2024 Toward Zero Deaths Conference Program

Honor Guard

Deputy Megan Kiffmeyer, Stearns County
Deputy Brian Theisen, Stearns County
Trooper Cody Kisor, Minnesota State Patrol
Trooper Jeremiah Lund, Minnesota State Patrol

Speaker

Mike Hanson, Minnesota TZD Program Co-chair, ACTS Chair, and Director, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety

Speaker

Steve Schmidt, Owner, EnhancedXP.com

In a time of rapidly advancing technology, artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way we work together, communicate, and solve difficult problems. This presentation will explore the evolving relationship between human intelligence and AI, highlighting how our combined efforts could revolutionize highway safety communication. We'll explore real-world examples of AI tools and demonstrate how they can be applied by engineering, EMS, and law enforcement to educate, improve communication, streamline processes, and ultimately save lives. 

Moderator

Mike Hanson, Minnesota TZD Program Co-chair, ACTS Chair, and Director, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety 

Speaker

Leah Walton, National Transportation Safety Board

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recently completed various roadway crash investigations involving speeding, impairment, teen driver safety, and bridge maintenance. Each of these investigations yielded safety recommendations that could be implemented in Minnesota to improve roadway safety. Attendees will hear about these and other relevant topics such as speeding and drug impairment (North Las Vegas, NV), bridge collapse (Fern Hollow, PA), and teen driver safety and youth cannabis impairment (Tishomingo, OK).

Moderator

Sgt. Jesse Grabow, Minnesota State Patrol

Speakers

Katy Kressin, West Central TZD Regional Coordinator
Tom Nixon, KLJ Engineering and Deerwood Fire Department

Time is of the essence when dealing with emergency situations, especially when a life is at risk. Emergency responders need to understand how automated vehicles (AVs) work and how to handle various types of emergency situations involving an active AV. The goal of this session is to provide a basic understanding of AVs and their operation along with guidance on interacting with an AV involved in an emergency situation.

Moderator

Lt. Charles Backes, Minnesota State Patrol

Speakers

Trooper Dave Lindell, Minnesota State Patrol 
Trooper John Ophoven, Minnesota State Patrol
Danielle Osborne, Otter Tail County Attorney’s Office

There is an alarming trend of distracted driving and phone use in commercial motor vehicles. This session will offer an in-depth look at what’s happening every day among commercial vehicle drivers on Minnesota's roadways. Attendees will learn about the technology in the trucks, distraction trends, enforcement techniques, and courtroom testimony and get tips for crash investigations involving possible distracted drivers.

Moderator

Girma Feyissa, Office of State Aid, Minnesota Department of Transportation

Speakers

Derek Leuer, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Howard Preston, Independent Contractor
Richard Storm, HDR, Inc.

In this session, presenters will give a condensed overview of the full-day workshop covering traffic safety, funding opportunities, and other key topics. The goal is to highlight Minnesota's local road safety challenges—which have been exacerbated by a 7.5 percent increase in fatal and serious injury crashes since the COVID pandemic—and offer solutions. MnDOT's response includes 24 statewide safety workshops from June 2024 to May 2025 that aim to educate local engineers and planners involved in traffic safety work. This session will highlight local road safety strategies and funding options to achieve Minnesota’s goal of zero traffic fatalities.

Moderator

Allison Nicolson, Essentia Health

Speakers

Daniel Dias, Dorel Juvenile Products
Vera Fullaway, Safe Traffic Systems
Tony Jerisha, KidsEmbrace
Bob Wall, Nuna Baby

Learn about new car seats and their features. Manufacturers will demonstrate on stage. CPS CEUs available.

Moderator

Ann Jenson, Southwest Minnesota EMS

Speakers

Jennifer Kirchner, Murray County Ambulance Director
John Krohn, Wabasso Ambulance Director
Rebecca Vande Kieft, Avel eCare

Panel discussion on how telemedicine advances Toward Zero Deaths objectives for rural EMS.

Moderator

Becky Putzke, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety

Speaker

Bill Lemons, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, Minnesota County Attorneys Association, and Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety 

Vehicular homicide is one of the more common and violent types of homicide, and these crimes cover a wide spectrum of culpability. In this session—which is designed to help motivate everyone working these cases—you’ll learn about the possibilities, challenges, and consequences. The session will also offer tips and advice for law enforcement and prosecutors.

Moderator

Sgt. Tyler Milless, Minnesota State Patrol

Speaker

Amy Tripp-Steiner, Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office

In this session, participants will learn the ins and outs of writing solid reports, including how to provide proper probable cause to ensure search warrant approval as well as how to properly testify in court during drug DWI cases. Participants will also hear about the proper dynamics and process for these topics. 

