Design
Employee of the Year - 2008
Kristin Brostrom
In
just four short years with the Iowa DOT, Kristin Brostrom, transportation
engineer intern in the design project section (rural 2), has made quite a name
for herself among her colleagues. Brostrom receive four separate nominations for
this year’s design employee of the year.
Keith Cadwell, Brostrom’s supervisor, was one of those who nominated her. “We have a great team and I nominated several team members. I just wondered which one would win,” he said. “When they announced Kristin as the winner, it just showed that she is having a very positive impact on the entire office.”
Dennis Bovee, design technician specialist on Brostrom’s team, also nominated her. “From the very first day she started, Kristin has helped tremendously as a trouble-shooting genius. The work she does is top-notch, cutting-edge and on time. In her seeming short time at the DOT (only in years, not in accomplishments), she has become a 3-D master and a teacher/trainer in Microstation. Her status as a leader has again been confirmed by her recent election as chair of the Design Automation Users Group.”
Brostrom credits the people she works with and the variety of work provided by the DOT as keeping her interested in her job everyday. She said, “Our team works really well together. I like being able to work on everything from small bridge projects to major projects like the Fort Madison bypass. I also appreciate Keith’s willingness to allow me to learn more everyday.”
In her quest to learn more, Brostrom spent a bit of time working in the soils section when they needed help. Cadwell said, “She has a desire to learn new things and do work that benefits the whole office, not just the specific section she’s currently working with. She has excellent CADD skills and is learning how to best use those skills in the DOT’s system. People from around the office have begun to come to Kristin to test out new technologies. She’s great at testing a new tool and finding improvements that can be made. Our team is special in that we all work to make each other better. Kristin is a leader in her efforts to improve herself and her team mates in a very positive way.”
Brostrom adds, “We have a really good section with great people. I’m honored that my work has made a difference.”
Brostrom, is the daughter of Dennis and Tari Brostrom of Newton. She has a brother, Greg, who lives in New York City and a sister, Jana, who is a sophomore in high school. Brostrom earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at Wheaton College in Illinois and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at Iowa State University.