Armknecht retires from Dighton crew after 32 years of service

Kansas Department of Transportation

James Armknecht has retired as KDOT’s Highway Maintenance Supervisor in the Dighton Subarea after his 32 years of service to KDOT and Kansas.   Jim grew up in northwest Kansas graduating from St. Francis High School and attending Northwest Kansas Area Vo-Tech. He worked in a local car and implement dealership in Goodland before moving back to St. Francis to work in the implement dealership there.  

In 1987, he joined KDOT as an Equipment Operator I with the Atwood Subarea team after taking a year off to recover from an accident.  He became an Equipment Operator II in 1995, then Equipment Operator Senior in 2003 and an Equipment Operator Specialist in 2006.  

In 2015, Jim accepted the Dighton Highway Maintenance Supervisor position and moved to Dighton.  As a supervisor, Jim managed and lead five operators who were responsible for highway maintenance in Lane County including mowing, patching pot holes, replacing and maintaining highway signs.  In addition, Jim oversaw the safety requirements, training of the crew and snow and ice removal.  

During his 32 years with KDOT, Jim has received two safety awards as part of the Hill City Subarea crew and received an Example of Excellence Award in 2018 for the work he and his crew did to rebuild KDOT’s remote salt bunker and storage shed in Lane County.  

Always committed to serving the public, Jim says the best part of his job is helping others weather it’s changing a flat tire for someone or helping someone out of a ditch in the winter.  He said he also enjoys working with the guys on the team and being able to teach them new things.

For more information on this news release, contact Lisa Knoll, KDOT District 6 Public Affairs Manager at (620) 765-7080.