Building Bridges through Mentorships

May 27, 2025

When Jennifer Haller from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) stepped into the End User Designee (EUD) role, she juggled a steep learning curve. “In a quick-moving environment, it’s sink or swim,” Jen shared. “For me, it wasn’t an instance of a familiar job and switching into the EUD role—it was trying to learn a new job internally, all while trying to keep all modules afloat in the PUG world.”

That’s where the EUD Mentorship Program stepped in.

Jen was paired with Lanny Campbell from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), and the mentorship quickly became a reliable source of support. “Even with the busy demand of their own work schedule,” she said, “the mentorship has offered me an opportunity to reach out and ask even the simplest of questions—questions that are valued and supported with additional explanation if warranted.”

For Lanny, the experience has been just as rewarding. “The mentorship has helped me and Kansas by gaining new perspectives and insights into the administration and use of AASHTOWare Project and ancillary products,” he explained. “I have enhanced my own leadership, management, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills by guiding and supporting Jen and Missouri.”

He adds, “The mentorship program is a great opportunity for mentors to expand their professional networks and connect with new individuals and agencies. I have learned so much from the experiences and perspectives of Jen and MO.”

The impact of the program is already showing tangible results. With Lanny’s guidance, Missouri was able to upgrade from version 4.7 to 5.02 with impressive speed and efficiency. “I experienced an increase in self-esteem and confidence from guiding and supporting Jen to achieve her goals,” said Lanny. Jen echoed this sentiment, sharing that having a mentor “to help keep you afloat while trying to learn how to move your agency forward is extremely beneficial in more ways than one.”

Ultimately, both mentor and mentee agree: the EUD Mentorship Program is not just about supporting, it’s about building lasting professional connections and strengthening the AASHTOWare Project community as a whole.

Interested in joining the EUD Mentorship Program as a mentee or mentor?
Please contact Maria Robinson at mrobinson@aashto.org.