Moderator

Nicole Bitzan, SRF Consulting Group

Speakers

Ken Johnson, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation 
Olivia Polinsky, HDR, Inc.
Kristi Sebastian, Federal Highway Administration

The Safe System Approach (SSA) is the FHWA’s endorsed approach for reaching a target of zero deaths on US roads. The SSA prioritizes the elimination of crashes that result in death and serious injury, using a holistic and multi-faceted approach that focuses on both human mistakes and vulnerability. This session will describe the SSA and the many FHWA resources and tools for supporting agencies in SSA implementation, including the Safe System Roadway Design Hierarchy, the SSA for the Urban Core Informational Report, the SSA for Speed Management, and the Safe System-Based Framework and Analytical Methodology for Assessing Intersections. Additionally, MnDOT will provide an overview of its action plan for integrating the SSA into its established programming and project delivery process.   

Moderator

Katy Kressin, West Central TZD Regional Coordinator

Speaker

Joshua Chan, Glacial Ridge Health System

Pediatric patients can be the most challenging for clinicians because of their size and the frequency of contact. These situations are already complex, but even more so when the patient has difficulty communicating and is autistic. Challenging communication, impaired social skills, interruption of routines, and sensory overload can make a routine transport highly demanding. This session will cover the common characteristics of autism and offer ways to individualize the assessment and treatments to help reduce stress for the clinician and patient.  

Moderator

Duane Siedschlag, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety

Speakers

Sgt. Geoff Dowty, Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office   
Emily Frustol, Otter Tail County Toward Zero Deaths Coalition
Allison Nicolson, Essentia Health/Driving for Safe Communities Toward Zero Deaths Coalition   

Join several active Safe Roads grantees plus the OTS grants coordinator to discuss the Safe Roads grant—how to apply, what the coalitions are doing, community engagement strategies, and what worked and didn't work. Group discussion is encouraged.

Moderator

Kristine Hernandez, Statewide TZD Communications and Marketing Director

Speaker

Steve Linders, The Axtell Group

This presentation will provide practical, proven, and actionable strategies and tactics attendees can use to educate Minnesotans and inspire safe driving habits. It will include three areas of focus: media relations, story development, and pitching and placing stories.

Moderator

Jasmine Wangen, Altru, Northern Minnesota Child Passenger Safety Liaison

Speakers

Paul Albright, Peg Perego
Courtney Barry, Chicco
Scott McAllister, Diono
Claire Smith, Joie
Sarah Tilton, Britax

Learn about new car seats and their features. Manufacturers will demonstrate on the stage. CPS CEUs available.

Moderator

Sue Johnson, Northwest Toward Zero Deaths Regional Coordinator

Speakers

Sue Johnson, Northwest Toward Zero Deaths Regional Coordinator
Thief River Falls and Goodridge Key Club students

Hear from teens working together to change traffic safety culture and bring awareness to mental health in an effort to eliminate teen deaths from traffic crashes and suicides. You’ll also get an update on the Minnesota Impact Teen Drivers program that was implemented statewide in 2023. 

Moderator

Bill Lemons, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, Minnesota County Attorneys Association, and Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety 

Speakers

David Bernstein, Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office and Minnesota DWI Taskforce
Amy Tripp-Steiner, Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office

This session will cover legislative changes that affect DWI and traffic safety laws and will review important court decisions from the last year. Attendees will get a preview of the next legislative session, potential legislative initiatives, and past legislative efforts. The panel will discuss other court-related matters, ongoing changes to Minnesota's marijuana law, and much more.

Moderator

Sgt. Tyler Milless, Minnesota State Patrol

Speaker

Trooper Elliott Lesser, Minnesota State Patrol

This session will take participants through today’s emerging drugs. For example, the horse tranquilizer Xylazine has been making its way across the United States and can now be found in Minnesota. Participants will also learn more about rising trends in our society. 

Moderator

Hannah Johnson, Alliant Engineering, Inc.

Speakers

Tim Burkhardt, Alliant Engineering, Inc.
Nick Grage, Alliant Engineering, Inc.
Derek Leuer, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Vic Lund, St. Louis County
Whitney Mason, Office of Transportation System Management, Minnesota Department of Transportation

In the move toward zero deaths, good data and analysis are necessary but often insufficient to understand and address safety needs. In this session, two agencies will highlight their approaches to combining technical information with stakeholder engagement to impact safety. Minnesota is updating its five-year Strategic Highway Safety Plan and speakers will share the preliminary draft as well as gather input on focus areas, priorities, and strategies through live polling. St. Louis County took a unique approach to a safety project and you'll hear about that process of integrating engineering analysis with stakeholder engagement and focusing on educating about, rather than defending, engineering decisions.  

