Debra Rood, Director
Email: drood@itsmr.org
Debra joined the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research in 1980 and was appointed Director in 1999, after serving as Deputy Director for nine years. As Director, Debra is responsible for the management and oversight of all ITSMR contracts and the timely completion and delivery of all sponsor-funded projects and services. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, she has directed projects in many areas of highway safety. In particular, she has conducted studies in the area of occupant restraints, including a comprehensive evaluation of New York’s “first-in-the-nation” seat belt law and subsequent studies assessing programs and policies implemented to increase compliance. At the invitation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Debra serves on national Occupant Protection for Children (OPC) assessment teams retained by state highway safety offices to review and recommend improvements for their child passenger safety programs.

Anne Dowling, Deputy Director
Email: adowling@itsmr.org
Anne has served as ITSMR’s Deputy Director since 1999 and has extensive experience in public policy research and evaluation, strategic planning, performance-based management, and risk management techniques. Her experience in managing and directing projects in the field of traffic safety encompasses all aspects of project management, including project planning and research design; managing large-scale data collection efforts, including the identification of data and the development of data collection procedures; the analysis and interpretation of various types of program and impact data; and report writing. Anne recently completed a multi-year study of New York’s cell phone law and other distracted driving behaviors. In addition to overseeing all data services provided by ITSMR, she serves as New York’s Traffic Records Coordinator facilitating communication and cooperation among the various state agencies in New York that use highway safety data.

Renee Varone, Senior Research Associate
Email: rvarone@itsmr.org
Renee has been with ITSMR for more than ten years. She is responsible for the coordination of the Institute’s data services activities and the supervision of the ITSMR's technical staff, which includes both full time and part time professional staff. Renee plays the lead role in developing ITSMR's capabilities to extract data directly from the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) data systems. This includes functioning as ITSMR's liaison with the DMV and DOT IT staffs, which involves assisting their staffs in the resolution of technical issues. Renee is also responsible for determining ITSMR's hardware and software needs and negotiates with vendors for any necessary training.

Sandra Fuller, Research Assistant
Email: sfuller@itsmr.org
Sandra has been with ITSMR since 1986. She is currently responsible for compiling and editing summary reports of motor vehicle crash and traffic ticket data for upload to the websites maintained by DMV and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC). In addition, she compiles quarterly and annual management reports on roadside safety inspections of commercial motor vehicles and drivers for DOT. To support the Institute’s various projects, Sandra also assists in the design of data collection forms and the building of computer files from data collected by the Institute.

Janine Schultz, Research Assistant
Email: jschultz@itsmr.org
Janine is responsible for the administration and conduct of New York’s annual statewide seat belt observational survey, assists with research and evaluation projects related to a number of highway safety issues, maintains ITSMR’s extensive traffic safety library, and provides a variety of information services to the state’s highway safety community. She also serves as the Conference Coordinator for major meetings and events sponsored by the NYS Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and its partners, including the annual New York Highway Safety Conference that attracts over 350 traffic safety professionals from around the state. Janine has been a member of the ITSMR staff since 1978.

Jennifer Hogan, Project Staff Associate
Email: jhogan@itsmr.org
Jennifer has been a member of the ITSMR staff since 2000. Her primary role is to provide support for the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee’s local traffic safety program by assisting with outreach efforts to localities and ensuring that the resources available at the state level through GTSC and ITSMR are integrated into traffic safety efforts at the community level. Jennifer also serves as a program specialist for the areas of pedestrian safety, drowsy driving, and senior drivers and assists GTSC and its partners in coordinating the implementation of state and national initiatives related to these topics. Since joining the ITSMR staff, Jennifer has been a member of the planning committee for the annual New York Highway Safety Conference.

Jenifer Tanis, Administrative Assistant
Email: jtanis@itsmr.org
Jenifer joined the ITSMR staff in spring 2007. She is responsible for providing administrative support for ITSMR's projects, including arranging travel, maintaining databases, purchasing supplies and equipment, and coordinating meetings and conferences.