[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 109 (Thursday, September 7, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1671]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        HONORING KATHRYN SWANSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 7, 2006

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Kathryn 
Swanson, a dedicated public servant whose passionate commitment to 
highway safety has guided her throughout her career.
  Kathy has been a leading, influential figure in highway safety for 
more than 25 years, working tirelessly to save lives and prevent 
injuries on our Nation's roads.
  Since 1998, Kathy has served as director of Minnesota's Office of 
Traffic Safety in the state's Department of Public Safety. Prior to 
being director, she served as deputy director, safety program 
coordinator, and as a research analyst.
  As one of the longest tenured members of the state highway safety 
community, Kathy's counsel is frequently sought by other states and 
organizations around the country.
  In her role as director, Kathy administers the state and community 
highway safety grant programs in Minnesota. During her tenure, the 
state has achieved significant progress including an 83.9 percent seat 
belt usage rate, which is above the national average. The state also 
achieved its lowest fatality rate ever during Kathy's tenure.
  Kathy has also worked tirelessly with her counterparts in the 
Minnesota Department of Transportation in a true partnership aimed at 
significantly reducing traffic fatalities in Minnesota. Today the 
Towards Zero Death program is the keystone of Minnesota's safety 
agenda, affecting the work of various state and local agencies and 
private sector partners.
  Kathy's success in Minnesota, her strong commitment to highway safety 
and the respect and support of her state peers led to her election as 
Vice Chair of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) in 
September 2002. GHSA is the nonprofit association representing the 
highway safety program managers of the states and the territories.
  Following a leadership change in March of 2003, Kathy was elevated to 
Chair of GHSA, a position in which she served until the fall of 2004. 
Under Kathy's leadership, GHSA developed its positions on the 
reauthorization of our nation's surface transportation bill, the Safe, 
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy 
For Users (SAFETEA-LU).
  As Immediate Past Chair, Kathy continues her involvement in GHSA. In 
2005, she represented the Association at a listening session for the 
White House Conference on Aging where she discussed the role of the 
state highway safety offices in enhancing the safety of older drivers. 
She also represented GHSA at the 2005 launch of the Ford/GHSA Driving 
Skills for Life teen driving safety program.
  Kathy's work has no doubt prevented countless traffic fatalities and 
injuries in Minnesota and across the Nation. I am proud and honored to 
share with my colleagues this deserved tribute to Kathy Swanson, who 
gives so much of herself to enrich the lives of others and to serve her 
community and her country.

                          ____________________