MoDOT names new area engineer

Missouri Department of Transportation longtime employee Mark Shelton of Jefferson City has been promoted to the job of Southeast Missouri district engineer.

Shelton, 41, replaces Scott Meyer, who resigned to take a job as director of facilities management at Southeast Missouri State University.

Shelton has worked for MoDOT for nearly 20 years. He currently is assistant state construction and materials engineer. He will begin his new duties on July 1.

"Mark will bring a great deal of expertise, energy and enthusiasm to the Southeast district," MoDOT director Pete Rahn said in announcing the appointment on Tuesday.

Shelton said he's excited about his new job and the chance to implement MoDOT's "practical design" philosophy, which is intended to make for more economical roadwork.

"Does it make sense to build a Cadillac when I can build a Chevy and have money left over to have another Chevy somewhere else?" he asked.

Shelton said he has helped push the concept in his job at MoDOT's central office in Jefferson City and plans to do the same in his new job.

"That gives us an opportunity to stretch the dollars so we can meet the needs," he said.

As district engineer, he said, it will be important for him to communicate with the public and local government officials on highway plans.

"I want to provide outstanding customer service," he said.

The goal, he said, is to solve transportation issues before they become problems.

Shelton said he wants to promote a good relationship with contractors. "They build our projects. They know where innovations are in new construction," he said. "So we can work together to build good projects for the taxpayer."

A licensed engineer, Shelton has a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He and his wife, Sheila, have two daughters: Jordan, 14, and Katelyn, 10.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123