The INSIDE FEBRUARY 2017 A newsletter for employees of the Arizona Department of Transportation VOLUME 1, ISSUE 8 t New video highlights t State Route 189 t Fighting identity theft in Grand Canyon State widening project holds Arizona Logo Signs program public hearing PAGE 4 PAGE 7 PAGE 8 The INSIDE LEADERSHIP MATTERS ADOT DIRECTOR James Windsor, TSMO John S. Halikowski Jennifer Bower Richards, MVD you have had a chance to read the cover letter Larry Clark, MVD AM HOPING DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR POLICY Lisa Danka, FMS Kevin Biesty from me and revised Code of Conduct that was emailed on Michael Kies, MPD COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Mj Vincent, OCI Jan. 25. If you haven’t, I am asking you to please find the time Timothy Tait Steve Boschen, IDO Ted Howard, ASD to read it. NEWSLETTER STAFF Kathy Boyle, Assistant The Inside Lane is published monthly Communications Director for the employees of the Arizona IYou may wonder why I am stressing the importance of our Angela De Welles, Senior Department of Transportation by ADOT Code of Conduct. This document isn’t just another document. Communications Specialist Communications. Michelle Fink, Administrative Support Address all comments and suggestions John S. Halikowski Danelle Weber, Senior Our Code of Conduct reflects who we are as employees and to [email protected]. Director Communications Specialist represents our core values: Accountability, Integrity and Randy Sasaki, Graphics Project Manager A web version of this newsletter can be John Walradt, Graphic Designer found on ADOTNet or at Respect. I know you join me in making sure the interactions we have with fellow employees Elena Diaz, Graphic Designer azdot.gov/InsideLane. and customers, as well as the decisions we make, are reflected in the conduct we exhibit EDITORIAL BOARD © 2017 Arizona Department of Eddie Edison, HR Transportation each and every day. Lt. Gary McCarthy, ECD Lt. James Warriner, ECD 17-031 I realize in some circles working for government isn’t perceived in the most positive light. I challenge anyone who doesn’t understand the important work that we all do in making our Share your best transportation system perform effectively and efficiently. We all are being tasked with more cover shot Do you snap shots that responsibilities with fewer resources available. It would be so easy to bend the rules in order show off the scenic side of to make a project get done faster or a program run smoother. But here at ADOT, we don’t do transportation in Arizona? Share them with us and we that—we stand behind our Code of Conduct. This photo was taken by Casey Miller of might put your photograph ADOT’s Video Team. The photo shows off Please make sure you have a copy of our Code of Conduct in a visible place at your work on the next cover of The a view of US 89 over Glen Canyon. Inside Lane. space so that you can review it on a regular basis. If you have any questions about any It can be a great picture section, I would encourage you to speak to your direct supervisor. of an MVD office, a beautiful highway shot or even an artsy I have said this before in other communication to all of you. I am deeply proud to work photo of construction materials. Whatever the subject, the photo should highlight some aspect of the work happening alongside you in an agency where we espouse our AIR values each and every day. Thank you. here at ADOT. Submit your original, digital photographs to InsideLane@ azdot.gov in JPEG format (no larger than 10MB). Along with the photo, please provide a brief description and your name/title. The INSIDE 2 SEE WHAT ADOT EMPLOYEES ARE ADOT Director John Halikowski recently sent all employees the agency’s revised Code of Conduct. In his email, he stressed that the foundation of ADOT’s success rests in its values. It seems that employees SAYING ABOUT THE AGENCY’S CODE agree. Here’s what a few of your fellow employees had to say when we asked them what the Code of OF CONDUCT Conduct means to them and what it reflects to the citizens of Arizona… Adrian Leon Kohinoor Kar Denise Ohnesorgen Senior Project Manager Senior Project Manager, ADOT Research Center MVD Customer Service Section Supervisor As an ADOT employee, it’s refreshing to It is crucial for a state employee to abide The Code of Conduct shows our see the emphasis that our agency places by the Code of Conduct to maintain employees what ADOT stands for and on the Code of Conduct. Working in an agency reputation and trust in the eyes of teaches them to embrace these core environment that values Accountability, the public. This benefits everyone. values as part of our culture so that we Integrity and Respect ensures for better always will be proud to represent this working relationships with not only