BASIN — A former senior engineer on Togwotee Pass during reconstruction of U.S. 26/287 is the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s new leader of District 5’s traffic program in northwest Wyoming.

Jack T. Hoffman, 39, is three months into leading his district traffic team, which has offices in Lander and Basin. His crews are responsible for signs, traffic signals, lighting and pavement markings.

“The best thing about working for WYDOT is the people you work with every day. It’s a cliché, but it’s true,” Hoffman said. “My grandfather, Rolland Connell, was Riverton city engineer and later owned an engineering and construction company. I was always fascinated by the plans, blueprints and heavy equipment at his office, so I decided to become a civil engineer.”

Hoffman was born in Laramie, and he attended high schools in Lovell and Riverton. He graduated from Lovell High School in 1996. He is the son of David and Dawn Hoffman of Lovell.

He graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering in 2001.

Hoffman’s first WYDOT job was as an engineer in Lander. He then served as senior engineer in Dubois during reconstruction of U.S. 26/287 over Togwotee Pass. He was then promoted to project engineer and assistant design squad leader with the Laramie Design Squad in Laramie.

Hoffman and his wife, Sabra, have three sons — Wesley, age 14; Evan, age 12; and Erik, age 5. He enjoys skiing, hunting, camping and the outdoors in his spare time. The Hoffmans live in Powell.

“Jack (Hoffman) is a quiet, thoughtful engineer with a lot of common sense. We’re very pleased he has joined our District 5 team in Basin,” said WYDOT District Engineer Pete Hallsten of Basin. 

Hoffman replaces Randy Merritt, who was promoted in May to lead District 5’s northwest Wyoming construction/engineering team in Basin.