Kathy Swanson Outstanding Service Award Recipients

2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008

2019

Don Marose

This year’s recipients of the Kathy Swanson Outstanding Service Award are Lieutenant Don Marose and Joel Watne.

Lieutenant Don Marose

Lieutenant Don Marose is an asset to the state of Minnesota in advancing drugged driving awareness, education, and contradiction. He has been a member of the Minnesota State Patrol since August 1988, starting his career as a trooper working road patrol for the West Metro District. In 1991, he was certified as a Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE). Lt. Marose was promoted to Sergeant in 2002 and was assigned as the Minnesota State Patrol Impaired Driving Specialist and Minnesota’s coordinator of the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Program and Drug Evaluation and Classification Program. In 2011, he was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to capitol security; he returned to the DRE coordinator role in spring 2013.

Lt. Marose has been active in the TZD community and coordinates the DRE track concurrent sessions at the TZD statewide conference. In 2018, Lt. Marose created a DWI Trial Tactics course with the State Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor to prepare law enforcement and prosecutors for the complexity of drugged driving trials. Lt. Marose is currently working on developing a Marijuana 101 course for law enforcement.

Joel Watne

Joel Watne

Joel Watne is legendary in the field of traffic safety and impaired driving. He represented the state of Minnesota for 37 years and was the Minnesota subject matter expert on anything related to impaired driving and related traffic safety issues. Joel always came to court fully prepared and with an unwavering sense of duty and fairness. He continued to do his work in retirement by answering select questions disseminated from current DWI prosecutors through the Minnesota County Attorney’s listserv network and participating in the DWI Task Force.

Joel was conducting Toward Zero Deaths work decades before the program was formalized. His unwavering dedication and commitment to holding impaired drivers accountable helped achieve the dramatic decline in impaired-driving-related deaths and severe injuries. Joel has been a contributor to the TZD program since its inception 16 years ago.

2018

  • Mark Peterson, AAA

2017

  • Judge James Dehn

2016

  • Sue Porter, Minnesota Department of Transportation

2015

  • Nancy Johnson, Minnesotans for Safe Driving 

2014

  • Max Donath, Director, Roadway Safety Institute, and Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota

2013

  • Nelrae Succio, Minnesota Department of Transportation
  • Jean Ryan, Minnesota Department of Public Safety

2012

  • Major Mike Asleson, Minnesota State Patrol

2011

  • Bob O'Brien, Department of Public Safety
  • Brad Kollman, Department of Public Safety

2010

  • Sharon Gehrman-Driscoll, Minnesotans for Safe Driving

2009

  • Anne Beers, Minnesota State Patrol (retired)
  • Carol Bufton, Minnesota Safety Council

2008

  • Bernie Arseneau, MnDOT