GLEN BURNIE, MD (September 20, 2022) – The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) has received three Service Awards and three Public Affairs and Consumer Education (PACE) Awards from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) for the agency’s work in Customer Convenience and Education, Innovative Use of Technology and Community Service. The AAMVA awards honor individuals, teams and organizations for the commitment of time and resources to promote safety initiatives, outstanding customer service and public affairs and consumer educational programs throughout North America.
MDOT MVA received the awards during the 2022 AAMVA Annual International Conference, held September 13-15 in Baltimore. More than 1,000 professionals from 59 jurisdictions, including Canadian provinces, attended the conference, which was hosted by MDOT MVA. Each year, the AAMVA Conference is held in the home state of the chair of the AAMVA International Board of Directors. MDOT MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer served that role for the last year. 
Administrator Nizer, District Manager Paul Taylor, Deputy Administrator Leslie Dews, District Managers Amy Prime and Kenneth Mason and AAMVA President and CEO Anne Ferro pose with the award for Customer Convenience at the 2022 AAMVA International Conference.
“I am so proud of the MDOT MVA team for continuing to find innovative and convenient ways to provide Marylanders with premier customer service, whether it’s face to face in our branch offices or making services more accessible online,” said Administrator Nizer. “Maryland continues to be at the forefront of customer-focused initiatives, and it was an honor to recognize the team in front of hundreds of our AAMVA colleagues.” “AAMVA awards are the industry standard for excellence, innovation and customer service, and it’s a great source of pride for the entire MDOT Team that Chrissy and her staff have been recognized for their outstanding work,” said MDOT Secretary James F. Ports, Jr. “The AAMVA Conference was terrific, and as the host agency MDOT MVA showed off the best of MDOT, Baltimore and all of Maryland.” MDOT MVA received both regional and international recognition in the Customer Convenience category for the implementation of its birth certificate printing program. The award recognizes jurisdictions for making life easier for customers by offering new programs or enhancing existing programs. The birth certificate printing service, offered in the Annapolis, Baltimore City, Essex, Frederick and Largo branch offices, provides Maryland-born customers with a certified copy of their birth certificate as proof of identity to get their REAL ID. Since the program’s inception in 2021, more than 2,000 customers have taken advantage of this service. In the Community Service category, MDOT MVA received regional and international recognition for its partnership with the Baltimore City Office of Homeless Services to provide identification cards to individuals experiencing homelessness. This partnership provided a critical step for these individuals to receive housing, secure employment and other benefits. AAMVA’s Innovative Use of Technology award praised the agency’s efforts allowing customers the ability to request and be approved for disability products online. In real time, a customer’s physician can digitally input medical certification and support an individual’s eligibility for disability plates and placards. Customers can submit and track progress of their application, eliminating a trip to an MDOT MVA branch for this critical service. This service was implemented following MDOT MVA’s IT modernization project, Customer Connect, which allows the agency to offer more online services than ever before. In fact, Customer Connect recently received the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials America’s Transportation Award for Best Use of Tech and Innovation, and is under consideration for national recognition. 
Executive Officer Janet Bochniewicz poses with the Innovative Use of Technology award for her role in adding disability products online.
MDOT MVA was also the recipient of three Region 1 PACE Awards. In the print and electronic publications category, the agency was recognized for Maryland’s Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) Strategic Framework. This framework recommends developing plans that align with CAV technology strategies and reflects Maryland’s multi-disciplinary approach to CAVs. 
CAV Program Manager Nanette Schieke and Deputy Director of the SHA Office of Transportation Mobility & Operations Carole Delion pose with
the PACE award for print and electronic publication for the Connected and Automated Vehicle Strategic Framework.
In the Region 1 PACE writing category, MDOT MVA received recognition for the Child Passenger Safety Week 2021 Press Release that provided education and resources for parents and caregivers to support safe travel practices, as well as videos demonstrating the proper installation of child safety seats for various ages. And in the website and technology category, MDOT MVA received an award for the Zero Deaths Maryland Website, which was recently redesigned to be user-friendly and easy to navigate. Since its launch, organic and paid media efforts have driven more than 120,000 visitors to the site. 
MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office Deputy Director Myra Wieman and Communications and Media Manager Anna Levendusky
accept the award for their roles in redesigning the Zero Deaths MD website.
Founded in 1933, AAMVA serves North American motor vehicle and law enforcement agencies. The association’s mission – Safe Drivers, Safe Vehicles, Secure Identities, Saving Lives – guides its activities, resources and programs in driver licensing, vehicle titling and registration, motor carrier services, identity management and technology solutions. For a full list of the 2022 winners and more information about the AAMVA Awards, click here. ### | 