Moderator

Stephanie Malinoff, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota

Speaker

Steve Schmidt, Owner, EnhancedXP.com

This interactive workshop will give participants a deeper look at the AI concepts and tools introduced in the keynote presentation. Through a combination of demonstrations and group discussion, participants will learn how to pinpoint communication challenges in their own work for which AI could make a meaningful difference. They will also get tips for navigating the growing landscape of AI tools and platforms to select those tools most suitable for their specific needs and resources. Steve will show participants how to craft effective prompts to get the most out of AI language models such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini for drafting safety messages, summarizing complex data, brainstorming new communication strategies, and even writing grants. You won't want to miss the “how-to run an AI-generated song contest for kids” —it's like the new poster contest of the future!

Moderator

Rahya Geisler, Northeast Toward Zero Deaths Regional Coordinator

Speaker

Chris Conroy, ATV Minnesota

ATV MN is the state association representing 70 ATV clubs and ATV riding families across Minnesota. It promotes safe, responsible ATV riding and provides ATV clubs with the tools they need to build ATV trails for the riding public that are fun and sustainable while protecting natural resources. In this session, you’ll get to know ATV MN and the leaders across the state, including where the groups are and what is going on in the ATV world. 

Moderator

Kristen Oster, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety 

Speakers

Nathan Berg, Independent School District 577
Dave Boxum, Office of Communications, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Lt. Brian Reu, Minnesota State Patrol

A scary violation was captured on a school bus stop-arm camera. Join this session to learn how partnering with the media helped bring this case to a successful conclusion. Also hear about the value of stop-arm camera grant communications and other examples of social media’s effectiveness in getting the the public’s help in a crisis.

Moderator

Tara Helm, Minnesota Safety Council

Speaker

Joe Colella, Traffic Safety Projects

This session will present an overview of what CPS technicians need to look for to determine if a car seat meets the US FMVSS 213 standards and all safety regulations. CPS CEUs available.

Moderator

Sgt. Jesse Grabow, Minnesota State Patrol

Speakers

Kristi Engelstad, Sanford Ambulance 
Brad Estochen, Ramsey County
Katy Kressin, West Central Toward Zero Deaths Regional Coordinator
Deputy Allen Mekash, Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office
Deb Syverson, Sanford Health

This panel discussion will bring together law enforcement, EMS personnel, hospital staff, and engineers to shed light on the complexities of classifying injury severity at a crash scene. Through real-world scenarios, attendees will delve into the unique perspectives of each responder and explore how they assess injuries, ultimately piecing together a comprehensive picture of the situation. 

Moderator

Renae Kuehl, SRF Consulting Group

Speakers

Michael Bowman, White Earth Nation Tribe
Matt Knight, SRF Consulting Group
Tracy Olson, Minnesota Department of Transportation

Tribal governments in Minnesota have been working to address safety concerns within their communities through developing safety action plans and using various funding opportunities. Collaboration with state and local agencies has been helpful in building relationships and consensus on safety needs. Representatives from the White Earth Nation and the Minnesota Department of Transportation will share their experiences and the unique safety challenges that tribal governments face.

Moderator

Sgt. Tyler Milless, Minnesota State Patrol

Speaker

Sgt. Tyler Milless, Minnesota State Patrol

This session will provide participants with an inside look at micro-dosing. From Joe Rogan to Elon Musk, micro-dosing has become a common practice among celebrities and their followers. What does this mean for traffic safety? Join us during this session to find out!

Moderator

Major Jeff Huettl, Minnesota State Patrol

Speakers

Elias Youngblom, Personal Impact Speaker
Tracy Youngblom, Author and Elias’s mother       

On March 16, 2015, a wrong-way impaired driver changed a college student’s life. Since then, Elias Youngblom has learned to live a full life with a sixth sense of humor. His mother, Tracy, will also share her perspective on the crash, how it affected her and the Youngblom family, and the memoir she has written to help her cope. 

Moderator

Brooke Ahlers, Life Link lll

Speaker

Kaitlyn Roach, Life Link lll

Join us for an interactive, conversation-based session designed to equip you with tangible ways to influence implementation of a culture of safety both within your organization and with other departments you work alongside of. Safety is often seen as a set of rules, but it should be a mindset. This session will focus on the concept that responder safety starts with a mindset shift.  

