Brussels / Geneva / Washington
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2006
Contact: Scott Pearce
+1 703 535 1001
spearce@internationalroadfederation.org
IRF hires seasoned expert as
Deputy Director General to head Safety and Education
(St. Petersburg, Fla.) – Patrick Sankey, Director
General & CEO, International Road Federation, Washington,
DC announced today at the IRF 2006 Summer Meeting in St.
Petersburg, Florida the hiring of Michael G. Dreznes as
the Deputy Director General to head Safety and Education.
Sankey introduced Dreznes to IRF members while presenting
IRF’s vision for the future of its roadway safety
programs.
“The addition of Dreznes to the IRF team demonstrates
IRF’s commitment to moving the road safety agenda
forward,” said Sankey. “With his experience
and knowledge, Mike will help place IRF as the leading roadway
safety advocate in the world.”
Mark Povalski, International Marketing Director, 3M, and
IRF-Washington vice chairman echoed Sankey’s statement
saying Dreznes brings a global road safety expertise to
IRF, not just on what he calls soft safety, but hard safety
in particular.
Soft safety, Povalski explained, are issues such as wearing
seatbelts, helmet laws and driver behavior. Hard safety
projects include improved signs and lines, crash cushions,
guardrail, adjusting road alignment, lighting, and road
surface improvements.
“With Mike on staff, IRF should be the leader and
champion for safety initiatives around the world,”
said Povalski. “And as hard safety requires the resetting
of the government's political agenda to make road safety
a priority, countries around the world will turn to IRF
for counseling on road safety improvement programs.”
Dreznes joins IRF with more than 20 years of experience
in roadway safety and international business experience.
He currently serves as chairman of the AFB20(2) Roadside
Safety Subcommittee on International Research for the Transportation
Research Board (TRB). Dreznes’ service on the TRB
subcommittee has given him many opportunities to promote
roadway safety around the world.
Rod Troutbeck, Professor of Transportation at the Queensland
University of Technology, Australia, said, “Mike is
well known for his continued and committed efforts to develop
better, safer roads throughout the world and his outstanding
international reputation will ensure that the aims of the
IRF will be achieved.”
Owen Denman, President & CEO, Barrier Systems, Inc.
and IRF-Washington vice chairman has enjoyed a longtime
friendship with Dreznes as a co-worker as well as a competitor,
and now looks forward to working with Dreznes to advance
safety around the world.
“Mike is one of the very top roadway safety advocates
in the world and IRF is privileged to have him as a part
of its management team,” said Denman. “He will
be instrumental in helping us create much stronger roadway
safety programs as we move forward.”
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Prior to joining IRF, Mr. Dreznes was Senior International
Vice President and Vice President of Corporate Communications
for Quixote Corporation, Chicago, Illinois. Dreznes earned
his Bachelor’s degree from Loyola University and his
M.B.A. from DePaul University.
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Founded in 1948, the International Road Federation (IRF)
is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization with
members from both the public and private sectors in 90 countries
worldwide. IRF promotes the development and maintenance
of better, safer roads and road networks throughout the
world, using technological solutions and management practices
that provide maximum economic and social returns from road
investment. |
