District 43 Administrator Jamie Davis and her team overcame their share of adversity in 2025.
In addition to flooding, a tornado, plus their gas warehouse catching fire, the group worked through two winter weather events.
“None of us had ever really worked a snow and ice storm. We had 2 within, like, 2 weeks,” Davis said.
However, such challenging events created a stronger bond among the staff.
“I think we’ve also grown a lot as a family, because during the snow and ice, you’re here all the time. I mean, I slept in this office. We slept in our vehicles,” Davis said.
Davis’ mother worked for ALDOT’s former District 4 Engineer, and her father studied engineering in college.
So, following in their footsteps, she came to work for the department in 2002 as an Assistant Construction Engineer.
She worked up through the ranks before taking over as Administrator in 2021.
Davis cites their brand new I-85 Welcome Center among her district’s greatest accomplishments.
It’s safe. It is well lit. It is a very nice facility. So, I think it represents the state well.
District 43 Administrator Jamie Davis
Her district oversees Chambers County, the southern parts of Tallapoosa and Randolph Counties, followed by a sliver of Lee County.
Davis highlighted her team’s willingness to finish each job, despite the circumstances.
During one pipe sleeve repair, they had to shut down half of the road to finish the work.
“I mean, we’re digging in a hole, we found weird, poisonous snakes while we’re digging in the hole, all kinds of crazy stuff was happening, and nobody was complaining,” Davis said.
She spotlighted the selfless work ethic of maintenance veteran Norman Atkins, who’s served the traveling public for three decades.
“He’s a good guy, and he comes to work every day, and he’s always making the best of everything, and he is the one that’s going help you do whatever,” Davis said.
She is always looking for ways to make her district safer for her family and others living there.
“I hope that they see that we are trying to make a difference and make improvements in all areas that I’m over. So, we see it and we’re doing our best. We’re trying to get it done for them,” Davis said.
