Employee Spotlight: Bureau Chief of Safety Programs and Engineering Stephane B. Seck-Birhame

Stephane Seck-Birhame moved to the United States from Togo – a small country in West Africa – 20 years ago. Several years later, he began working at IDOT. During his more than twelve years with the department, he has served in various positions from design to con­struction to the Bureau of Local Roads and Streets. Today, he’s the bureau chief of Safety Programs and Engineering.

Here are some of his thoughts about his job and life outside of IDOT.

Tell us about your career with IDOT?

My time thus far at IDOT can be split first into my career in District 8 in Collinsville, where I spent time rotating through all major departments of IDOT. I gained signif­icant experience in Design, where I last held the position of senior design squad leader; in Construction, where I assisted in the supervision of many highway projects; and in District 8 Local Roads and Streets, where I last held the position of acting field engineer. The second part of my ca­reer at IDOT is here in Central Office, where I spent the last six years in the Central Bureau of Local Roads and Streets, holding three different posi­tions, including two years as acting bureau chief.

Tell me a bit about your current job?

I have a large portfolio of activities, all tied together with the common goal of improving safety on Illinois highways. The major activities include developing and implementing the Strategic Highway Safety Plan and ensuring the efficient administration of the Highway Safety Improvement Program and the Annual Grant Applications document.

What’s the most important impact of your work?

It is cliché but it is worth repeating that the work that we do has a direct impact on the quality of life of people. I take pride in knowing that my bureau, along many other bureaus, have a direct impact in providing a safe experience in walking, biking or driving for our residents.

What’s your favorite part of the job?

The best part of my job is knowing that I share my duties with a team that is equally passionate about highway safety as I am. I have a dedicated staff willing and ready to help anyone who has a need that supports our safety objectives.

Anything to highlight?

I have some raw ideas that I will continue to mine with my team as well as all of our safety partners to develop a program of projects and strategies to reduce identified safety problems. A crisis is a good catalyst for change, and we have a health crisis on roadways. Today, we have a window of opportunity to come together and put our efforts into the same basket and support our highest goal, which is safety. I started a listening tour to meet and hear from the relevant bureaus and personnel as well as our outside stakeholders so that we can “re-think inside the box” and not necessarily “outside the box.” I truly believe we have all the tools necessary to help reverse the trend of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. We just need to maximize all of them.

Anything to tell us about your department?

The Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering is responsible for developing and implementing data-driven, multidisciplinary, and integrated safety programs and engineering measures to reduce traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads in Illinois. This involves analyzing data to identify crash trends and locations with relatively high potential for safety improvement, and developing and implementing engineering and behavioral policies, programs, and initiatives to reduce severe crashes on all public roads for all users. IDOT’s primary mission is to provide a safe highway system, and BSPE holds the distinct privilege to ensure that we meet that responsibility.

What prepared you for your current role?

Education-wise, I completed my bachelor’s in civil engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwards­ville, earned a master’s in civil engi­neering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, and am currently attending the University of Missouri St. Louis for a Ph.D. in political science. I hold a Professional Engineer license in Illinois and a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer certificate. My overall experience of the engineering principles and prac­tices as well as deep knowledge of safety in general combined with my supervisory oversight of the safety of local highway systems gives me a solid foundation to lead highway safety efforts through the Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering.

What do you like to do outside the office?

I am a huge tennis fan and played college soccer on a scholarship at Parkland College in Champaign. Nowadays, my athletic activities include playing tennis with my daughter or exploring the walking and bicycling trails around Madison County. I also love to travel back to Togo to visit my parents and friends and enjoy the shorter trips to Houston, Texas, for family reunions.

Anything else you’d like people to know about you?

I speak French as my first language and English as my second. ­