Amid the roar of current events, it’s easy to miss news of achievements by driver, vehicle and traffic safety agencies across the U.S. and Canada. In recent months, along with rearranging offices, schedules and health checks, agencies have:

• Tested Automated Driver Systems
• Modernized service delivery systems
• Launched virtual offices and waiting rooms
• Supported a surge of customer use of online services
• Engaged in Strategic Visioning
• Innovated effective socially distanced services such as knowledge and skills testing
• Transitioned employees to remote work with improved service delivery.

Most motor vehicle agencies shut down briefly at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic; almost all were reopened and fully functioning by June. We talk of heroes in our communities who are tending to the sick, cleaning our offices and communities, driving public transit and more. DMV employees and our traffic safety law enforcement partners are heroes too.

DMV employees show up each day to serve customers at the counter, the front door, on driver test courses and at customer call centers; they innovate new apps in weeks (not years) and isolate areas for deep cleaning. Our law enforcement partners are on the road and at the roadside helping calm traffic and respond to emergencies caused by drivers whose behavior seems to have worsened during the pandemic rather than improved. These heroes enable identity credentialing, vehicle ownership, voter registration, organ donor identification and roadway safety at all hours of the day and under ever-changing environmental conditions.

AAMVA’s associate members have been steady and solid partners throughout this year as well. They have jumped at the call to help jurisdictions, in some cases building quick solutions to effectively deliver services to customers even if the solution may not be part of a long-term product strategy. And in other cases, these members have provided guidance and support for the deployment of new systems while their primary customers were engaged in managing public service delivery through a pandemic.

These are unusual times, and this issue of MOVE Magazine captures the challenges and successes the AAMVA Community has experienced across the COVID-19 landscape.

In the past, we would meet in person, celebrate incredible public sector employees, leaders and their business partners, and talk in person about the results they’ve achieved. With the ever-growing demand for their services, we would have learned from each other about work to advance mDLs, innovate vehicle tags/decals and titles, support community services of voter registration and organ donation. Above all, we would have greeted each other in Providence, Atlanta, Provo, and Austin, and introduced new attendees to the value of jumping into the AAMVA conversation.

My reflections may be dreams of conferences past, but our virtual meetings, digital publications, podcasts and AAMVA Conference Session Series webinars demonstrate our determination to sustain the connection.

The AAMVA Community does best when it’s exchanging ideas and distilling new approaches to service delivery. I am continually inspired by AAMVA members’ commitment to deliver services that exceed customer expectations and innovate programs that achieve Safe drivers, Safe vehicles, Secure identities and Saving Lives.

Stay well and stay connected!

Anne Ferro

AAMVA President and CEO