Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Public Works Institutes
Graduate Studies
Business Alliances
Contact Us
Date(s): April 19, 2005
Location: Audio/Web Broadcast
Purchase this program!
Description: Live from the APWA North American Snow Conference
Tuesday, April 19
12:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Training First-Rate Snowfighters

This session will provide attendees with information on their best value for snowfighting training. It will involve a panel of three training experts from across the country as well as a public works director to insure a real world down home perspective on the benefits of training for excellent snowfighting practices. Training resources and materials will be identified and highlighted with respect to training effectiveness, availability, and costs. Training experts will touch upon key concerns and offer practical tips for dealing with the experienced and inexperienced snowfighter. If you want to hear the most important issues in snowfighting training, discover the hottest snowfighting topics, learn how to anticipate and address the most common questions and misconceptions from the field, find out ways to get across those hard to learn concepts, or put an end to your most persistent and inadequate snowfighting practices, then this session will prove invaluable to you.

Session Objectives:
1. Acquire and evaluate good effective snowfighting training materials 2. Prepare for key snowfighting questions and offer solutions before the problems arise
3. Implement an effective snowfighting training program in their department
Speaker: Alan Gesford

Alan L. Gesford is a Senior Research Assistant for Penn State University. He serves as a Technology Transfer Specialist for the Institute of State and Regional Affairs working on various projects with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Foundation and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), involving training and development.

Mr. Gesford helped develop training sessions and continues as one of the instructors in the PennDOT Training Academies providing instruction for the State’s maintenance managers and foremen through two and three week training programs each year. (This project is administered by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Foundation in conjunction with PennDOT)
Speaker: Duane (Dewey) Amsler, Sr, P.E.

Dewey has over 40 years of experience in highways, ranging from laborer and equipment operator to senior management in the New York State Department of Transportation. He was responsible for the 100 million dollar snow and ice control program in NYSDOT for ten years prior to his retirement in 1996.

Since retiring, he has remained active in the snow and ice community by writing guidance documents, training, providing operational consultation, performing research and providing claims and litigation support. He was and continues to be active in the activities of the Transportation Research Board, Snow and Ice Pooled Fund Cooperative Program, Strategic Highway Research Program and numerous local forums that relate to snow and ice control.
Speaker: Terry Hough

Terry is currently the Public Works Director and City Engineer for Morgantown, WV and has been in this position for eight (8) years. She holds both a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from West Virginia University. Terry is a registered Professional Engineer and a registered Professional Surveyor in West Virginia. Prior to working for the City of Morgantown, she was an engineer for the Morgantown Utility Board.

Terry serves on the WV LTAP Advisory Board, the Clinton Water Association, and the Monongalia County Local Emergency Planning Committee. She has presented several presentations on the City of Morgantown=s use of natural brines in snow and ice removal at many different venues.

Terry has been happily married to Michael for 27 years and they have a 17 year old son Lucas (who in the eyes of their parents is perfect). She enjoys reading, horseback riding (with her two horses), skiing, sky diving, bicycling, playing with her dog, spending time with her family (not necessarily in that order).
Speaker: Dr. John Anderson

Dr. John A. Anderson is an Associate Professor and Director of the Administration and Leadership Studies Research and Training Center of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s (IUP) Department of Sociology. He instructs graduate classes in applied statistics and research methods. He came to IUP from the Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education where he served as the Executive Director for Grants and Research. He is involved with various projects relating to adult learning, distance education and program evaluation. Dr. Anderson has 18 years of experience managing technology transfer and training within the highway industry. He serves as the principal investigator on multiple Pennsylvania Department of Transportation agreements.

Prior to IUP, he worked ten years at Penn State’s Pennsylvania Transportation Institute where he served as the principal investigator of the Pennsylvania Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), PENNDOT’s state maintenance training program, advanced training development initiatives with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Highway Institute (NHI), and other various highway training and needs evaluation projects. He came to Pennsylvania in 1993 from the University of New Hampshire where, in 1986, he initiated and directed the New Hampshire LTAP. He received a bachelor's degree in 1976 from Carroll College. In 1980 he received his master's degree in educational psychology from Marquette University focusing on learning theory, instructional design, and educational testing and measurement. He completed his Ph.D. in sociology in 1993 at the University of New Hampshire with an emphasis in applied statistics, program planning, and evaluation.
Content Questions:

Technology Questions:

 
© 2011 American Public Works Association