This award recognizes an AAMVA member jurisdiction employee or other individual in law enforcement whose primary function is directly associated with roadway and traffic safety efforts and who has had a distinguished career in this arena. The individual can be currently active or retired.
This award is presented at the international level. Award nominations are from a chief motor vehicle or chief law enforcement administrator only. In the event that the chief administrator is the nominee, the nomination can be submitted by a deputy administrator.
Each agency may submit only ONE nominee.
Criteria for selection:
- Extent of lifetime contributions and achievements
- Impact on roadway safety
2025 Winner
Trooper Barry Marcus
Washington State Patrol
Trooper Barry Marcus is a 33-year employee of the Washington State Patrol. He has demonstrated a strong commitment to traffic safety throughout his distinguished career and has saved countless lives thanks to his dedication to getting impaired drivers off of Washington State roadways. In 2001, Trooper Marcus became a founding member of the Spokane DUI Squad, a specialized detachment formed solely to target DUI drivers. This specialized group was the predecessor to the state’s current Target Zero Team program, a traffic safety effort focused on the goal of zero traffic deaths and serious injuries in Washington by 2030. Trooper Marcus has remained in this position since its inception and continues to lead by example. Every shift he is answering calls for service, handling collisions, performing normal traffic law enforcement duties, and arresting DUI drivers. When law enforcement experienced serious challenges several years ago with COVID and police reform, Trooper Marcus did not let this slow him down as he made the necessary adjustments and continued to perform his duties. Earlier this year, Trooper Marcus arrested his 4000th DUI suspect, a record unmatched in the Washington State Patrol. His tireless efforts to get DUI drivers off the road have helped make roadways safer while his leadership and support of agency traffic safety objectives have served as an outstanding example for others to follow.
Past Winners
2024: Colonel Melissa A. Zebley, Delaware State Police
2023: Colonel Richard Fambro (Retired), Ohio State Highway Patrol
2022: Major Matthew Cox, Delaware State Police
2021: Colonel Matthew Langer, Minnesota State Patrol
2020: Warren A. Stanley, Commissioner California Highway Patrol
2019: Colonel Nathaniel McQueen, Jr., Superintendent, Delaware State Police
2018: Captain Tom Fields (Retired), Vermont Governor's Highway Safety Program, Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles
2017: Colonel Ronald K. Replogle (Retired), Missouri State Highway Patrol
2016: Colonel Tracy Trott, Tennessee Highway Patrol
2015: Lieutenant Colonel Jack Miniard, Kentucky State Police
2014: Colonel Mike Edmonson, Louisiana State Police
2013: Captain Lenny Casper, New York State Police
2012: John Batiste, Chief (Individual), Washington State Patrol
2011: Joe Farrow, Commissioner (Individual), California Highway Patrol
2010: Major David Salmon, (Retired) (Individual), New York State Police; Massachusetts State Police (Agency)
2009: Major John Hill (Individual), Indiana State Policy; New York State Policy (Agency)
2008: Colonel Mark Trostel (Individual), Colorado State Police; Missouri State Highway Patrol (Agency)
2007: Colonel Paul McClellan (Retired), Ohio State Highway Patrol
2006: Frank Di'Onofrio, Ontario Ministry of Transportation
2005: The Florida Highway Patrol
2004: Dwight O. Helmick, California Highway Patrol
2003: Colonel Lonnie Westphal (Retired), Colorado State Patrol
2002: Rebecca L. Bickley, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
2001: Michael Smith, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration