100 Master Roads Scholars
This October the UNH T2 Center presented its 100th Master Roads Scholar award. In presenting the award toDave Lent of Merrimack (see page 5), Dave Fluharty, Director of the Center, said, “These awards indicate the commitment that individuals and towns have to professional and personal development.”
The Roads Scholar Program recognizes educational and training of municipal highway practitioners. It recognizes those who have successfully completed numbers of UNH T2 Center workshops. A typical one day workshop is five contact hours. To achieve the Master Roads Scholar level people need to attend 20 workshops or 100 contact hours.
After achieving the Master Roads Scholar level the UNH T2 Center publishes a brief article about the new Master in the Road Business. One question posed is, “what motivates you to take so many classes?” Many mention a strong desire to learn and stay current in their field. Bud Moynahan, retired Master Roads Scholar from Rye asked, “Where else can you learn this stuff? There are few other courses that are relevant.”
Master Roads Scholars want to improve their own and their department’s performance. Ernest Allain of Berlin takes classes “to get better knowledge and bring the knowledge back for use in the city.” Jim Dicey of Troy believes that “any knowledge will improve the way I do my job and the classes make my job easier (for me).”
All intend to continue training. Sheldon Morgan of Gilford has attended 43 workshops. Master Roads Scholars enjoy the networking opportunity that classes allow. Donald Atwood said, “He knows that others have the same problems and is interested in their approaches to similar situations.”
There are two more similarities with Master Roads Scholars: they all send their employees to training and their supervisors support their achievement.
Congratulations to the first 100 Master Roads Scholars! It has been a pleasure! We look forward to meeting the next 100 Master Roads Scholars.