Mark Schoenfelder has been named the new district engineer for the Minnesota Department of Transportation District 6, according to a press release.

Schoenfelder, the current assistant district engineer for program delivery for District 6 in Rochester, has been with MnDOT for more than 15 years. He will begin work in his new role Monday. Jeff Vlaminck, the district engineer since 2013, is retiring Aug. 1 after 41 years with MnDOT.

As district engineer, Schoenfelder will lead District 6, an 11-county region in southeastern Minnesota with 404 employees. District 6, one of eight MnDOT districts, is responsible for the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operations of the state transportation system in southeastern Minnesota.

Schoenfelder has also served as director of MnDOT’s building services for the office of maintenance as well as District 6 planning director and in professional and technical roles for the right of way and survey areas in District 6. He has private sector experience focusing on the areas of client development, project management, site and facility development and design.

“In addition to his years of experience, Mark brings strong leadership skills and has many established relationships within the District 6 communities,” MnDOT Assistant Commissioner Operations Division Jody Martinson said.

Schoenfelder is a registered professional engineer and professional land surveyor, who has master’s degree from the University of Minnesota in infrastructure systems engineering.

“With a strong District 6 team whose trademark is quality, hard work and skill, I am very confident that the district will continue to do great things with Mark at the helm,” said Vlaminck.

District 6 includes 3,668 miles highway lane miles, 879 bridges and has an average annual construction program of $94.8 million in the counties of Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha and Winona. The district stretches from the Wisconsin border to just west of Interstate 35 and from the Iowa border to just north of Highway 19.