Moderator

Scot Edgeworth, East Metro Toward Zero Deaths Regional Coordinator

Speakers

Nadav Cassuto, Minnesota Department of Health
Anna Gaichas, Minnesota Department of Health
Veronica Hawman, Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Lauren Johnson, Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Sgt. Kyle Puelston, Chisago County Sheriff’s Office     

Come listen to presentations from speakers covering the topics of education, injury, and survival from impaired driving crashes. They will discuss prevention methods that include learning your limits, distractors in common driving conditions, and the power of victim voices and involvement. It’s not just a crash; walk away with a new perspective to help create safe communities where we live, work, and play.

Moderator

Annette Larson, Statewide TZD Program and Operations Director

Speaker

Dr. Joan Somes, Minnesota Emergency Nurses Association

A program aimed at increasing older driver safety in Minnesota has resulted in a toolkit of materials that can be used for seniors, their families, law enforcement, and other stakeholders interested in this issue. This “train-the-trainer” session will discuss why aging and driving should be of concern and review the resources available for download in the toolkit.

Moderator

Bryant Ficek, Metro District, Minnesota Department of Transportation

Speakers

Jennifer McCoy, Bolton and Menk
Sarina Praseedom, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Collin Schroeder, SRF Consulting Group

Safety is an important measure that can be assessed in a variety of ways, both proactively and reactively. This session will highlight one project looking forward toward future enhancements and one project looking back at implemented improvements. The TH52/I-94 study in St. Paul used the Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) to predict the safety implications of unique solutions. The Hwy 316 study in Hastings compared crashes and other aspects before and after corridor changes. Both methods will help inform future safety work. 

Moderator

Nichole Korth, Regions Hospital

Speaker

Vera Fullaway, Safe Traffic Systems
Stephanie Heitsch, Safe Kids and State Farm

Join this interactive individual competitive game setting that reviews basic essential CPS concepts with a little trivia for tiebreakers using the Kahoot platform. CPS CEUs available.

Moderator

Mary Erickson

Speaker

Lisa Kons, Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, Minnesota Safety Council

Drivers experiencing strong emotional agitation (sadness, anger, anxiety, etc.) are 9.8 times more likely to be involved in a crash. Stressed drivers accelerate and brake more frequently and intensively than other drivers—and often drive at high speed, overtake other vehicles, and fail to stop at crosswalks. This session will review how taking care of and time for your mental health and sleep can keep you and your employees safe on the road.

Moderator

Nick White, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety

Speakers

Rachael LeRette, DWI Court & SBIRT Program Coordinator
Duane Siedschlag, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety

One in seven Minnesotans has a DWI on record, and 41 percent of DWI offenders are arrested for a subsequent offense. To combat this problem, the courts in Duluth, Minnesota, began offering SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) at arraignment/first appearance to defendants charged with a first-time DWI. Results from a multi-year process, outcome, and cost evaluation conducted by NPC Research show that SBIRT reduces DWI recidivism and overall criminal recidivism—and has saved taxpayers $4.9 million since it was implemented in 2014. This session will share information about the SBIRT program generally, review evaluation findings, and give suggestions on implementation in other jurisdictions.

Moderator

Sgt. Tyler Milless, Minnesota State Patrol

Speaker

Trooper Gustavo Culbeaux, Minnesota State Patrol

This session will provide participants with a refresher on Minnesota's most uncommon DRE categories. With the current increase in mushrooms, PCP, and similar substances, participants will benefit from this refresher on the DRE categories and learn what law enforcement is seeing in Minnesota.

Moderator

Stephanie Malinoff, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota

Speakers

Catherine Diamond, Minnesota TZD Program Co-chair, ACTS Vice Chair, and Section Manager, Injury and Violence Prevention Section, Minnesota Department of Health
Mike Hanson, Minnesota TZD Program Co-chair, ACTS Chair, and Director, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety 
Brian Sorenson, Minnesota TZD Program Co-chair, ACTS Vice Chair, and State Traffic Engineer, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation

Come learn more about the work of the Advisory Council on Traffic Safety (ACTS)! ACTS was established during the 2023 legislative session to improve traffic safety for all users on all Minnesota roads. In the last year, the Council has convened traffic safety leaders on critical discussion topics, distributed approximately $12M in funding, and created the Roadway Safety Information Center, a one-stop shop that integrates and analyzes traffic safety data from multiple E’s. Hear about successes, upcoming activities, and how you can get involved!

