Jack Benac is a project manager for CPR, or Crash Process Redesign.  He came to DIT from the Department of Transportation, and leads the multi-agency project.  The “Crash” in CPR literally means car crashes.  The State of Michigan has a system that collects data on traffic crashes.  Police Officers on the scene record information on a standard form about any crash in Michigan – cars, trucks, snowmobiles, trains and bikes and more.  The data includes the who, what, when and where of the accident, as well as vehicle information, road conditions, other contributing factors like drugs or alcohol and weather conditions.  This data is then used by FIA, DCH, SOS, MSP and MDOT, as well as other non-state customers.  Some of these include local governments, insurance companies, traffic safety organizations, the NHTSA and the NTSB.  The data is used to improve safety of the roads in Michigan.  For instance, the data could be used to determine if a particular intersection is more prone to accidents, and what might be done to improve the situation.

In June of 2002, this system was renamed and reformulated under the CPR title.  There were technical problems with the system, as well as with the equipment itself.  Jack says the credit goes to the stakeholders; leaders from various agencies got together to address the problems and set high level goals.  One of those goals was to bring in a dedicated project manager, and Jack was chosen for the job.  He was transitioned into DIT because of his new technical classification, but had previously worked in projects related to highway and traffic safety.

On a typical day, Jack says a lot of his time is spent on status communication.  He is involved in a lot of phone calls and often writes status reports.  The project plan for CPR cycles weekly, so he oversees state and contractor staff working on the project (check them out in the photo at left!). He also works on change management and problem resolution in the project plan, as well.  Jack says he really likes to empower his team to solve some of its own problems and to enjoy successes as a group.  He says that if it weren’t for the personalities he works with, the job would be a lot less enjoyable.

Jack’s job has changed since the creation of DIT.  He has worked for the state for 34 years – 32 of them in some aspect of traffic safety.  When he was with MDOT, he worked only on their projects, but now his work encompasses several agencies.  He is doing a bit less tech work now, instead working with people management, which he really enjoys. Another favorite part of the job for Jack is enjoying the success and accomplishments of the team… it is always nice to be recognized for a job well done.

Jack’s background is in Traffic Engineering.  His degree is from Ferris State University, and he has also taken numerous IT courses at Lansing Community College, as well as part of the George Washington Project Management Series.  He lives in Laingsburg with his wife of 30 years.  They have a daughter who works in advertising, and a son who is a wildland firefighter.  So if you are ever involved in a fender bender, think of Jack and the work his team is doing to improve the safety of Michigan’s roads!