To serve its customers as effectively and efficiently as possible, the department has announced many recent staff changes. Listed in most recent order, new directors in the North Central District and at the Central Office in the divisions of Highway Safety, Design, Audits and Investigations, Resource Management and a new Acting Chief Financial Officer are all included.
New Highway Safety Director
Dr. Leanna Depue will take the helm as Highway Safety Division director on Sept. 26, replacing former director Joyce Shaul who resigned earlier in the year. Depue will oversee the Highway Safety Division as it works to reduce deaths, injuries and property damage caused by traffic crashes on Missouri roadways. Depue currently leads the efforts of the Missouri Safety Center located at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg.
New North Central District Engineer
On Sept. 1, Dan Niec assumed the role of District 2 Engineer, which is headquartered in Macon. Niec will replace Mike Bruemmer who retired. The job responsibilities include overseeing the department's transportation operations in the district that includes the 14 counties of Adair, Carroll, Chariton, Grundy, Howard, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Mercer, Putnam, Randolph, Saline, Schuyler and Sullivan. Niec has worked in District 6 and was most recently Assistant District Engineer in the Northeast District.
New State Design Engineer 
Kathy Harvey became the new State Design Engineer on Sept. 1 replacing Diane Heckemeyer who recently resigned. Harvey now oversees the division responsible for roadway plan preparation, conducting ground and aerial surveys, determining the best locations for highway improvements and developing project specifications and cost estimates. The division also conducts the department's construction bid lettings. Harvey began her MoDOT career in District 8 in 1991. She most recently worked as a technical support engineer in the Design Division leading the Interstate 70 Improvement Studies.
Acting Directors Named for Chief Financial Officer and Director of Audits and Investigations
Roberta “R. B.” Broeker assumed the Acting Chief Financial Officer position on Aug. 12 replacing Pat Goff who recently retired. Broeker now oversees all areas of finance and administrative services in this position.
Bill Rogers was named Acting Director of Audits and Investigations to assume Broeker’s former responsibilities until a permanent Chief Financial Officer is named. This unit conducts performance audits of department operations and audits contracts between third parties and the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. They also investigate allegations of fraud, waste and abuse of department resources; review constructions bids and monitor competition in the construction industry, as well as investigate employee grievances and equal opportunity complaints.
New Resource Management Director
Kirk Boyer is the MoDOT’s new Resource Management director, as of Aug. 1. He oversees the department’s budget, as well as financial analysis and forecasting activities. He previously was the director of audits for the State Auditor’s Office and worked for the federal Government Accountability Office in Kansas City.
