds. "Every supervisor should have their crew members take part in a few classes, especially in smaller communities so they may understand how things have changed and why their supervisor is now doing what they are doing. Change is good but hard to accept sometimes."
Frank Krahn is Bennington Township deputy clerk and road supervisor. Jed Rice, a Mower County Public Works engineering technician, is Krahn's grandson. Krahn found the courses timely and informative. "It helps with the understanding on how joint projects with the county and other entities work," he says. "It also was a great chance to instill lifelong learning skills for a grandson, who took the course at the same time."
Rice, at his job for a year, appreciated how informative and easy to navigate the courses were. "The program will help me a lot," he says, "because the county is starting to utilize the program to help us stay up-to-date."
"I’m glad my grandpa found this program for us to do together," Rice adds. "I’m also excited to keep using the program and continue to use it in my current job."
Nick Nystrom is a utilities operator with the City of Robbinsdale. "What I liked best about the LTAP Roads Scholar Program was the variety of classes that were part of the program and how knowledgeable the instructors were," Nystrom says. "Being able to complete some of the classes in an online format because of the current pandemic was convenient and effective.
"Completing the [leadership] certificate has helped me obtain very useful knowledge and skills that will help prepare me for whatever the future holds for me during my career in the public works field. Listening to each of the instructors talk about their different individual management and leadership styles, I was able to learn a variety of ways to lead and manage people."
David Stifter is City of Champlin Public Works utility superintendent. Stifter found the training helpful in his daily work. "I will continue to utilize the training received in new technologies, best practices, and management in daily operations," he says. "I intend to continue participating in upcoming LTAP training and will strongly encourage others to utilize the beneficial training opportunities available through LTAP. All of the LTAP training resources are awesome opportunities to expand your professional growth."
Troy T. Walsh is a loss control consultant / public works and public safety specialist with the League of Minnesota Cities. "I enjoyed the opportunity to build my leadership skills and develop additional skills to become a better consultant," Walsh says. "Having additional leadership skills will help improve communications, writing of reports, and an understanding of local budgeting conversations…Always continue to grow and learn!
Matt Zinniel is a maintenance superintendent for Stearns County Public Works. "I really enjoyed the variety and expertise of the instructors," Zinniel says. "Always interesting to see different approaches to common problems and see if they can be implemented to improve your current operations."