Bret Hodne
Public Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado
Bret started his public works career in 1989, accepting an equipment operator position with the City of West Des Moines, Iowa. After serving several roles, including the Public Services Director for 15 years, he retired and started a new opportunity as the Public Works Director in Buckeye, Arizona. Bret recently accepted the position of Public Works Director for the City of Durango, Colorado. Bret has conducted several presentations in both the United States and internationally on winter maintenance and leadership related issues. He has served on various American Public Works Association committees including chairing the Leadership and Management Committee and Winter Maintenance Sub-Committee which he still serves on as a member. He has also written numerous articles that have been featured in various national publications.
Appearances
DateApril 8, 2025From implementing new practices to trying new products or equipment, failures big and small happen on a daily basis. But how we choose to perceive and learn from these can be the difference between saying “tried that, never again” to “tried that, next time I’ll try it this way…Speakers
Public Works Director, City of Durango, ColoradoMark DeVries, PWLFBusiness Application Manager, Vaisala Inc
DateSeptember 19, 2011Speakers
Public Works Director, City of Durango, ColoradoMark DeVries, PWLFBusiness Application Manager, Vaisala Inc$20Standard Price
DateAugust 15, 2010Speakers
Mark DeVries, PWLFBusiness Application Manager, Vaisala IncPublic Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado$20Standard Price
DateAugust 17, 2010Speakers
$20Standard Price
DateSeptember 20, 2011Speakers
Mark DeVries, PWLFBusiness Application Manager, Vaisala IncPublic Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado$20Standard Price
DateOctober 24, 2013Historically, winter maintenance in transportation has focused on the fastest, most efficient way to provide safe roads to the driving public. As gas prices rise and attitudes change, communities across North America are looking to expand transportation options for their citizens…Speakers
Director of Public Works, City of FargoDirector of Transportation Maintenance & Repair, City of MinneapolisPublic Works Director, City of Durango, ColoradoStreet Maintenance Supt., City of Olathe
DateAugust 25, 2013Speaker
Public Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado$20Standard Price
DateMay 24, 2016Advancements in technology have significantly improved winter maintenance operations. This session will focus on how the City of West Des Moines, Iowa has utilized various types of new products in the pursuit of continual operational improvement…Speakers
Director of Public Works, City of GrimesPublic Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado$20Standard Price
DateMay 23, 2016Have you ever tried experimenting with a new type of equipment, introducing a new practice or even trying to do something differently than how it has always been? If so, you will be able to relate to the areas this interactive discussion will explore…Speakers
Northern Region M&O Manager, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public FacilitiesPublic Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado$20Standard Price
DateAugust 30, 2016The public works departments in Tempe, Arizona and West Des Moines, Iowa have developed progressive approaches to improving their respective organizational cultures. Learn how they’ve grown from the “old school” way of doing things into cultures of innovation and workplace improvement…Speakers
Environmental Quality Specialist, City of Tempe, AZPublic Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado
DateAugust 30, 2016Find out how the City of West Des Moines has utilized various types of new technology products in the pursuit of continual operational improvement. See how they’ve used AVL, RWIS stations, and a mobile RWIS platform on supervisory vehicles…Speakers
Director of Public Works, City of GrimesPublic Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado
DateApril 24, 2017Join the Center for Sustainability (C4S) for a roundtable discussion on the challenges, solutions and resources that can help communities develop a comprehensive sustainability plan for winter road maintenance including materials management and how to best utilize technology and training…Speakers
Public Works Director, City of Durango, ColoradoRoad Operations Manager, Hennepin County Transportation-OperationsPublic Works Director, City of BlairDirector of Public Works, City of Cedar Rapids$20Standard Price
DateApril 25, 2017How do we make sure that we get the best possible return on our investment in training? What sort of training do we need for our agencies? How much time and resources should we devote to training? What outcomes should we expect when we have a good training program in place?Speakers
Wilfrid Nixon, Ph.D., P.E., PWLFPresident, Professional Snowfighters AssociationPublic Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado$20Standard Price
DateAugust 27, 2017Implementing change in a public works department can be challenging, to say the least. Whether battling the "we have always done it this way" syndrome, or trying to adopt new technologies or practices, a public works manager can face many obstacles on the road to a high functioning department…Speaker
Public Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado
DateAugust 28, 2017With changing weather patterns, winter maintenance practices are now being implemented in states where deicer chemicals and plowing have not been heavily used in the past…Speakers
Application Expert, Vaisala Inc.Public Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado
