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“TRIBUTE TO TERECIA WILSON” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E636 on April 24, 2012.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO TERECIA WILSON
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HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN
of south carolina
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ms. Terecia Wilson on the occasion of her retirement from the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Since 1984, Ms. Wilson has worked to improve highway safety in South Carolina, and as a result of her extraordinary service, all South Carolinians are safer on our state's roads. She has been an invaluable resource to me and my staff over the years, and we will miss working with her.
Most recently, Ms. Wilson has served as Training, Safety and Security Program Manager for the Office of Public Transit in the Division of Intermodal and Freight Programs for the South Carolina Department of Transportation, SCDOT, managing the statewide Rural Transit Assistance Program. From 1999 to 2007, Ms. Wilson served as Director of Safety at SCDOT. In this capacity, she developed, implemented, and administered roadway and occupational safety programs to improve safety for highway workers and drivers alike, as well as administering management, claims, and toll operations for the agency. Before joining SCDOT, she served at the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, where she, among other responsibilities, coordinated the 402 State and Community Highway Safety Program, managed numerous successful highway safety public information and education programs, and sought and secured millions of dollars in needed funding.
Ms. Wilson's many years of service have produced impressive results. South Carolina's mileage death rate plummeted from 3.7 per 100 million miles of travel in 1986 to its lowest recorded level of 1.65 in 2010. In 2005, Ms. Wilson worked closely with state legislators when they passed primary seat belt legislation; in 2008, South Carolina's safety belt usage rate climbed to 79 percent, the highest rate ever recorded. SCDOT's High Visibility Work Zone Safety Program had dramatic results during its three-year duration from 2002 to 2005, with a 39.2 percent reduction in work zone crashes, a 44.1 percent reduction in work zone injuries, and a 50 percent reduction in work zone fatalities. It is no exaggeration to say that Ms. Wilson's work has saved lives.
Throughout her career, Ms. Wilson has garnered national recognition for her able service. In 1991, she received a Special Recognition Award from the National Traffic Safety Administration, NTSA, for promoting and implementing a statewide education and enforcement campaign. In 1992 and 1999, she received the NTSA's National Award for Public Service. She received the Award of Merit from the National Sheriffs' Association in 1993 for promoting and implementing the Rural Sheriffs' Traffic Safety Initiative. In 2004, she was named the winner of the President's Transportation Award by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Three years later, the ``Let'em Work, Let'em Live'' campaign, which Ms. Wilson directed, was awarded the National Roadway Safety Award by the Federal Highway Administration and National Roadway Safety Foundation. South Carolinians are proud to see one of our own. so well regarded by her colleagues around the country, and we are fortunate that her exemplary service has been to our benefit.
Ms. Wilson is a proud wife and mother, and I know that she is looking forward to being able to spend more time with her family in retirement. Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House join me in congratulating Ms. Terecia Wilson on this well-deserved retirement. I wish her good health and godspeed.
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