Two staff members at PennDOT’s District 12 headquarters in Uniontown were among 30 recipients of the department’s annual Star of Excellence awards presented Monday in Harrisburg.

Uniontown residents Gary V. Ferrari Jr., senior civil engineer supervisor, and Jay Ofsanik, safety press officer, were among PennDOT employees from across the state honored for outstanding performance. District 12 includes Westmoreland, Fayette, Washington and Greene counties.

A project manager with the District 12 Design Unit, Ferrari last year managed many bridge-related projects. He was recognized for providing ideas for saving money and keeping projects within budget.

He also won praise for his work on the Ohiopyle Project and for fostering partnerships and providing coordination at public meetings concerning the multi-year $12.4 million effort. The project is scheduled for completion by Memorial Day 2020. It includes parking lot improvements at a state park visitors center, construction of a pedestrian tunnel and realignment of an intersection on Route 381.

Ofsanik, who promotes highway safety initiatives, created a program that strategically places 14 speed minders along stretches of road to alert motorists to the speed they are driving.

He has mentored new safety press officers in neighboring PennDOT districts and, since 2013, has helped conduct education and enforcement events in District 10, which encompasses Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana and Jefferson counties.

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