DateMay 6, 2018Discover how the winter road technologies being implemented by public works departments tie in with the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Every Day Counts and Weather Savvy Roads initiatives…Speakers
Street Manager, Town of TruckeeTeam Leader, Federal Highway AdministrationPublic Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado$20Standard Price
DateMay 7, 2018Over the past two decades, the operational aspects of managing winter events have dramatically changed. Much of this change has been driven by new technologies, public expectations, and environmental concerns…Speakers
Lead Consultant, Vaisala Inc.Public Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado$20Standard Price
DateMay 7, 2018Successful implementation of new technology is improved by in-depth product research and communicating with the team members that are tasked with regular use of the product…Speakers
Northern Region M&O Manager, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public FacilitiesPublic Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado$20Standard Price
DateApril 10, 2022This session will focus on some of the challenges and confusion that is prevalent in our profession when it comes to selecting deicer products. The speakers will address both the science and their experiences with liquid deicers…Speakers
Public Works Director, City of Durango, ColoradoResearch Scientist, Western Transportation Institute - Montana State University
DateApril 12, 2022Mobile sensors have evolved dramatically in the past few years. In this session the speaker will look at that evolution and how current sensors are being utilized by agencies. The newest sensors are giving operators and their agencies new data that has never been available before on snowplows…Speakers
Public Works Director, City of Durango, ColoradoWilfrid Nixon, Ph.D., P.E., PWLFPresident, Professional Snowfighters AssociationStreet Supervisor, City of Fort CollinsMark DeVries, PWLFBusiness Application Manager, Vaisala Inc
DateMay 8, 2018Many agencies under pressure to reduce the use of chlorides in winter maintenance are switching to liquids-based solutions including salt brine, other chloride brines, and a blend of these brines with a variety of carbohydrate-based additives…Speakers
Tovar Snow ProfessionalsWilfrid Nixon, Ph.D., P.E., PWLFPresident, Professional Snowfighters AssociationPublic Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado$20Standard Price
DateAugust 27, 2018Journey through the past, present, and future of one thriving public works department in the Midwest. You'll hear from the Public Works Director who has been there 28 years and has encouraged the use of new technologies and practices…Speaker
Public Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado
DateAugust 27, 2018Many agencies under pressure to reduce the use of chlorides in winter maintenance are switching to liquids-based solutions including salt brine, other chloride brines, and a blend of these brines with a variety of carbohydrate-based additives…Speakers
Vice President of Operations , Tovar Snow Professionals, Inc., East Dundee, ILWilfrid Nixon, Ph.D., P.E., PWLFPresident, Professional Snowfighters AssociationPublic Works Director, City of Durango, Colorado
DateApril 12, 2022Using liquids in your winter maintenance operations has several benefits. Agencies have found that their total use of materials, particularly salt, has been significantly reduced…Speakers
Public Works Director, City of Durango, ColoradoNorthern Region M&O Manager, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public FacilitiesResearch Scientist, Western Transportation Institute - Montana State University
DateApril 16, 2023This session will highlight some of the challenges and confusion prevalent in the public works profession when selecting liquid deicer products. The speakers will address the science and also share personal experiences with liquid deicers…Speakers
Public Works Director, City of Durango, ColoradoResearch Scientist, Western Transportation Institute - Montana State University
DateApril 18, 2023Every attendee at the Snow Conference brings the experiences and challenges of their agency and their role in winter operations. They have many different stories they can tell. The lesson could be about their operations, innovations, or perhaps some new program they introduced…Speakers
Public Works Director, City of Durango, ColoradoTransportation Manger, Michael Baker InternationalMark DeVries, PWLFBusiness Application Manager, Vaisala IncLee Perkins, MBA, CET, CPWP-MDirector of Public Works & Engineering, County of Renfrew
DateAugust 29, 2023Every attendee at an APWA conference brings with them the experiences and challenges of their agency and their role in public operations. You may have many different stories you could tell. The lessons could be about your operations, innovations, or perhaps some new program your agency introduced…Speakers
Public Works Director, City of Durango, ColoradoMark DeVries, PWLFBusiness Application Manager, Vaisala IncLee Perkins, MBA, CET, CPWP-MDirector of Public Works & Engineering, County of Renfrew
DateApril 29, 2024This session will highlight some of the challenges and confusion prevalent in the public works profession when selecting liquid deicer products. The speakers will address the science, and also share personal experiences with liquid deicers…Speakers
Public Works Director, City of Durango, ColoradoResearch Scientist, Western Transportation Institute - Montana State University
DateApril 30, 2024Today, we have the capability to automate the process of spreading snow and ice materials by using sensors mounted on plows, which are connected to spreader controllers. During this session, we will discuss and demonstrate the progress of these ongoing pilot studies…Speakers
Public Works Director, City of Durango, ColoradoHead of Roads, North America, Vaisala IncMark DeVries, PWLFBusiness Application Manager, Vaisala Inc
