Awards

Renée Krawiec receives national honor for online training program By Aimee Inama

Renée Krawiec wants her coworkers to be able to help educate motorists about the importance of donating their life-saving organs.

The deputy program manager of the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Driver Services program came up with an idea for an online training module so driver examiners could get the training they need to talk to drivers about the topic when they either renew or sign up for a new license.

For her innovative approach to training, Krawiec received Donor Alliance’s Donate Life America DMV Innovation Award for both AAMVA Region 4 and the overall national DMV Innovation Award. Donor Alliance is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

“We are proud of Renée’s hard work and dedication in ensuring our Driver Services employees are trained to help educate the public about the importance of organ donation,” said WYDOT Director K. Luke Reiner. “Renée took the initiative and came up with an innovate way to reach all of our employees throughout our state. Her work will ensure those in need can receive life-saving organs.”

Krawiec, who has worked with Donor Alliance over the years and is a member of the Donate Life Wyoming State Team, said she was trying to think of different ways to get more information out to the public.

“Every year Donor Alliance presents to our supervisors and I always think it’s great information,” Krawiec said. “I came up with the idea for the training because I just wanted to make sure all of our examiners received that information too so they could feel more comfortable having discussions with the public about this topic.”

Krawiec then worked with Ryea’ O’Neil, of Donor Alliance, to create the training module. They then worked with WYDOT-U employees to create the training module that is now accessible to WYDOT employees through the WYDOT Employee Learning Library (WELL).

The online training makes it possible for employees throughout the state to receive the same information in a timely manner. That means no one has to travel and employees can access the training on their computers.

Currently, all Driver Services employees received the training in 2019 and 2020. Employees will continue to receive annual updates and additional training through the digital format.

“Ryea’ also shared the training module with Colorado and now other states are interested in it as well,” Krawiec said.

In addition to Krawiec’s recognition, Wyoming’s Donor Designation Rate (DDR) increased from 6th in the nation to 3rd for 2019. DDR is the rate at which individuals join the state organ and tissue donor registry as a percentage of licensed drivers and ID card holders.

Driver Services Deputy Program Manager Renee Krawiec is lauded for her innovative online training module that helps driver examiners get the training they need to talk to drivers about the Donate Life program. She was joined for an award presentation by (from left) Director Luke Reiner, Driver Services Program Manager Misty Dobson, Krawiec and Support Services Administrator Taylor Rossetti.

“Through our partnership with Driver Services leadership and staff, more than 2/3 of Wyoming residents made the selfless decision to sign up on the organ, eye and tissue donor registry in 2019,” said Jennifer Prinz, CEO of Donor Alliance. “With nearly 150 Wyoming residents waiting for a lifesaving transplant, we know our work continues because the waitlist cannot wait. Wyoming may have a small population, but this milestone shows the people are mighty.”

About 62.8 percent of Wyomingites said “yes” to organ, eye and tissue donation in 2019, more than a 2 percent increase from the previous year and surpassing the national average of 49 percent, Donate Life America (DLA) indicated.

“We are truly excited about the increase in Wyoming’s Donor Designation Rate moving us from no. 6 in the nation last year to no. 3 this year,” said Misty Dobson, program manager for Driver Services. “This is a true testament to not only the support Wyoming citizens show for this amazing cause but also to the commitment of Driver Services employees to encourage Wyoming residents to ‘Check Yes’ when it comes to organ, eye and tissue donation on their Wyoming driver license and identification card application.”

Wyoming has been recognized by AAMVA with the Bronze Award for the third highest DDR in the region in 2018 in addition to placing in the top 10 in the nation for DDR for the last several years. n