CPS Board > CPS Awards > 2022 National CPS Awards

Technician of the Year

Marilyn Morris

During the pandemic, Marilyn Morris teamed with Intermountain Healthcare’s Connect Care experts to develop a HIPPA-compliant virtual car seat check program for Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT. The program, which makes use of vehicle demonstration seats, will serve as one of the lasting legacies of her 21 years at the hospital.

Moving forward, families from across Utah will be able to access Primary Children’s car seat expertise, even though Morris no longer will be part of the team – at least officially. She retired in September after spending the last 16 years as a community health specialist working in the accidental injury prevention program Hold On To Dear Life. She remains an active Child Passenger Safety Technician and is committed to staying involved in state CPS trainings and car seat programs.

Morris is recognized for her extraordinary contributions as the National Child Passenger Safety Technician of the Year by the National Child Passenger Safety Board. The award is sponsored by Toyota Motor North America.

“We are honored to present this award to Marilyn Morris,” National Child Passenger Safety Board Chair Mandi Seethaler said. “One of the things that sets her apart from others is her willingness to help with children who have special transportation needs.”

To learn more about Marilyn and her dedication to child passenger safety, download the Technician of the Year press release.

Instructor of the Year

Jackie Stackhouse Leach

Jackie Stackhouse Leach is considered the “first lady” of child passenger safety in New Jersey by those who know how many lives she has impacted through education and training.

Stackhouse Leach earned a degree from Seton Hall University. Afterward, she spent time empowering persons with disabilities. Then, she took a break from full-time employment to raise her two sons, Zachary and Christian. One day she visited a car seat inspection station and realized she was destined to be a different kind of educator, working to prioritize child passenger safety from that day forward.

Stackhouse Leach is recognized for her efforts during the pandemic and over the last 16 years as the National Child Passenger Safety Instructor of the Year by the National Child Passenger Safety Board. The award is sponsored by Toyota Motor North America.

“We are very happy to recognize Jackie Stackhouse Leach,” National Child Passenger Safety Board Chair Mandi Seethaler said. “Her teaching skills set her apart. With Jackie, it’s education, not installation.”

To learn more about Jackie and her dedication to child passenger safety, download the Instructor of the Year press release.

Team of the Year

During the pandemic, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa (AZ) Indian Community Child Passenger Safety Team learned to embrace new challenges and adapt in a shifting climate.

Team members worked from home and took on new roles, rarely skipping a beat. All the while, they adhered to their motto: every child leaves an interaction safer than when they arrived. In 2021, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Child Passenger Safety Team completed:

  • 350-plus appointments with parents and caregivers, providing one-on-one training with a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician
  • 10 car seat check events in cooperation with Salt River Schools, each one governed by strict COVID-19 safety protocols
  • 5 events with partners outside the tribal community, serving clients in need through child passenger safety education and the distribution of car seats

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Team is saluted for these efforts as the National Child Passenger Safety Team of the Year by the National Child Passenger Safety Board. The award is sponsored by Toyota Motor North America.

“I’ve heard it said that coming together is a beginning and keeping together is progress,” National Child Passenger Safety Board Chair Mandi Seethaler said. “If that’s true, then working together to make such an enormous impact during the pandemic certainly is the definition of success. I congratulate the Salt River Pima-Maricopa team for a job well done.”

To learn more about the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Team and its collective dedication to child passenger safety, download the Team of the Year press release.

2022 National CPS Awards

Download and share: Here is the full list of 2022 CPS awards winners and nominees.

Sponsors

The 2022 National CPS Awards are presented by the National Child Passenger Safety Board and sponsored by Toyota Motor North America. For more information about Toyota, visit  https://www.toyota.com/usa/