PennDOT Honors Star of Excellence Recipients   

At a ceremony in Harrisburg today, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll recognized 31 PennDOT employees for their outstanding performance with the Star of Excellence Award, PennDOT’s highest recognition. Ralph Del Rosso and Jeremiah Gonzalofrom PennDOT’s Engineering District 4 which represents Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyomingcountieswere among the honorees. 

“I’m continually impressed by the hard work and dedication of the PennDOT team,” Secretary Carroll said. “These folks work tirelessly each day to provide safe and efficient transportation for Pennsylvania’s residents.”  

Carroll and other department executives honored Ralph Del Rosso and Jeremiah Gonzalo during an event held at the State Museum of Pennsylvania.  

“Both Ralph and Jeremiah have truly excelled in their service to the traveling public in northeast Pennsylvania,” said Richard N. Roman, P.E., District Executive for PennDOT Engineering District 4, based in Dunmore. “They are both stars within our organization and have developed meaningful relationships with property owners doing business with PennDOT.” 

Ralph Del Rosso 

 Ralph Del Rosso has been employed by PennDOT Engineering District 4 for over 30 years and has been the Right of Way Administrator for over 20 Years.  Ralph’s knowledge of the Department’s policies and procedures stems from years of experience on a multitude of transportation projects. He has a keen eye for detail which has helped him be a successful team leader and manage nearly 100 active jobs.  He has converted all related files digitally allowing his team to easily access documents for projects increasing accessibility and productivity for the Department. Ralph attends public meetings and speaks with legislative contacts to discuss sensitive issues and consistently manages to explain complicated policies and procedures in a clear and concise manner. As Ralph is nearing retirement, he continues to teach his method of plan reviews and to pass on the skills he has utilized over the past 20 years to his successors. 

  

Jeremiah Gonzalo 

Jeremiah Gonzalo’s daily accomplishments continue to highlight the strategic themes of the Department.  As District Permits Manager, Jeremiah is responsible for reviewing and approving all Highway Occupancy Permits for developments occurring in PennDOT Engineering District 4. His quality customer service has developed strong relationships prompted innovative ideas and promoted safety within the District. His promptness in service has ensured that progress is made towards Traffic Information Services and Highway Occupancy Permit approval without delays for submissions on eight major developments proposed in the Hazleton area. These developments are impacting the Route 424 corridor totaling upwards of 28 million square feet of warehouse space and require significant coordination with the District permits units and all the consultants and developers during the process. Jeremiah’s efforts have been recognized by developers who have continuously informed the District of their appreciation, in particular, the assistance provided by Jeremiah in moving the process along. 

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. 

Information about infrastructure in District 4, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D4Results.

Follow local PennDOT news on Twitter and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.