NHTSA Announces Awardees of 2020 Public Service Awards

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
16 March 2020

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the 12 honorees of the 2020 NHTSA Public Service Awards today. 

"Safety will always be the Department’s top priority, and we applaud the highway safety professionals who keep us safe,” said Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

The awards were to be presented by NHTSA Acting Administrator James Owens at the 2020 Lifesavers Conference on Highway Safety Priorities in Tampa, Florida, which has been postponed.  Regional events will be scheduled to recognize honorees.

“Our partners in highway safety often work long hours, have unpredictable schedules, and spend time away from their families to help ensure the safety of travelers in their communities,” Owens said.  “We can all be inspired by their work and contributions, and by working together we can all make a difference by improving safety on our roads.”

The NHTSA Public Service Award winners will receive plaques engraved with the following citations: 

• Judge Neil Axel, the District Court of Maryland: For your commitment to expanding the Judicial Outreach Liaison Program and judicial education across the United States.
• Safe Roads Alliance, Inc., Medford, Massachusetts: In recognition of your dedication and commitment to advancing teen safe driving practices in Massachusetts.
• Families for Safe Streets, New York, New York: In recognition of your outstanding efforts to reduce traffic safety fatalities and injuries through advocacy and awareness.
• Anthony Mendez, Delaware State Police: In recognition of your leadership in the creation of an innovative distracted driving enforcement campaign in Delaware.
• Jay Penton, Alabama State Patrol, Montgomery, Alabama: In recognition of your advancement of Alabama’s Drug Recognition Expert program and your commitment to providing technical guidance to other law enforcement agencies.
• Dr. Daniel F. Blower, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI): In recognition of your leadership in traffic crash causation research and sophisticated safety systems for commercial vehicles.
• Chickasaw Nation Division of Education, Car Seat Safety Program, Ada, Oklahoma: For your passion and dedication to child passenger safety education and awareness.
• Lt. Scott Roach, St. Louis County Police Department, and Meghan Carter, MADD Missouri: In recognition of your extraordinary efforts to create the “Saturation Saturday” high-visibility enforcement campaign.
• Dave Kinskey, Wyoming State Legislature: For championing impaired driving legislation that has strengthened Wyoming’s 24/7 sobriety program and ignition interlock provisions.
• Kristen Burke, California Department of Justice, Bureau of Forensic Services: In recognition of your leadership and expertise implementing toxicology best practices, drug testing and expanded screening in California.
• Glenn Cramer, Law Enforcement Liaison, Olympia, Washington: In recognition of your leadership in traffic safety enforcement and education and the creation of the Idaho LEL Network. 
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Colonel Richard T. Sullivan (ret.) City of Providence, Rhode Island: In recognition of your career-long passion and dedication to traffic safety and saving lives.