2025 Recipients
2025 Star Award recipients will be announced on October 21, 2025 at the annual Toward Zero Deaths Conference.
Past Recipients
2024
- Child Passenger Safety: Dex Tuttle
- Education: Alan Ainsworth
- Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: Ann Jenson
- Enforcement: Sergeant Dave Windels
- Engineering: Girma Feyissa
2023
- Child Passenger Safety: Aimee Eggen
- Education: K9 Deputy Luis Figueroa
- Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: Chris Ballard
- Enforcement: Officer Luke Nelson
- Engineering: Lars Impola
- Judicial/Court System: Kathy Keena
2022
- Child Passenger Safety: Officer Ryan Kuffel
- Education: Mary Erickson
- Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: Josh Duda
- Enforcement: Deputy Chad Myers
- Engineering: Derek Leuer
2021
- Child Passenger Safety: Bridget Nez
- Education: Crystal Hoepner
- Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: Tim Cook
- Enforcement: Sgt. Joshua Moore
- Engineering: Diane Langenbach
2020
- Child Passenger Safety: Tracy Brown
- Education: Stephanie Felt
- Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: Joan Somes
- Enforcement: Chief Josh Hanson
- Engineering: Loren Hill
- Judicial & Court System: Monica Jensen
2019
- Child Passenger Safety: Detective Cameron Gustafson
- Education: Allison Nicolson
- Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: Kristi Engelstad
- Enforcement: Commander Jeremy Ellison
- Engineering: Renae Kuehl
- Judicial & Court System: James C. Backstrom
2018
- Child Passenger Safety: Karri Hendrickson
- Education: Jeff Strom
- Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: Amy Saylor
- Enforcement: Kevin Otto
- Engineering: Richard Sanders
- Judicial & Court System: Abby Kuschel
2017
- Child Passenger Safety: Julie Philbrook
- Education: Vijay Dixit
- Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: James Kroona
- Enforcement: Brad Norland
- Engineering: Rick West
- Judicial & Court System: Matt Grochow
2016
- Child Passenger Safety: Laura Owen
- Education: Officer Adam Gau
- Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: Matt Jakubik
- Enforcement: Deputy Tom Coulter
- Engineering: Lou Tasa
- Judicial & Court System: Michelle Zehnder Fischer
2015
- Engineering: Tom Dumont, MnDOT District 3
- Enforcement: Trooper Gabe Cornish, Minnesota State Patrol
- Judicial/Court Systems: Jack Muhar, Itasca County
- Education: Brenda Pohlman, Fillmore County Public Health
- Emergency Medical and Trauma Services: Deb Syverson, Sanford Medical Center
- Child Passenger Safety: KaRee Lockling, Fond du Lac Reservation Human Services Division
2014
- Engineering: Nancy Klema, MnDOT
- Enforcement: Deputy Sheriff Tim Entner, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office
- Judicial/Court Systems: Judge Shaun Floerke, Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District
- Education: Jennifer Hoff, Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center
- Education: Bill Shaffer, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
- Emergency Medical and Trauma Services: Deb Horsman, Mayo Clinic
- Child Passenger Safety: Deborah Schroeder, Olmsted County Public Health
2013
- Engineering: Vic Lund, St. Louis County
- Enforcement: Becky Putzke, Brainerd Police Department
- Judicial/Court Systems: Thomas Miller, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota Department of Public Safety's
- Education: Andrea Gierok, Winona County Community Services
- Emergency Medical and Trauma Services: Tom Vanderwal, Greater Northwest Emergency Medical Services
- Child Passenger Safety: Esther DeLaCruz, CPS Associates
2012
- Engineering: Brad Estochen, MnDOT
- Enforcement: Jason Engeldinger, Minnesota State Patrol
- Judicial/Court Systems: Judge Mark Starr, St. Louis County Courts
- Education: Gail Weinholzer, AAA Minnesota-Iowa
- Emergency Medical and Trauma Services: Dan DeSmet, North Memorial Ambulance Service-Marshall Region
- Child Passenger Safety: Jennifer Booge, Mahube Community Council
2011
- Engineering: Mark Vizecky, MnDOT
- Enforcement: Scott McConkey, Office of Traffic Safety
- Judicial/Court Systems: Shari Schluchter, Beltrami County Courts
- Education: Bryan Carey, Minnesota State Patrol
- Emergency Medical and Trauma Services: Brian Nord, Allina Transportation Buffalo
- Child Passenger Safety: Diana Van Wormer, Regions Hospital
2010
- Enforcement: Joel Scharf, Moorhead Police Department
- Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: J. Kevin Croston, North Memorial Medical Center
- Education: Dan Schoonhoven, Moorhead Fire Department
- Engineering: Wayne Sandberg, Washington County
- Child Passenger Safety: Sharon Munns, Saint Marys Hospital/Mayo Clinic
- Judicial/Court Systems: Joel Watne, former assistant attorney general
2009
- Enforcement: Bruce Johnson, Dakota County Sheriff's Department (retired)
- Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: Darrell Smith, Cook County Ambulance Service
- Education: Joseph Grafft, Metropolitan State University
- Engineering: Dave Engstrom, MnDOT
- Child Passenger Safety: Brynn Duncan and family, crash survivor
- Judicial/Court System: James Dehn, Isanti County Courts
2008
- Enforcement: Jeremy Cossette, White Earth Tribal Police
- Emergency Medical & Trauma Services: Jim Theodore (retired)
- Education: Cheryl Bisping, Mesabi Safe Communities Coaltion
- Engineering: Dave Kopacz, Federal Highway Administration
- Child Passenger Safety: Tom Jansky, Gold Cross Ambulance