External Recognition
Innovation & Improvement Recognition
Instrumental Innovators
Creating and sustaining a culture of continuous improvement requires the right people doing the right things over the long term, and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has those people! Culture-shaping, mentoring, and coaching work has produced wonderful and lasting results, both for the organization and for the people of CDOT. We are proud that several of the people on the Office of Process Improvement Team at CDOT have received well-deserved external recognition for their accomplishments in creating that culture of continuous improvement, including these people:
In 2017, Cheryl Wright received the "Unsung Hero Award" from the North American Employee Engagement Awards. Cheryl received the Award for her pioneering work in developing and leading CDOT's Lean Everyday Ideas initiative.
Geneva Hooten received the 2020 Route Fifty Navigator Award in the "Next Generation" category for leading CDOT's Innovation and Improvement initiative. That initiative continued to Cheryl Wright's work to build the creative and inventive skills of front-line employees to improve larger processes through Lean Rapid Improvement Events, and smaller ones through Lean Everyday Ideas. Learn more about her experience in this video to the left:
Michelle Malloy received the 2020 Inspiring Leader Award, from the international Inspiring Workplaces program, honoring her work to build and sustain the CDOT Change Management initiative, which helps to ensure that each and every person will be successful with each and every change that impacts them.
In 2017, Laura Parsons was awarded the Future Industry Spotlight Award from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), a leading transportation industry group. Parsons won this award through her work at the Office of Process Improvement and her commitment to "enhancing quality of transit for everyone using Colorado infrastructure."
In 2018, Meagan Brown was awarded the Future Industry Spotlight Award from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), a leading transportation industry group. Brown won this award through her work with CDOT's Lean Construction Initiative and her projects within the Office of Process Improvement, including mentoring other interns and producing webinars for the Transportation Lean Forum.
In 2021, Victoria Farberov was awarded the Future Industry Spotlight Award from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), a leading transportation industry group. Farberov won this award through her work with Operation Good Neighbor, an interagency improvement effort between CDOT and Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI).