AAMVA’s Leadership Academy has been training up-and-coming leaders in the motor vehicle administration and law enforcement community for 10 years now. AAMVA’s Leadership Academy provides professional development opportunities for the next generation of leaders in the AAMVA community and is is designed for jurisdiction employees who have demonstrated leadership potential and the ability to succeed in positions of greater responsibility within their agencies. The week-long academy takes place each year in the spring and includes modules on defining leadership, team work and collaboration, organizational performance management, and more. It is an intense training opportunity focused on the unique characteristics of leading and managing a motor vehicle or law enforcement agency.

The newest class of leadership academy graduates went through the program in early April 2024, with 20 of the best and brightest in the AAMVA community coming together at AAMVA headquarters in Arlington for the training.

“This is an exciting opportunity and I didn’t want to pass it up,” says Kari Roseberry,

Deputy Director of Driver Services at the Illinois Secretary of State, and one of this year’s graduates. “The leaders and speakers that were brought in were above and beyond the best of then best. There are a lot of skills that I was able to build on that I will take home with me.”

The class of 2024 attended sessions on team building, coaching, effective presentation & speaking skills, and challenging leadership paradigms. The course also included a visit with a Virginia DMV service center and law enforcement participants visited a Virginia State Police office.

The graduates head back to their home agencies with a new “tool box” of leadership skills, and a host of contacts from across the country they can contact when they face challenges – or when they have a success to celebrate.

“This has been a great experience,” says Nakisha Howard, Assistant Division Chief/Program Manager at the California DMV. “You’ll be doing things that you probably didn’t expect to do. Some of the things may help you remember – oh yes, I have that tool. Let me pull that out of my toolbox.”

“I made great contacts here, people who are very like-minded,” says Caitlin Owen

Chief Development and Support Officer at Service Oklahoma. “Our job as leaders is to support the people we work for and to make sure that they’re successful. This class has been really great in helping to accomplish that. Don’t be shy, don’t be afraid to ask the questions. Sometimes we feel like we’re operating in a vacuum, and being around like-minded people, really lean into that. Make sure you ask the questions and get everything you can out of the class.”

For more information, visit https://aamva.org/events-education/conferences-meetings/leadership-academy.

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Leadership Academy Wrap-up Video:

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