This award is presented to the best example of persuasive writing, such as news release, blog, feature story, etc.
This is awarded one per each region and among those, an international winner is selected.
Each agency may submit only ONE entry.
Criteria for selection:
- Content
- Clarity
- Engagement
- Effectiveness
2024 Winners
International and Region 3
Iowa Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division
Young Driver Fact Sheet
The Iowa DOT MVD is passionate about being a voice for highway safety, advocating for smart policy solutions that align with AAMVA best practices, and peer-reviewed evidence-based research. When the MVD became aware of growing interest from the state legislature on changing the laws for teen drivers – including moving away from evidence-based best practices—they recognized their role as the state motor vehicle agency in providing education and awareness on this critical topic. Knowing that the legislature is tasked with considering a vast number of topics, they realized it was their responsibility to speak up and provide persuasive, factual information to lead the conversation. As a result, MVD leveraged their national contacts and resources in the AAMVA community and beyond to pull together an important message to policy makers on the topics of teen driving and graduated driver’s licensing via an educational fact sheet. The product was a catchy two-page fact sheet combining visual and written data depictions that covered several core areas of the GDL system and teen safety data: instruction permit age, unaccompanied driving age, the passenger restriction, and teen inexperience ad distraction. The information was timely, as the Iowa legislature considered 11 distinct bills during the 2023 legislative session to expand unaccompanied driving privileges for teens as young as age 14 for a wide variety of purposes. Copies of the fact sheet were handed out in legislative subcommittees, emailed to legislative staffers, and passed along to other public agencies for their use. By using this fact sheet as part of other strategic advocacy efforts, the legislature did not pass any of the contemplated bills, and instead decided to create a committee to study “policy matters relating to licensed driving by persons between fourteen and eighteen years of age” and “make recommendation on statutory changes relating to minor driver’s licensing.” The fact sheet not only provided pertinent and critical information to key decision makers during legislative session, but also continues to be a useful tool aid in the ongoing conversations surrounding teen driving privileges in Iowa as we look to the 2024 legislative session.
Region 1
Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration
Administrator Chrissy Nizer's Highway Safety Summit Speech
It is clear to see the impact he has had on Alberta and Albertans over the years, but he has also held many roles within AAMVA. He first role was with AAMVA in 2004 on the Driver Licensing and Control Committee. Since then, he has taken on many roles within the organization to support motor vehicles administration, and he continues until this day with his involvement in the Joint Mobile Driver License Subcommittee, and the Card Design Standard Subcommittee. His past AAMVA committee work includes the Vehicle Standing Committee, the Driver Licensing and Control Steering Committee, and he was a member of the MOVE Magazine editorial board. He has been an active participant in many conferences and workshops and in 2009 he was president of Region 4. That year, the conference was held at the incredible Lake Louise and is one that is still talked about to this day. He also held a position on the AAMVA International Board of Directors.
Region 2
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Florida Highway Patrol Celebrates Graduation of 151st Basic Recruit Class Press Release
In August 2023, The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles division of the Florida Highway Patrol held a graduation for 72 troopers who had completed the 151st Basic Recruit Class, which included 23 military veterans and nine recruits from out of state who moved to Florida to join the team and wear the black and tan. Graduates completed 29 weeks of training, equivalent to 770 hours, beginning on January 16, 2023, and ending on August 4. Training included high liability classes, defensive tactics, firearms, vehicle operations, and first aid. The press release informed those in Florida and in other states of the great pride FHP takes in its history and the honor of protecting its citizens. A media package was included with the release so that those interested could view photos from the event as well as b-roll. Florida State Troopers are motivated, hard-working law enforcement officers specializing in traffic safety and enforcement, traffic crash investigation, narcotic interdiction, detection, and apprehension of impaired drivers, and searching for missing, wanted, trafficked, and undocumented individuals. The women and men patrol Florida using state-of-the-art training, equipment, technology, and resources to enhance their abilities.
Region 4
Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles
A Simple Question: Organ Recipient Says "Yes" to Registering as Organ, Tissue Donor
Since 2020, the Colorado DMV and motor vehicle divisions across the nation have seen a dip in the number of people who say yes to becoming an organ, eye, and tissue donor, according to Donate Life Colorado. The Colorado DMV has a long-standing, mutually beneficial partnership with the nonprofit organization to help save lives through donor registration. Knowing the impact organ donation makes, the DMV stepped up its efforts to raise the Donor Designation rate and humanize perhaps the penultimate act of kindness – giving so that others may live. In recent years, the DMV has partnered on marketing case studies, advertising, events, DMV2GO, and social media outreach. No matter how successful those efforts were, they paled in comparison to Lella’s story. Donate Life Colorado featured 6-year-old Lella in a marketing campaign including a video package and print materials. Lella’s liver came from a 17-year-old who died in a car crash in Iowa, and almost a decade later, Lella proudly earned her instruction permit. Lella was born with a rare condition called biliary atresia that affected her liver. Placed on the liver transplant list at only 6-months old, Lella received a new liver a month later. Now 15, Lella agreed to share her story with the DMV in hopes that it would convince more Coloradans to say yes to giving the gift of life. Lella’s story was sent to local news outlets and posted on the DMV’s website on June 22, 2023. In the month following the publication, 81,262 Coloradans said yes to being an organ, eye, and tissue donor. In 2022, Colorado had the second-highest donor designation rate (DDR) at 66%. That’s 1,028,474 Coloradans who said yes to donating life.