President's Message: An Introduction to Those Whom I Have Not Met

By Capt. John Hahn, Motor Carrier Safety Section, Colorado State Patrol; CVSA President

It is tough to imagine that it has been two years since taking the nomination for the position of secretary at the CVSA Workshop in Bellevue, Washington. When I ran for the position, I did so with the focus on wanting to take on a larger role in our organization, which frankly has become something of a second home to me over the last decade. Over time, I have met so many individuals who make up our organization, whether at a workshop, annual conference or other function, but I recognize that is not all of us within CVSA. We will have time to discuss specific initiatives or the challenges of our ever-increasingly difficult operating environment. But now, I would like to use this opportunity to start on a personal note and introduce myself to the organization.

My name is Capt. John Hahn, and I serve as the commander of the Motor Carrier Safety Section of the Colorado State Patrol (CSP). This July, I celebrated my 25th anniversary with the agency in a career that has been a winding path leading to the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety community. I recall taking the North American Standard Part A Inspection course in the final week of my academy training, which was my first exposure to this world we call CMV safety. Somewhat baffled but also intrigued by its complexity, I set out to complete my initial 32 inspections. As a road trooper, I found CMV enforcement a bit of a mystery, but it was also interesting because of its complexity. However, early on in my career, it was not a passion of mine.

As I was promoted within my agency, I found myself moving away from anything related to CMV safety. I spent time running our public affairs unit and then took an assignment as the commander of operations at the Colorado state capitol in Denver. In 2014, I ended up back in this community in a way I would not have predicted. I transferred to an assignment within my agency’s hazmat unit, and in that role, I found my way to CVSA.

I began as a voting member of the Hazardous Materials Committee before serving as vice president and president of Region III. I also served as chair of the Policy and Regulatory Affairs Committee and played a role in developing the strategic plan under which we operate today. In a future article, I intend to discuss my introduction to CVSA. But for now, I will say that our organization has truly taken me in and shown me the ropes. It is through CVSA that I went from being a road trooper who could knock out some Level III Inspections when needed to finding a passion for what we do day in and day out.

There are 13,000 members of the Alliance, many of whom I will never have the privilege to meet. As you read these pages, there

are officers and inspectors at our roadsides interacting with drivers, inspecting vehicles, and enforcing our laws and regulations. Industry members are in our communities, whether working behind the wheel, processing at a workstation, managing drivers, or doing their best wherever they are to help ensure goods and services continue moving safely. Our federal partners work diligently to make sure we all have a regulatory framework to keep our roads safe. Indeed, individuals in each class of CVSA membership work all hours, every day of every week, in every corner of North America, to keep our roadways safe. Many of us will never get to truly know each other.

Those of us who make up the leadership of this organization were once one of those people. To those individuals, I can tell you that you are a part of something important –something special. This is your organization, and having the opportunity to represent you over this next year is truly one of my greatest honors.

Thank you for what you do, and please stay safe out there.