2023 Highway Safety Awards: Congratulations to our winners!
The video of the awards ceremony can be found here. The script from the award ceremony can be found here, and photos can be found here.
The Drug Recognition Expert Award
This award is presented to an individual member of the DRE Program who has demonstrated a commitment to Education, Enforcement and Community Engagement to help decrease the incidence of Impaired Driving.
Winner: Officer Bradley Miller, Williston Police Department
The Fletcher Brush Educational Outreach Award
This award is presented to an individual or organization for outstanding educational outreach in the promotion of highway safety priorities for Vermont citizens. This annual award honors Fletcher “Buster” Brush, who exemplified the notion of “service above self.”
Winner: Joseph Barch, Vermont Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association
The Rising Star Award
This award is presented to an officer in the first five years of their career who has shown exemplary work and passion for traffic law enforcement, while demonstrating teamwork and strong support for fellow officers and the community.
Winner: Deputy First Class Gregory Ricketts, Rutland County Sheriff's Department
The Operations and Safety Bureau Directors' Award
This award is presented to an individual for their distinguished work in the field of Highway Safety within the Operations and Safety Bureau at the Agency of Transportation. Individuals are recognized for their sustained, outstanding leadership in endeavors that significantly improve highway safety.
Winner: Kristin Driscoll, Vermont Agency of Transportation
The Highway Safety Achievement Award
This award is presented to an officer who has shown a lifetime of exemplary work and passion for highway safety, while demonstrating teamwork and strong support for their fellow officers and community, over the course of their career. This year VTrans selected two award winners.
Winner: Ted Minall
The Impaired Driving Prevention and Enforcement Award
This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated commitment to Education, Enforcement and Community Engagement to help decrease the incidence of Impaired Driving.
Winner: Anisha Paul, Vermont Forensic Laboratory, Toxicology Section
The Ruby Rainault Occupant Protection Award
This award is presented to an individual or organization that has demonstrated commitment to education, enforcement, and community engagement in helping to increase occupant protection use. Late Deputy Sheriff Ruby Rainault was killed in the line of duty in 2003 while on patrol conducting Occupant Protection safety checks. This award is given in her name to a law enforcement officer who best emulates Ruby’s willingness to “do what it takes to help.”
Winner: Deputy Laurna Noyes, Essex County Sheriff's Department (Awarded Posthumously)
The Sergeant Michael Johnson Life Saver Award
Sgt. Michael Johnson was a 16 year veteran of the Vermont State Police when he tragically lost his life in the line of duty on June 15, 2003. Sgt. Johnson was deploying spike strips in an attempt to stop a suspect fleeing Troopers in a motor vehicle when the suspect struck Sgt. Johnson with the vehicle and killed him. This award will be presented to an individual who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to highway safety.
Winner: Trooper Christopher Hein, Vermont State Police
The Vermont Highway Safety Alliance Crossing Guard Award
This award is meant to recognize a guard’s skill, responsibility, friendliness, reliability, dedication, and service as a vital part of their school communities.
Winner: Wayne King, Rutland City Public Schools
The Vermont Highway Safety Alliance Engineering Award
This award recognizes a team or an individual’s contributions to communities in an exceptional way by improving infrastructure and engineering as it relates to highway safety in Vermont.
Winner: Jennifer Conley, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.