The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Leslie S. Richards recognized 30 PennDOT employees for their outstanding performance with the Star of Excellence Award, PennDOT’s highest recognition.

David Viola, Jr. and Todd Stehle, two employees from PennDOT’s District 5, were nominated by their peers to receive the award. The district represents Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton and Schuylkill counties. Both men received a letter regarding their achievement in April.

“Every day, I am reminded of our employees’ dedication, their excellent customer service, and in many cases, their sacrifices,” said PennDOT Secretary Richards.

Viola started as an intern for PennDOT, and was later hired as a civil engineer in the Bridge Unit in May 2009. He was promoted as a senior civil engineer supervisor in charge of Districtwide Bridge Maintenance in 2011. Viola continues this role.

Stehle was a welder at PennDOT for 15 years, and was promoted to highway foreman for Carbon County in March 2017.

Stehle admits the job comes with some challenges, such as knowing all of the safety regulations of the different areas in the county and ensuring the safety of his crew.

“I have a really good group of guys, they really want to make a difference and help the community, but my top priority is making sure my guys are safe,” Stehle said. “My biggest fear is letting anything happen to them.”

Stehle loves his job, and is appreciative of the honor.

“I love my job because I get to be outside,” he said. “When I was a welder, I was inside inhaling bad fumes, so it’s great to have fresh air. My crew and I were working over the Lehigh river early in the morning, and I said to them, isn’t it beautiful that we get to work outside in this?”

Stehle and the Carbon County bridge crew are scheduled to replace a deck on a secondary roadway next summer. This will be the first time a job like this will be attempted in Carbon County.

The men, along with other honorees, were recognized with a luncheon at the Governor’s residence in Harrisburg on June 3.