Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 9, 1992 TAG: 9201090418
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BEN BEAGLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
HIGHWAY DISTRICT GETS NEW CHIEF
Fred Altizer Jr., who followed his father into the road-building business 21 years ago, is the state Transportation Department's new administrator for its 12-county Salem District.Altizer, 43, had been resident engineer for the counties of Roanoke, Craig and Botetourt since 1977.
Altizer's appointment by Transportation Commissioner Ray Pethtel was "non-traditional," said department spokeswoman Laura Bullock.
He is the first resident engineer to be appointed to be district administrator, she said. Usually, administrators, once known as district engineers, are promoted from assistant district engineers.
They also traditionally come from posts in the department's central office in Richmond.
Altizer said that tight financial situations for the department and the state makes this "a time for looking at our priorities."
He said he will try to do this "in the best and most efficient way."
Tight money, for example, means that the Salem resident engineer's post will not be filled for some months.
Altizer said this means he will be "running back and forth" between the district and residency offices in Salem until someone is appointed.
The district has 9,200 miles of interstate, primary, urban and secondary roads - the most in the state.
It has more than 1,000 employees and includes the counties of Roanoke, Craig, Botetourt, Montgomery, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, Carroll and Pulaski.
Altizer was resident engineer when the 1985 flood did $6 million in damage in his three counties. The damage was repaired in a year.
His father, Fred Sr., was with the department for 42 years and retired as a heavy-equipment operator.
The younger Altizer joined the department the same month his father retired.
Before coming to Salem, the Virginia Tech civil engineering graduate was assistant resident engineer in the Luray area.
Altizer succeeds Bobby Sumpter in the job that pays in the $60,000-$65,000 range. Sumpter took early retirement in October.
Altizer and his wife, the former Sandra Hollandsworth of Floyd, live in Southwest Roanoke County. They have two children, Jason, 15, and Jessica, 11.
Memo: CORRECTION