Master Roads Scholars
David Blanchard
David Blanchard is an engineering technician for the Town of Derry. He has been
in Derry for nine years and worked in public works for the most of his career.
David began working in the private sector with various consulting engineering
firms, and in civil, environmental, and mechanical fields.
David believes he is speaking for his department when he says that the status of Master Roads Scholar is very important. Many Derry employees have taken UNH T2 classes. He is the second Master Roads Scholar and another member has reached the Senior Roads Scholar status. He says that the UNH T2 programs are a great opportunity to learn more about your job. Even if you take one new piece of information from a workshop, it benefits the town and people, which is the purpose of his career to begin with. He says he will continue to take classes because he can’t resist workshops offering new and innovative ideas and information. David feels we are on the verge of an increased demand for workshops focusing on NPDES Stormwater II.
David and his wife of 16 years reside in Derry with their 2 daughters. When not working, David’s two biggest favorite leisure-time activities are skiing and golf.
Alex Cote
Alex Cote is the Highway
Agent in Deerfield. He has been with Deerfield for the past year and a half.
Previously, he owned and operated a landscaping business and ran a tool room at
a machine shop for twenty years.
Becoming a Master Roads Scholar has been important to Alex. He says, “it is crucial to keep up with public demand by learning the changing technologies, which is especially true for smaller towns like Deerfield.” He believes that, since there are more vehicles on the roads and they are more expensive to buy and maintain, there is a higher demand for good quality roads. Alex feels it is the town’s responsibility to be more cost-effective.
Alex says that he will “absolutely continue to take classes because he learns something at every workshop.” Alex believes that one can never learn enough. His encourages the crew members to take classes and become Roads Scholars.
Alex finds his job rewarding because of the appreciation that some express toward the work that he and his crew complete. His family’s support has been overwhelming. He has a wife and two teenage sons, a 15 year old daughter, and 5 years-old boy.
Alex deer hunts, plays men’s soccer year-round, volunteers for the fire department, coaches youth soccer, and is involved with both youth basketball and baseball. Alex’s favorite activity is to spend time with his children outdoors.
Roger Deboisbriand
Roger is the
Business Coordinator in the City of Nashua Street Department. He has been in his
current position for four years and was the Waste and Measures Investigator for
the City for three years. Roger owned and managed his own company for four
years before coming to Nashua.
Roger says the status of Master Roads Scholar is important because he feels he has gained accurate knowledge of a wider perspective of business related activities and processes. He has been happy to gain increased knowledge on projects in the Public Works fields.
In general, Roger enjoys learning but he especially takes pleasure in the “hands-on” learning that UNH T2 workshops offer. He admits that some people learn more than others, and that everyone learns differently. He believes that everyone can bring something home from a workshop. This could be anything from new innovative ideas for their department, a better sense of their job duties, or a sense of accomplishment and learning something new.
Married for 37 years, Roger has four sons. When out of the office, Roger might be caught fly fishing or golfing on a pleasant afternoon.
James Hanson
Jim is the General Foreman for the Claremont Department of
Public Works. After graduating from Claremont High School, he worked as a
machinist. In 1974 he joined the Claremont Highway department and has been with
the town ever since.
Jim is proud that his employer gave him the opportunity to take Technology Transfer Center training and achieve Master Roads Scholar. Jim plans to continue taking classes so he can keep up with technical changes and network with other road agents.
Jim feels as though the T2 Center has been instrumental in helping public works jobs become more professional. He sees that cities and towns are becoming more selective in the hiring process and believes that most want individuals with education and experience in road work.
Jim and Karen have been married for for 29 years. Karen is a preschool teacher in Claremont. Their son, Michael, is 26 years old and lives in Saco, ME. Katherine, their daughter, is a preschool teacher in New Jersey. Each is getting married this fall. In his leisure time, Jim enjoys golf, motorcycles, camping, hunting, gathering oysters, and gardening.
Return to Spring 2005