2004 Annual Awards Banquet

More than 125 people attended the UGPTI's Ninth Annual Awards Banquet Sept. 28, 2004 at the Fargo Holiday Inn to honor Ray Zink former North Dakota Department of Transportation Chief Engineer and this year's John M. Agrey Award winner.

Zink accepted the award from UGPTI Advisory Board chair and DOT director Dave Sprynczynatyk.

"A previous recipient of this award, Bob Bradley, was my predecessor at the DOT," Zink noted. "He told me was to hire good people, tell them what to do, and get out of the way. This award is a tribute to those good people and to me for staying out of the way."

Zink said he credits his engineering degree from NDSU for getting his career off to a good start and says later collaboration with colleagues at NDSU was a great benefit to the DOT.

"There are never enough people and never enough money, so you find help wherever you can," he said. "One of the places we found help was the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute. In visiting with other chief engineers around the country, they would ask me how to get that relationship with the staff at universities. I told them, that's the way it's always been in North Dakota."

Sprynczynatyk also recognized Dustin Kinnischtzke and Leo Schaefers, winners of the 2004 Transportation Engineer Scholarships awarded by the UGPTI.

Pictures from the Banquet

Note that you can click on the pictures for a larger view.

	The Marvels provided entertainment for the evening.
Master of Ceremonies - Dave Sprynczynatyk, Director of the NDDOT and chair of the UGPTI Advisory Board.
	More than 125 turned out for the Ninth Annual Awards Banquet.
Dustin Kinnischtzke of Washburn, N.D., is presented the Transportation Engineering Scholarship by Dave Sprynczynatyk. Kinnischtzke is a senior in civil engineering at NDSU.
	Leo Schaefers of Monticello, M.N., is presented the Transportation Engineering Scholarship by Dave Sprynczynatyk. Schaefers is a senior civil engineering at NDSU.
Grant Levi from NDDOT offers remarks about Agrey Award recipient Ray Zink.
	Erin Prochnow, representative from Senator Byron Dorgan's Office, offers remarks about Ray Zink.
Dr. Craig Schnell, Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs - NDSU, presents the Agrey Award.
	Ray Zink is presented with the John Agrey Award. From left to right: Grant Levi, Dave Sprynczynatyk, Alita Zink, Ray Zink, Dr. Craig Schnell, Gene Griffin.
Ray Zink acceptance speech. Zink said he credits his engineering degree from NDSU for getting his career off to a good start and says later collaboration with colleagues at NDSU was a great benefit to the DOT.
	From left to right: Dave Sprynczynatyk, Leo Schaefers and Schaefers' parents, Richard J. LeClaire and Rose Schaefers.
From left to right: Dave Sprynczynatyk, Dustin Kinnischtzke.