Moderator

Renae Kuehl, SRF Consulting Group

Speakers

Loren Hill, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Sophia Kalow, Office of Transit & Active Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Sonja Piper, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Will Wlizlo, Active Transportation Coordinator, Office of Transit & Active Transportation, Minnesota Department of  Transportation

Long before cutting a check to rebuild their transportation infrastructure, communities can implement a variety of strategies and resources to enhance the safety of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. This multidisciplinary presentation from MnDOT staff will demonstrate how to interpret research and analysis on traffic conflict and risk factors to proactively identify problematic locations and roadway designs. Loren Hill will present recent findings related to pedestrian crashes and Sonja Piper will unpack the Vulnerable Road User High Injury Network analysis. Programmatic functions of the state’s Safe Routes to School and Active Transportation programs also offer preventive measures to increase community safety. Sophie Kalow and Will Wlizlo will share how MnDOT uses education, community action planning, and demonstration infrastructure to teach essential skills to vulnerable users, build groups of engaged local transportation safety champions, and inexpensively test traffic calming concepts in context.

Moderator

Nick White, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety 

Speakers

Kurt Hoehne, Corrections Agent and State Probation/Parole Outreach Liaison, Minnesota Department of Corrections
Laura Koktavy, Corrections Agent and State Probation/Parole Outreach Liaison, Minnesota Department of Corrections
Maria Lafriniere, Wellness Court Coordinator, White Earth Tribal Court

Minnesota Department of Corrections agents Laura Koktavy and Kurt Hoehne are working as state probation/parole outreach liaisons on a first-of-its-kind grant project between the Department of Corrections and the Department of Public Safety. The project aims to serve as a statewide resource for probation and parole agencies and other members of the highway safety community dealing with cases of impaired driving. The grant will help agencies reduce impaired driving recidivism using best practices in the form of education, training, guidance, and provision of a liaison between probation/parole and the highway safety community. This session will begin to explain the rollout of what Laura and Kurt have been working on and offer information on providing a consistent means of supervision statewide for impaired driving offenders. Maria Lafriniere, Wellness Court coordinator, will also present on DWI and treatment courts. 

Moderator

Tony Kasella, Regional Transportation Management Center, Minnesota Department of Transportation

Speakers

Lt. Andrew Martinek, Minnesota State Patrol
Trooper Eric Ouellette, Minnesota State Patrol

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of traumatic death for police, fire, EMS, and tow operators. This TIM training will share best practices to improve safety for crash victims, responders, and other vehicles on the road.

Moderator

Sheila Denton, SCEMS, Southern Minnesota Child Passenger Safety Liaison

Speaker

Dex Tuttle, Minnesota Children’s Hospital

For families who have kids with "superpowers," regular travel in retail car seats can be tricky, and finding help in their home communities isn't always easy. Even for CPSTs who have completed the Safe Travel for All Children (STAC) course, these interactions can feel overwhelming if they are not a frequent occurrence in their work. This session is appropriate for any CPST, even those who have not completed STAC, and will provide tips and tricks to hopefully make these interactions smoother. CPS CEUs available.

Moderator

Katy Kressin, West Central TZD Regional Coordinator 

Speakers

Brian Boser, Pierz Fire Department
Sgt. Joel Gross, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office
Gabrielle May, Mayo Medical Ambulance Service
Forest McMahan, Mayo Medical Ambulance Service
Heather Nixon, LifeLink lll
Sgt. Doug Rekstad, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office                       
Scott Saehr, Pierz Fire Department

This session will take you on a journey from a seemingly ordinary traffic control detail to a critical incident. Witness firsthand the challenges faced by a Morrison County deputy when a routine traffic control assignment took a dramatic turn. We'll explore the perspectives of various TZD partners as they responded swiftly and collaboratively to the deputy's injuries—and delve into the critical role interagency cooperation plays in saving lives.

Moderator

Derek Leuer, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation

Speakers

Nathan Drews, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Lt. Kelly Mager, Minnesota State Patrol

Obtaining quality data from traffic crashes is essential to understanding and improving traffic safety. Crash reports are not just for insurance companies! Learn how these reports are used by law enforcement officials, engineers, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders. 

Moderator

Sgt. Tyler Milless, Minnesota State Patrol

Speakers

Officer Jesse Mathwig, Maple Grove Police Department
Officer Jaren Zech, Edina Police Department

This session will provide participants with the "need-to-know" information to take back to their departments on how to best use Drug Recognition Evaluators. This session will also go through the new ARIDE requirements and discuss the future of the DRE program.