Contact: Jonathan Adkins at 202-789-0942

ST. PAUL, MN --- The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) will hold its annual Executive Training Seminar for New Members May 11-14 at the St. Paul Hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota. GHSA members are appointed by their governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and to implement state highway safety plans.

Kathryn Swanson, the Director of Traffic Safety in Minnesota's Department of Public Safety, hosts this year's seminar. Swanson was elected vice-chair of GHSA and rose to chair of the Association following a leadership change earlier this year. Swanson says, "Minnesota is honored to host the seminar. It will be invigorating to meet and work with so many new Governor's Highway Safety Representatives and Coordinators. I'm also pleased that they will get to see all the beauty of St. Paul in the springtime."

Swanson will join other veteran GHSA members and senior staff from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in serving as instructors for the course. Students learn how to run a State Highway Safety Office in the most effective manner as well as how to manage federal grants that target highway safety problems such as drunken driving.

This year's seminar is particularly timely given the tremendous turnover in state governments. Twenty-four new governors were elected in 2002, the most in at least 20 years. There have also been a significant number of staff reorganizations due to the dire financial situation faced by nearly every state. Swanson says, "Given this background, the seminar is extremely well-timed."

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Editor's Note: A photograph and biography of Kathryn Swanson is available at www.ghsa.org.

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Indian Nation. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. For more information, contact GHSA at (202) 789-0942 or visit www.statehighwaysafety.org.