ODOT honors District 2 for community engagement, creates annual award

At the start of the Jan. 6 meeting the department introduced a new internal award recognizing exceptional community engagement and named District 2 as the first recipient.

Caitlin Burns presented the "Excellence in Community Engagement" award and highlighted District 2’s outreach after causeway damage, in‑person survey efforts in Valiant to solicit direct feedback, and extensive community work on the Hochatown project. Burns said the community engagement team was created about a year and a half ago and is led by Dr. Rhonda Fehr (not present at the meeting).

Director Gantz said the recognition reflects a broader push to move beyond baseline environmental public involvement and to engage communities more intentionally during project development. He said the department intends to expand the program in 2026 and emphasized "communication, communication, communication." Commissioners and attendees applauded the team; the meeting moved on to other agenda items after a brief photo opportunity.