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IDOT Blog – Thursday, June 12, 2025
Employee Spotlight: District 4 Traffic Control Supervisor Don Hoffman
Don Hoffman has spent his entire career with IDOT, starting 25 years ago as an engineering technician before being promoted to bridge paint inspection technician and later to the title he holds today – traffic control supervisor in District 4 in central Illinois.
Here are some of his thoughts about his job and life outside of IDOT.
Tell me about your current job?
My current position, since 2006, is traffic control supervisor. My job primarily revolves around work zone inspections and issues concerning work zones. I work with the Bureau of Design in reviewing the traffic control portion of plans and instruct work zone, flagger and spotter training for the district. I oversee the Illinois State Police hireback program, which assigns troopers to specific work zones, and assist in oversize and overweight load route approval.
Favorite part of the job?
I would say my favorite areas of my job are two-fold. I enjoy covering the entire district and not being at only one location. Some routes are more enjoyable to travel but it is still nice to see the entire district.
With all the driving, you get to know all the regional engineers and the maintenance crews versus working at one location or county. I also enjoy designing traffic control plans involving staging with bridges. Figuring out how to safely navigate traffic and trucks through the work zone while trying to make it constructable for the contractor is fun. Construction field engineers and designers need to be consulted to see if it is doable in the field.
Anything to tell us about your department?
As the name implies, Operations is responsible for keeping our system operating. Whether there is an emergency, roadway failure or needed maintenance, Operations is tasked with keeping our roads open and safe to the public.
I think what is unique to Operations, particularly on the office side, is each employee has their area of specialty that they concentrate on. Structures, signals, permits, signing, pavement markings and bureau budgeting are handled by these employees.
Tell me about your background?
I received my bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University in what is now called construction management. From there, I came straight to IDOT as an intern and was hired.
What prepared you for your role at IDOT?
A couple of my college professors had previously worked with IDOT and had knowledge of what IDOT was about. My initial interest was residential construction, but during my internship, I liked all the different areas IDOT had to offer. Numerous training classes over the years at IDOT also helped.
The best learning tool for me has been experience. Learning what works and what does not, along with hearing other viewpoints and experiences, has made a big impact.
What do you like to do outside the office?
I enjoy woodworking, DIY projects and being outdoors. We have an old dairy farm and house in New York that we are updating. I enjoy spending time out there with my wife and boys.
Anything else you’d like people to know about you?
I watched a lot of Kung Fu theater as a kid, have a beard and own a Total Gym – basically, I am Chuck Norris!
