Faces of Recovery

Real People Are Working Real Jobs to Improve America's Transportation System

The real story of the Recovery Act is about people:

• The people whose jobs were saved or went back to work;
• The state DOT employees who worked double time to get projects out the door;
• The contractors who went right to work on transportation projects that will make a difference in their communities; and
• The mom and pop industries, the small and large businesses, the equipment manufacturers who survived one of the worst economic times in decades.

Vernon Yazzie of New Mexico

Vernon had worked as a carpenter for Skanska USA for 15 years before he was laid off in September 2009 because there was no work for him. Thanks to the Recovery Act, Vernon was rehired in March and has been working steadily since then. His son was also hired into an apprenticeship program and is working on the same project. Because of this Recovery Act project, Vernon now has some job security and has been able to continue supporting his family.

Bernard Poston of Pennsylvania

Before he was hired by Golden Triangle Construction Co, Bernard was working odd jobs seven days a week and his wife was working extra hours just so they could pay the bills. But now he is working as an apprentice earning good wages, which allows him to support his family and spend more time with his kids. Because of his steady job, Bernard was also able to remodel his house.

"The stimulus created a position for me to make decent money for my wife and kids," he said. "I am thankful for it because I was previously working a dead end job and had no money to support my family."

Natalie Newgent of Washington

Natalie had been working as an EMT just trying to get by because there was no construction work available.

Then in March, she was hired by Atkinson Construction to work on the Interstate 405 project, which is scheduled to last three years. "With the economy the way it was, nobody was hiring. It’s nice now because I know I have a steady job for the next several years," she said.

Allen Blalock of Tennessee

Allen Blalock is the vice president of Charles Blalock & Sons construction company in Tennessee. As a direct result of the Recovery Act, his company was able to retain between 30 and 50 workers on a job to rebuilt Highway 66 in Sevier County, the largest Recovery Act project in Tennessee. Since the project began, 89 workers with Blalock have been on the job, along with 152 workers from 16 sub-contractors and 53 employees with vendors connected to the project.

Greg Mobley of Indiana

This summer, Greg Mobley worked on three separate Recovery Act projects that provided him with more than two months of work. With commercial and residential jobs grinding to a halt, Recovery Act work was all that kept his company going. Greg is a concrete superintendent with Milestone Construction. The Recovery Act was a big relief for him.

"The stimulus bill really means a lot to me because without it, there are times when I wouldn’t have had a place to work," he said. "It has allowed me to provide for my family without having to cut back. Without stimulus money, we’d be in a world of hurt."

Regina Edison of New Mexico

Regina was laid off in September 2009 after 2 1/2 years with her company because they were running low on work. She was rehired in March when Skanska USA began a project to expand U.S. 491. Regina began as a flagger, but was recently recommended for a promotion and has now been certified as a traffic control supervisor. "This has helped my family out a lot financially. I can support my kids with the wages I’m earning and the job is close to home."