Troy E. Costales was awarded the 2022 Kathryn J.R. Swanson Public Service Award for his tireless work on behalf of GHSA, its state members and many partners. Costales provided strong and effective highway safety leadership in Oregon and nationwide for more than three decades, having retired as Governor’s Representative and Administrator of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Safety Division in 2021. While leading the Division, Costales served under three governors – a rare feat for individuals in this role.
Among Costales’ many contributions to highway safety, his work on driver education stands out. He is recognized as an architect and leader in furthering driver education and training in Oregon and, across the U.S. He served on the working group that developed the Novice Teen Driver Education and Training Administrative Standards and then as GHSA’s representative to the Association of National Stakeholders in Traffic Safety Education (ANSTSE), which is tasked with maintaining and updating the standards and assisting states with their implementation.
Costales has been called “one of the greatest contributors to ANSTSE since its inception.” He played a key role in developing many of the organization’s publications and continues to provide technical assistance to help advance state adoption of the driver education and training standards. Costales current serves as an independent consultant.