Erie-area PennDOT office welcomes new district executive

Longtime PennDOT employee James A. Foringer, P.E., recently was named the district executive for the department's Erie-area office.

Foringer comes to District 1 — which covers Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties — with a wealth of knowledge and experience from working more than 30 years in the Pittsburgh and Harrisburg PennDOT offices.

"It is my honor to lead District 1, where the employees have consistently been recognized as innovators and experts in their field," he said. "I hope to guide the district to build on this expertise and teamwork to achieve greater improvements in our transportation system while using the PennDOT Connects program to create stronger partnerships with the communities within our region."

Foringer started his career through the District 12 (southwest PA) summer internship program. He quickly recognized that the department was a perfect fit for his interests in engineering and his desire to serve his community, so he applied to work as a civil engineer trainee in the Pittsburgh-area District 11.

"I can still remember the exact spot where I was standing when I received the call offering me a position as a civil engineer trainee," he recalled.

Since that time, Forginer has held various positions within the department, including construction project engineer, construction quality assurance engineer, structure control engineer, principal assistant construction engineer, and assistant district executive for construction. He most recently served as acting director for the Bureau of Project Delivery in PennDOT's Harrisburg office.

Foringer says his most memorable experience with the department has been championing the eConstruction efforts that transformed how construction inspection activities are done across the state through an integrated technology approach.

Another highlight was being named the 2016 Engineer of the Year by the Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania.

He says those around him tend to notice that he is detail-oriented and strives to find a positive outcome for any problem. 

As far as his favorite part of working for PennDOT, he is quick to point to his staff and colleagues from across the state.

"I have enjoyed working with people throughout the department and watching their careers develop throughout the years," Foringer said. "It really is a family environment and our employees care about each other."