In 2004, John Grimm was hired as a temporary winter operator for Uniontown-based PennDOT District 12. For the last 20 years, Grimm has used his “can do" attitude and drive to grow and advance through PennDOT to his current position as Beaver County's Assistant Highway Maintenance Manager (AHMM).
After three winters in his temporary role, Grimm was hired as a full-time operator. Full of enthusiasm, he became eager to learn more and progress within the department, always asking “why" and “how" things were done. During the following 10 years, Grimm expanded his horizons by working on a variety of maintenance crews and became certified on multiple pieces of equipment.
In 2016, Grimm was promoted to foreman, successfully completing a project with his “whatever it takes" attitude. Always prioritizing the importance of showing his crew respect, Grimm would often include them in the day-to-day decisions regarding job related tasks. After six years of successful years as a foreman, Grimm became Washington County Acting AHMM, leading him to work on a project alongside Beaver County within District 11. Shortly after his acting role in District 12, Grimm became the Acting AHMM in Beaver County. His great ideas, positive attitude, and “go-getter" spirit contributed to him permanently being hired as the newest Beaver County AHMM.
One of his favorite aspects about his current role is having the ability to mentor new employees. Grimm is always willing to lend a hand and help others become better at their jobs and better people overall. Whether he is sharing career development advice or spending his personal time helping a peer practice for an upcoming interview, he wants to see people move forward in their careers, both to help themselves and improve the overall success of PennDOT. Grimm values the hard work conducted in Beaver County and takes pride in the work he and his colleagues make happen daily. Although short-staffed, he strongly believes the dedication and hard work of the crews, garage staff, and management lead to the success of the county operations.
As someone who appreciates the continued guidance from two former colleagues, Grimm finds mentoring less experienced employees rewarding. He reminds people to stay open to accepting constructive advice from others. One thing that Grimm's mentors taught him was to never stop climbing and never be afraid to fail, because most successful people in the world have failed several times in their journey. Some advice that he has received and passed down to his employees include: to earn respect you must show it first, always be a reliable employee with a positive attitude, and set goals for yourself and when you achieve them, celebrate the victory, but then challenge yourself with a new one. The most valuable thing his mentors have contributed to Grimm's life, is simply telling him how proud they are of him. It keeps him grounded and encourages him to continue to make them proud.
When he's not working as an AHMM, Grimm loves being outdoors as must as possible. Having a three-acre lot and greenhouse, Grimm puts his horticulture degree to good use, growing his annual garden with hundreds of plants and trees included. Adding to his love for nature, he also enjoys golfing, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and spending time with his two dogs and four ducks. Additionally, Grimm and his girlfriend love to travel and make sure to plan a road trip every summer.
Grimm is an active gym member, working out five days weeks, personally training friends and family, and even coaching people who compete in the fitness world. One day a man in the gym asked Grimm if he had ever considered competing in body building and even offered to train him for his first show. Since then, he has been dedicated to the sport, resulting in his outstanding competitive body building career. Out of the six competitions he's participated in, Grimm has placed in the top three finalists in five shows and in the top five in the sixth. Grimm is proud of his success, however not due to the trophies, but because of the discipline required to achieve these accomplishments. Preparing for a show is very demanding, beginning with a six-month tremendously strict diet with meal prepping in advance; meaning while friends and family are enjoying holiday and special events foods, he sticks to his pre-planned meals. Training also requires going to the gym seven days a week, twice a day, and pushing through both the mental and physical exhaustion. It takes plenty of discipline, which Grimm says has carried over into every aspect of his life including his job, relationships, and goals. He values the experience, and believes discipline is something you can't buy, but something that is learned.
Through different experiences throughout his life, the most important thing Grimm has learned and practiced every day, is to never judge anyone based on assumptions. In a society that focuses on judging others, this it is easy to jump to conclusions and make snap judgments. While Grimm appreciates the things that make people different, he does not believe those things define them. Defining qualities, he examines are on how you treat others, as well as your loyalty, kindness, intelligence, energy, and integrity. He believes everyone deserves respect and everyone has a story that has shaped who they are.
Grimm has been a great asset to the PennDOT team, and we look forward to seeing how he continues to grow.