Cultivating Your Peer Network … Through AAMVA!
The ability to form and cultivate a peer network and the opportunity to exchange information with fellow professionals is an often overlooked and undervalued benefit of association membership.
Move has invited a relative newcomer to the association, a long-time participant with IRP ties and an industry representative to share their perspectives on participating in AAMVA. Find out what they value out of their membership and how their participation has translated to success, life-long relationships and an invaluable peer network.
“What is AAMVA?”
By Greg Dozier, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Driver Services
In May 2005, I was given the opportunity to become the commissioner of Georgia’s Department of Driver Services. Like most individuals in any position, my goal was and is to be successful. And success in this situation was defined as the elimination of long lines and poor service within a six month period. I began reviewing the operations and started with the financials. Soon, I came across an expenditure related to AAMVA. I asked, “What is AAMVA?” The answer I received was not clear; I received a mouthful of acronyms CDLIS, PDPS, IRP, and many other services. I had a difficult time describing the services and an even more difficult time comprehending the intrinsic value of the organization.
Over the past two years, I have not only gained an understanding, but also an appreciation of the actual services offered. I have adopted the above acronyms into my grammatical composition. More importantly, I understand the intrinsic value. The AAMVA community has become my reality TV life line. I can discuss failures and achievements, as well as new ideas and old ideas. Individuals such as Fred Porter, D.B. Smit, Marcia Adams, Judy Brown, Jim Templeton and many others have provided insight that has allowed Georgia to attain and reach different goals in areas such as customer service, electronic imaging, call center operation, center management, DL fraud, and many others. Additionally, AAMVA has continued to offer survey data and served as a front runner on issues such as Real ID, Driver Education and many more.
I have, for a long time, felt that the following quote by Abraham Lincoln defined success: “The harder I work the more luck I seem to have.” I still believe that hard work is the foundation for anyone’s success. However, the intrinsic value of the AAMVA organization and family doesn’t hurt.
AAMVA—What It Means to Me!
By Ruth Skluzacek, Office Director, Iowa Motor Vehicle Division
I have worked with the department of transportation for over 30 years, and joined the motor vehicle area in 1984. I started off as the Director of Vehicle Registration. I did not know many people in my field, and someone suggested I attend AAMVA’s Annual International Conference, which was being held here in Des Moines. I was so impressed with how people shared ideas with one another. I try to attend as many AAMVA meetings as I can that have topics in my area of responsibility.
I have found that the benefits gained and the costs of attending have been well worth my time and money. I remember my first meetings where other members welcomed me and made me feel comfortable—there have been so many helpful people over the years. This is the only organization that has members who do exactly what I do in my daily activities—facing the same challenges, working with similar customers and having similar computer system needs. None of my questions were considered a burden, and members took their time to help me understand the answers.
Since then, AAMVA has helped IRP get the attention and staffing we needed to meet the needs of the motor carrier industry. There was a time when we were growing too much and too fast. AAMVA was very supportive and cooperative in getting the structure set up that IRP needed to address motor carrier needs.
Since that very first meeting, I do not make a system or procedural change without first checking with other state representatives I met at AAMVA to see how they handled a similar change. We all learn from one another and I would much rather copy than reinvent the wheel.
Industry Insight
By Gary J. Miglicco, Vice President for National Motor Vehicle Solutions, BearingPoint, Inc.
When BearingPoint formed its National Motor Vehicle solutions team in 2005, we knew the AAMVA community had limited exposure to our company. Many motor vehicle agencies were surprised to learn that BearingPoint has worked for transportation and motor vehicle agencies across the country for more than 30 years—first as KPMG Consulting, and later as BearingPoint, Inc., when consulting services split from accounting services and we rebranded as BearingPoint in 2002.
Our first major objective after forming our vertical solution team for motor vehicle agencies was to dramatically increase BearingPoint’s profile through involvement with and exposure to the AAMVA community. We believe we have achieved this and we credit conference participation and sponsorships, Move magazine advertisements, and membership with the AAMVA Industry Advisory Board. Since we stepped up our involvement with AAMVA, we have made significant steps toward becoming recognized in the industry and establishing awareness of our work in the motor vehicle space across the country.
On a personal level, AAMVA provides its members the opportunity to make unique and lasting friendships—both professional and personal. It is the core people—vendors, jurisdictions, and AAMVA staff alike—who provide consistency from one event to the next and foster a continuous cycle of benefits: identifying and addressing common problems, development and implementation of industry best practices, community support during tough times, and providing heartfelt accolades for the best of times.
Our team members contribute to this exchange of ideas through thought leadership activities such as white papers, ad hoc workgroups, and through specific motor vehicle engagements. This cycle culminates in a shared wealth of institutional knowledge that could not be sustained without AAMVA serving as the medium—keeping the exchange of ideas and best practices alive since AAMVA was founded in 1933.