Winifred Melin

POSITION: Director of Outreach Services

EDUCATION:

Paralegal Certificate, Adelphi University, 1993

EXPERIENCE:

On-Site Community Specialist responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Community Outreach Office established for the New York State Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Roslyn Viaduct Bridge Replacement Project. 

This high-profile project located over Hempstead Harbor on Northern Blvd./Route 25A in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County’s north shore, entails the demolition and reconstruction of the Viaduct and will include two full travel lanes and a shoulder in each direction along with a sidewalk on the south side when completed.  Ms. Melin works directly with the DOT’s Construction Supervisor and the DOT Field Office staff.  She staffs the Outreach Office during normal business hours and responds to  questions and complaints regarding the project from residents, the general public, elected officials, etc.  Her duties include providing information to the public regarding ongoing construction activities of this project. The projects’ toll-free hotline number is updated daily with lane closure information.  Lane closure information is also provided weekly to police, fire, hospitals, villages, elected officials,  schools, etc. throughout the work zone. Updated information is faxed and e-mailed on a daily basis when there are changes or cancellations.  She also updates the Village of Roslyn’s website with project information.  A log is maintained to record telephone calls, correspondence and visits to the Outreach Office. She also maintains a Public Involvement Program (PIP) Report which includes related newspaper articles and copies of correspondence between the DOT/Outreach Office and residents, civic associations, elected officials, etc. Newsletters are prepared and mailed periodically to the project mailing list (500+ names) providing updated information on the progress of the construction project.  Notices are prepared and distributed to residents and businesses when certain construction activities may affect their immediate communities. Ms. Melin also prepares traffic advisories, in coordination with the DOT Regional Office, for release to the local newspapers as another way to keep the communities informed of construction activities.  She attends weekly Progress Meetings to keep up-to-date on construction schedules and operations. She also assists the DOT Construction Supervisor with written correspondence and other  project related functions for this project and other projects for which he is responsible.

Prior to the commencement of the demolition of the Viaduct, reversible travel lanes were put into effect on the Viaduct.  To alert the traveling public of these long-term travel lane changes, the DOT  requested radio ads be broadcast on the major stations prior to and during the initial days of the changeover.  Ms. Melin worked closely with the traffic consultant chosen by the DOT to purchase the air time.  She prepared initial scripts for the Public Service Announcements and worked with  the traffic  consultant to coordinate and finalize the airing arrangements with the radio stations. 

Prior to the Roslyn Viaduct Bridge Replacement Project, she served as the On-Site Community Specialist for the DOT’s LIE Bridge Replacement and LIE/HOV Capacity Improvement Projects between Exits 32 - 40, the DOT’s LIE/SOBE Interchange Improvement Project, and the LIE/HOV Projects between Exits 40 - 49. These various  projects entailed the reconstruction of the LIE from the Nassau/Queens borderline at Exit 32 to Exit 40 (Jericho Tpke.), as well as construction of the HOV lanes within the 40 - 49 LIE corridor and the reconstruction of the LIE bridges required prior to the building of the HOV lanes.  Her duties included coordination of community outreach efforts with  the DOT similar to the Roslyn Viaduct project.

She has also assisted with public outreach efforts on the DOT’s Long Island Travel and Information Centers Project,  their LITP 2000 Project and the Merrick Revitalization Study.  She has also worked on data entry and plotting of collision diagrams in connection with a DOT Traffic Study on accidents. 

She was previously employed as a senior paralegal/legal secretary for a law firm in Great Neck, NY where she coordinated administrative functions in the office, with heavy telephone and client contact.  Prior to that, she was an administrative assistant for Aetna Life & Casualty.

CERTIFICATION:

Notary Public