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VDOT Lynchburg District Human Resources Manager Greg Freshour was selected as a recipient for the 2021 Commissioner’s Award for Outstanding Customer Service for his work on the COVID-19 Pandemic Response team. 

A statewide team within the Division of Human Resources and the Office of Safety, Security, & Emergency Management responded to the pandemic in a rapid, meticulous and innovative manner during the unprecedented and ever-changing circumstances.  The team developed COVID-19 response protocols and guidance used within VDOT as well as a comprehensive reporting and tracking system that provided daily attendance metrics and captured specific COVID data.

The human resources managers addressed employee exposures and individual concerns around-the-clock, providing guidance, performing contract tracing for exposures and supporting leadership on staffing plans, contractor concerns and teleworking options. Those efforts protected the health and safety of the VDOT workforce and minimized the spread of disease.

“From the beginning of the pandemic, this was all new territory for all of us,” said Freshour. “We were trying to do the best we could to take care of our people.  We were by no means perfect in this endeavor, but our commitment to take care of our Lynchburg District employees was steadfast.  Even with the best efforts, a number of our employees were exposed to the virus, and we lost a couple of our valuable employees.

I hope employees will continue to take the proper precautions and safety practices to remain safe through the rest of this pandemic.”

Freshour credits the strong team of human resources managers in the Lynchburg District, saying their efforts helped lead to this award.