Lonie, Founder of this Band.
Drive Safe Missoula (home of the Missoula County Buckle Up Coalition and the Missoula County DUI Task Force) owes its very existence to the one and only Lonie Hutchison who has been enjoying her retirement for over a year now and judging from her wonderful Facebook posts, she loving every minute of it.
Lonie spent 36 years dedicated to improving the safety of our roadways for all of us. The numbers (see above) speak for themselves, but Lonie was always at the helm driving those numbers in the right direction.
Lonie has always been passionate about Child Safety Seats. She was in the very first National Child Passenger Safety Technician course. Her Technician number is 25 (technically I0025). To highlight the distance Lonie has been driving down this road, I was one of Lonie's most recent students this last year and my CPS Tech Number is 795,420. I'm one of what is now likely, more than 800,000 Child Passenger Safety Techs who are following in Lonie's footsteps. - Steve Schmidt
Copied from the Missoula County Newsletter August 2019
As the senior community health specialist at the Missoula City-County Health Department, Lonie oversaw the distribution of free car seats to families unable to afford them.
Safe Kids Missoula Coalition Coordinator for 19 years (1996 – 2010)
Co-chair Impaired Driving Emphasis Area for the Missoula Transportation Safety Advisory Committee’s Community Transportation Safety Plan (2013 – 2019)
Member of the Impaired Driving & Occupant Protection Emphasis Area Committees of the Montana Department of Transportation’s Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan (2013 –2019)
Co-chair of the Impaired Driving Emphasis Area Committee for the Montana Department of Transportation’s Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan (2010 – 2013)
Statewide DUI Task Force Facilitator for the Montana Department of Transportation (2010 – 2013)
Recipient of the 2009 Distinguished Service Award presented by the Community Medical Center Foundation
Recipient of Governor Judy Martz’s Award for Civic Engagement in 2004
Recipient of the 2002 Kenneth W. Moore Community Award of Excellence in Improving Maternal, Family & Child Health presented by Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies – The Montana Coalition
Recipient of a Certificate of Appreciation in 2000 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – U.S. Department of Transportation “In grateful recognition and appreciation for your contribution in support of highway safety in Montana.”
Recipient of the Highway Safety Person of the Year Award presented by the Montana Highway Users Federation in Appreciation for the personal commitment to Highway Safety in 1989
MDT 35 years of service award May 25, 2019
EMS Strong Beyond the Call Award:
"There are no words that can describe our love and gratitude for your 35 plus years of devoted service to our communities. Our roads and children are safer because of all your efforts, you have truly been an inspiration and mentor to countless others throughout the State of Montana. Wishing you much happiness in your retirement."
Lonie Hutchison in the news (Trust this is likely a very small list)
Longtime DUI Taskforce Head Retires after 36 years of service
DUI task force gets creative with Uber
Uber and UM Team up with the DUI Task Force to curb Drunk Driving after Games
Missoula police, Montana Highway Patrol add extra Labor Day weekend DUI patrols
Dear Lonie,
On behalf of the citizens of Missoula and the members of the DUI Task Force and Buckle Up Montana Coalition, Thank you.
I am honored to be driving down this road that you have paved.
Your frined,
Steve Schmidt
To Learn More about Drive Safe Missoula please visit our About Page