our colleagues, but also agency with Accountability, Integrity and Respect. our most important customers: the traveling public. Jim Cupp Insurance Recovery Supervisor Most importantly, I want the public to Mary Currie Bonnie Opie know that ADOT employees provide Manager, LEE Partnering Administrator service to taxpayers ethically and with I’d like the citizens of Arizona to know that It is important that all employees of the the highest degree of professionalism— ADOT employees take pride in upholding agency have a clear understanding of we take our Code of Conduct, and our our core values of Accountability, Integrity acceptable behavior and interaction responsibility to serve the public, seriously. and Respect. The ADOT Code of Conduct with others. The face of our agency is our further distinguishes those core values in employees, and it is important that we all eight essential areas for employees to follow and uphold the abide by the same high standards that we expect of others. Felicia Beltran reputation of our organization. I am a citizen too, and I want Having a written Code of Conduct removes all doubt about Title VI Program Manager Arizonans to know that our employees are key to providing what is acceptable behavior. safe, efficient, cost-effective transportation services and It’s important for the agency to have a roadways for motorists. It is our priority and we’re proud of it. code of conduct because it ensures that Kyla Cottle each of our customers experiences the same great customer service from every Employee Relations Officer Laurence Nolan ADOT employee. Employees use the Code of Conduct Systems/Network Supervisor to hold their colleagues accountable, ADOT’s Code of Conduct means that I ensure integrity exists in their workplace Javier Ramirez am a representative of ADOT. I know that and safeguard the respect each position Program Manager, LEE behaving professionally and ethically is at ADOT deserves. Citizens hold ADOT especially important when working with The ADOT Code of Conduct lets us know employees to the standards found in the Code of Conduct. the public. The public’s perception of my that we will be held to a higher standard They are watching to see that ADOT employees keep the behavior is very important as well. I ask myself constantly, than what the public may expect. At the values they espouse, and they let us know when they see “What would a taxpayer think if they saw me right now?” I same time, it lets employees know that actions to the contrary. strive to be a good steward of the state’s resources and try to we will be held to standards that are fair treat everybody by the Golden Rule. and reasonable. The INSIDE 3 Fighting identity theft in Arizona OIG team undertakes major effort a “cleanse” of about 370,000 MVD photo records that ADOT’s facial recognition software had flagged as to “cleanse” photo database potential matches. Facial recognition software has given ADOT some amazingly advanced capabilities in its fight against A major effort identity theft in the state. When ADOT first implemented facial recognition For starters, the technology has the ability to “look” technology in 2015, the agency decided that besides at a driver license photo and, through the use of using the software to screen all future MVD customer some complicated mathematical algorithms, identify photos, it would also use the program to go back and features on a person’s face. From there, it can compare “scrub” the entire MVD photo database to identify any those features to every other photo in MVD’s database. matches and potential fraudulent activity. If there’s a match in the system, it could mean a person is The program quickly got to work, scanning through the fraudulently attempting to obtain a driver license in someone roughly 18 million images on file. Out of those photos, about else’s name. A match could also signal that the software is 370,000 were identified by the software as potential matches. picking up on an error in the record, or in some cases you could “That’s where the humans came into the process,” said just be dealing with a set of twins. Lipinski, adding that the software is programed to identify And there seem to be many more twins in Arizona than photo matches falling within a certain threshold — meaning you’d ever expect, according to Detective Supervisor that the matches it identified weren’t always a match. Nathan Lipinski and Facial Recognition “Basically, there was a 75-percent chance that the Program Administrator Faith Contreras. files contained a match.” They should know — both are Computers can’t do everything and with ADOT’s Office of it was going to take human the Inspector eyes to look at each set General and of matching photos to recently oversaw see if they were of the same person.