Montoursville, PA – At a ceremony today, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll recognized 30 PennDOT employees for their outstanding performance with the Star of Excellence Award, PennDOT’s highest recognition. Two employees from PennDOT’s District 3 which represents Bradford, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union counties were among the honorees.
Our employees work hard to provide the very best transportation services to Pennsylvanians, and the millions of people who travel through the Commonwealth every day,” said Carroll. “Our Stars of Excellence exemplify a dedication to public service and a strong work ethic, and I’m proud to honor them today.”
Local winners Chris Crossley and Jake Shoup were honored this afternoon at an awards luncheon at the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg.
“I congratulate Chris and Jake on their well-deserved Star of Excellence Award,” said Eric High, District Executive. “Their dedication, strong work ethic, and unwavering commitment to public service shows in every project they touch. Their efforts have continuously improved the experience and safety of the motoring public. I thank them for bringing professionalism, integrity, and a positive attitude to every challenge.”
Chris Crossley serves as a Transportation Equipment Operator Specialist (TEOS) in Snyder County, where he manages complex highway maintenance operations, operates specialized equipment, provides instruction, including formal classroom training, and performs a wide range of essential maintenance activities.
Chris began his career in 1997 as a Transportation Equipment Operator A and continually advanced his skills, earning a promotion to Transportation Equipment Operator B in 2003, and later to Transportation Equipment Operator Specialist (TEOS) in 2018. In his TEOS role, he has demonstrated strong leadership, especially during the summer season when he works as the oil distributor operator for the District’s Southern Seal Coat crew. With the crew applying nearly one million gallons of seal coat each year, Chris’s expertise has been instrumental in achieving exceptional quality assurance scores. Over the past three years, the crew has undergone six reviews, earning an impressive average score of 98 out of 100, including three perfect scores.
A dedicated instructor, Chris spends several weeks each year teaching Oil Distributor classes at the Eastern Pennsylvania Training Facility. His commitment to developing others continues at the county level, where he trains new equipment operators, ensuring the county remains fully prepared to meet operational needs without interruption.
Chris is a highly respected member of the Snyder County Maintenance Organization and the Southern Seal Coat crew. His work ethic, dedication, positive attitude, and professionalism have made him an integral part of the county’s leadership. His belief in knowledge sharing, teamwork, and supporting others highlights his unwavering commitment to excellence, making him truly deserving of this recognition.
Jake Shoup, is a Structure Control Engineer, where he is responsible for advanced analysis, design, and construction inspection support for Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure, including bridges, culverts, retaining walls, and sign structures.
His analytical expertise proved essential in the summer of 2025 when he investigated widespread failures of sprayable membrane waterproofing on more than six structures, ranging from interstate bridges to rural roadways. Jake conducted thorough field reviews, researched contractors and materials, and analyzed application methods. His work determined that the failures were likely caused by insufficient aggregate coverage on the membrane surface, due either to inadequate initial placement or cure times that prevented proper application.
Because of his findings, District 3 revised its Special Provision to require longer cure times and increased aggregate coverage. His recommendations were later incorporated into the Statewide Special Provision after being presented to the Bureau of Construction and Materials. Jake also collaborated with IT during the procurement of a wireless concrete maturity log reader, helping address security considerations for its use on mass concrete pours.
A long-valued member of the district, Jake began his PennDOT career as an Engineering, Scientific, and Technical intern in 2012 before joining full time as a Civil Engineer Trainee (CET). After completing the CET program, he advanced into a supervisory role and transitioned to management in 2018. He earned his Professional Engineer license in 2020 and continued progressing to his current position.
Jake is a respected and dependable member of District 3, consistently responding to bridge and structure strikes across the district. His expertise, dedication, and ingenuity exemplify the qualities of an outstanding employee and make him truly deserving of this recognition.
The Star of Excellence Awards are presented annually to employees who represent the department’s values of service, performance and integrity. The recipients represent a variety of organizational positions, spanning from highway maintenance and driver and vehicle services workers, to traffic control specialists, engineers and more.
For more information, visit District 3 | Department of Transportation | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or call 570-368-8686.
Travelers can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts. a
Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.pa.gov/DOTprojects. Subscribe to PennDOT news and find transportation results in Bradford, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union counties at www.pa.gov/DOTdistrict3.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Maggie Baker, magbaker@pa.gov or 570-368-4202
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