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Closing Plenary-
Personal take-aways from Lifesavers Conference and
Bringing Cohesion to the Safe System Approach -
A Panel Discussion
Tuesday April 9 12:30-2:00 pm
Remarks provided by
FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt
On January 13, 2023, Shailen Bhatt was sworn in by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as the 21st Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Bhatt was confirmed unanimously by voice vote in the U.S. Senate on December 8, 2022. He is the first person of Indian descent to lead FHWA.
In this role he oversees over 2,700 FHWA employees in all 50 States, U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia, and provides executive leadership on strategic initiatives and policy, including administering more than $350 billion as part of President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and its formula and competitive grant programs that are available to State departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, Tribes, territories, federal land management agencies, and other organizations. As Administrator, Bhatt brings a record of successful project and program delivery needed in this once-in-a-generation level of infrastructure investment in which the impacts of FHWA policy and funding choices will last for generations, and will make people safer, reduce the emissions in our air while implementing resilient transportation systems for our changing climate, create a fairer transportation system, and strengthen our economy.
Bhatt brings to this role a passion for improving safety and protecting all road users on America's roads, bridges, highways, and other surface transportation infrastructure, including people using them for walking and biking. He is also committed to transforming our nation's infrastructure systems to address transportation's impacts on our global climate, while making them more equitable and fair for all.
His distinguished career includes serving in leadership positions in the public and private sectors, including the Kentucky, Delaware, and Colorado Departments of Transportation, the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, AECOM, and as FHWA's Associate Administrator for Highway Policy and External Affairs in the Obama Administration.
Bhatt graduated summa cum laude from Western Kentucky University with a degree in Economics. He considers being a good father and husband to be the most important priority in the world, and he and his wife Neelam are the proud parents of two daughters, Saanvi and Nandini. While Bhatt is focused on his day job, he keeps his skates sharpened, his stick freshly taped, and stands ready to answer the call for any NHL team ready to take a chance on him.
Master of Ceremonies
Dr. Ryan C. Smith
Transportation Specialist, NTSB
Dr. Ryan C. Smith is a Transportation Specialist in the Office of Research and Engineering at the National Transportation Safety Board. In this capacity, he serves as a technical expert in the domains of drug impairment, health, human performance, and statistical analysis. Prior to joining the NTSB, Dr. Smith worked at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute where he was a Research Scientist and founding Group Leader of the Impaired Driving Research, Evaluation, and Analysis (IDREA) Group. He has led nearly $5M of research with an emphasis on driver impairment, field research methodologies, and data improvement. Dr. Smith also serves as the co-track leader of the Impaired Driving Track on the Lifesavers Planning Committee.
Discussion Moderator
Brian Ursino
Acting Vice President, MS&PA, AAMVA
Director of Law Enforcement, AAMVA
Brian retired from the Washington State Patrol in February 2010 after more than 30 years of service, the last five years as assistant chief. Brian joined AAMVA on March 1, 2010 as the director of law enforcement.Brian has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and an MBA in management and leadership from City University in Seattle. Brian has also attended the FBI National Academy and the Kennedy School for Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard. In 2004, Brian received the Governor’s Distinguished Management Leadership Award and in 2016 received the International Association of Chiefs of Police J. Stannard Baker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Highway Safety.
Discussion Panelists:
Commissioner Spencer R. Moore
Georgia Department of Driver Services
1st Vice Chairman, AAMVA
Spencer R. Moore, a native Georgian and career public servant, was appointed commissioner of the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) by Governor Brian P. Kemp and the DDS Board of Directors in January 2019. He was previously appointed commissioner by Governor Nathan Deal and the DDS Board of Directors on January 17, 2017. He also served as deputy commissioner of DDS for four years.
His more than 26 years in state government include 14 years with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). He served his last six years at GOHS as deputy director and became a leading national expert in highway traffic safety initiatives. Moore started his state career as a parole officer with the State Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Moore attended Furman University prior to graduating from Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He obtained his Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He has completed several Executive Leadership Programs sponsored by the State of Georgia, Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. Commissioner Moore was sworn in as Chairman of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) Board in 2023. He was also elected to the AAMVA Board of Directors Executive Committee and the AAMVA Region 2 Board in September 2020. He was first sworn in as an AAMVA International Board Member in August 2018. Moore also serves on Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Advisory Board, the Georgia State Employee Benefit Plan Council, the Georgia Driver Education Commission (GDEC), the Shepherd Center Advisory Board, and the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity (EBCS) Advisory Board at Georgia State University, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.
Colonel Matthew Packard
Cheif, Colorado State Patrol
IACP
Colonel Packard was promoted and appointed as the Chief of the Colorado State Patrol in 2017 by then Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper.
Colonel Packard started his career with the Colorado State Patrol in 2000. Throughout his tenure, he served in and led the accident reconstruction team, homeland security section, hazardous materials group, criminal investigations, executive security, communications, the training academy, media relations, and budget. Colonel Matthew Packard is the 9th Chief of the Colorado State Patrol.
Colonel Packard has maintained a commitment to member wellness and service. He firmly believes in order to serve at the highest level, the men and women of the Colorado State Patrol must be well. Colonel Packard is devoted to providing members with the resources they need to be successful in both their personal and professional lives.
He has been a member of the IACP since 2012, and after his promotion, he became involved in the IACP's State and Provincial Division (S&P). He was appointed to serve on the Board of Directors for IACP in 2019. After being elected by his peers within S&P as the General Chair of the division, he began a two-year term on the IACP's Executive Board of Directors in October 2022.
He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Center of Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command session #357 and the FBI’s National Executive Institute session #43. In 2023, Colonel Packard was appointed as the Vice Chair for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Northern Colorado.
Director Barbara Rooney
CA OTS
Chair, GHSA
Barbara Rooney was elected Chair of GHSA in 2022 and re-elected in 2023. She previously served as Vice Chair in 2020 and 2021. She is currently Regional Representative for Region 9 and previously served as Chair of the association’s Federal Relations Committee and Workforce Development Committee.
Rooney was appointed Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) by Governor Gavin Newsom in August 2019. With over 29 years of experience in state government programs aimed at serving and improving the quality of life for California’s residents, Rooney brings a wealth of experience and energy to highway safety. Prior to this appointment, she served as Deputy Director of Legislation at the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), where she represented the CHSRA on all legislative matters before the California Legislature and Congress. Rooney was instrumental in navigating numerous regulatory, environmental, political, funding and other challenges. She also oversaw the CHSRA’s management of $3.5 billion in federal grants awarded to California’s High-Speed Rail Program.
Rooney previously served in multiple positions at the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) including Training Officer, Principal Legislative Analyst, Chief of the Departmental Training Branch, and Deputy Director of Legislation where she was successful in achieving favorable outcomes regarding hundreds of legislative measures aimed at improving traffic safety. Most notably, Rooney was widely recognized as the DMV’s expert in the body of law designed to discourage drivers from operating vehicles under the influence and was instrumental in crafting and securing the passage of numerous other traffic safety measures.
Rooney also previously served as Policy Chief for the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division where she managed policy development related to residential care facilities for children, adults, and seniors.
As the OTS Director, Rooney manages nearly $100 million in federal funding annually for traffic safety grants across the state.
