May 17, 2017– For immediate release
JEFFERSON CITY –Nicole Kolb Hood, who has served the Missouri Department of Transportation for the past 21 years, has been named state highway safety and traffic engineer following the retirement this spring of Eileen Rackers. Hood is a 1995 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia and a licensed professional engineer in Missouri. She started her MoDOT career as a transportation planner in Central Office. During her career, she has worked in positions in design, traffic and planning. For the past three years, Hood has served as assistant state design engineer.
“In my new role, I’m excited to use my leadership skills and experience to continue to strengthen the department’s focus on safety for our citizens,” said Hood. “As a public servant, I take pride in delivering a safe and reliable transportation system for Missourians.”
Safety on Missouri’s roads continues to be a top concern as 947 people were killed in crashes on the system in 2016. Human error is attributed to 94 percent of all traffic crashes.
“It takes each and every one of us to lead by example, focus on the road, buckle up and put our phones down,” Hood said. “Seven out of ten drivers use smart phones when driving. We have to work together with our safety partners to find ways to reverse this trend and drive toward zero deaths.”
Hood’s passion for road safety also comes from her family. She and her husband have three children; of whom two are teenagers.
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