The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Leslie S. Richards today recognized 25 PennDOT employees for their outstanding performance with the Star of Excellence Award, PennDOT's highest recognition.

Three employees from PennDOT's District 5, which represents Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties, were among the honorees.Local winners Gary Farabaugh, Edward Sadusky, and Ronald J. Young Jr. were honored at an awards luncheon at the governor's residence in Harrisburg.Farabaugh is a transportation construction manager with 22 years of service. He has managed nearly $53 million in construction projects in past three years.Sadusky is a highway foreman with Schuylkill County Maintenance. He has been with the department for 33 years. Sadusky has developed numerous methods for saving time and money in his role as the bridge foreman. His efforts have kept roads open and helped to avoid weight limit postings on bridges.Young is District 5's Community Relations Coordinator. Young is on the front lines of questions, criticisms and accolades in these efforts, including around-the-clock accessibility.The Star of Excellence Awards are presented annually to employees who represent the department's values of service, performance and integrity. The recipients represent a variety of organizational positions, spanning from highway maintenance and driver and vehicle services workers, to traffic control specialists, communications staff and design and engineering specialists.