New Ambassadors Bring Powerful Personal Stories and Renewed
Energy to MADD's Lifesaving Mission to End Impaired Driving
IRVING,
Texas, July 18, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --
Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is honored to welcome four
remarkable individuals as MADD National Ambassadors: Steven Benvenisti, Esq., Tara Repka Flores, Erica
Linn and Bob Nulman. These
passionate advocates, each with a deeply personal connection to the
tragedies of impaired driving, bring powerful voices and unwavering
commitment to our cause. They join an esteemed group of current
National Ambassadors, including Tammy
Duffy, Sheila Lockwood,
Prisca Osunsan, Darlene Peshlakai, Michelle Ramsey, Erin
Rollins and Clara Shelton, to
further amplify MADD's mission and drive transformative change.
"We are profoundly grateful to all of our
National Ambassadors, whose steadfast dedication to ending impaired
driving is truly inspirational," said MADD CEO Stacey D. Stewart.
"We are profoundly grateful to all of our National Ambassadors,
whose steadfast dedication to ending impaired driving is truly
inspirational," said MADD CEO Stacey D.
Stewart. "Steven, Tara, Erica and Bob continue to share
their powerful voices and experiences to advance MADD's mission,
turning awareness into action and sparking lifesaving conversations
in communities nationwide."
Meet MADD's New National Ambassadors:
Steven Benvenisti, Esq. Six weeks
prior to Steven graduating from college, while on spring break in
Daytona Beach, Florida, he was a
pedestrian struck by a drunk driver's vehicle traveling over 50
mph. Steven's injuries were so serious that his family in Jersey
was asked to consent to his organ donation. Steven remained in a
coma for nearly two weeks, suffering from a severe traumatic brain
injury, intracranial hemorrhaging, with his legs crushed below the
knees. He remained hospitalized for almost half a year and
underwent 15 surgeries. Miraculously, Steven achieved a full
recovery from his injuries. Despite this harrowing experience,
Steven transformed his personal tragedy into a lifelong mission of
advocacy and justice for victims. Now an award-winning personal
injury attorney in New Jersey, and
partner at the Law Firm of Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C.,
he has dedicated his career to representing victims and survivors
of impaired and distracted driving. Steven is a longtime MADD
supporter, having served on the National Board of Directors
(2012–2018), including three years as vice chair. He has provided
leadership and advocacy, as well as raised hundreds of thousands of
dollars through his Walk Like MADD team and personal fundraising
events, sharing the proceeds with MADD and the Brain Injury
Alliance of New Jersey (BIANJ).
Steven regularly delivers motivational and keynote speeches
internationally, and has been highlighted at numerous law
enforcement recognition events nationwide. As the current chair of
the MADD Advisory Board in New
Jersey, New York and
Pennsylvania, he has spearheaded
lifesaving legislative efforts, including personally testifying
before the legislature to advocate for stronger impaired driving
laws.
Tara Repka Flores' life was
forever changed on October 7, 2019,
when her 13-year-old son, Alec
Flores, was tragically hit and killed by a drunk driver
while walking to school. The driver, a fellow parent at the same
school, had her three children in the car at the time of the crash
and fled the scene. Despite this devastating loss, Tara has
channeled her grief into a powerful mission for change. Residing in
California, Tara plays a vital
role on MADD California's Legislative Action Team, where she works
tirelessly to influence policy and legislation to prevent impaired
driving. She is especially passionate about advancing the
implementation of the HALT Drunk Driving Act, a groundbreaking law
that requires passive impaired driving prevention technology in all
new cars, to eradicate impaired driving. In honor of Alec, who was
an avid athlete, wrestler and football player, Tara and her family
created a nonprofit — the Alec Flores Youth Sports Scholarship
Corporation — which hosts a fundraiser called the 10 Fun Run
(originally started as on online challenge during COVID called the
10 For Alec Challenge) that provides scholarships to young
athletes. Tara is proud to have supported over 450 young athletes
in playing sports in Alec's memory and views this endeavor as
spreading light and positivity in the community. Professionally,
Tara serves as vice president of information technology at Zenith
Insurance. She is also an accomplished public speaker, having honed
her skills with Toastmasters, a prestigious public speaking
nonprofit. In addition, Tara brings valuable political insight from
her experience as a paid intern for Congressman Vic Fazio.
Erica Linn lost both her mother
and father, Henrietta and Carmelo
Sbezzi, in an impaired driving crash on October 28, 2016. This tragedy occurred on what
should have been a joyous occasion, Erica's birthday. Following
this immense loss, Erica has dedicated herself to a mission of
advocacy, leaving her career in media sales and marketing to combat
this 100% preventable crime. Residing in New York, Erica is a regional member of MADD's
New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania Regional Advisory
Board and has also served on the MADD New York State Advisory
Board. In addition, she served on MADD's National Board, where she
guided the organization's direction and played a key role in
passing the HALT Drunk Driving Act. This landmark law mandates
impaired driving prevention technology in all new cars. Alongside
MADD's Government Affairs team and the MADD War Room, Erica
mobilized crucial support for The HALT Act — sharing her personal
story with influential legislators, including Representative
Mike Lawler, Majority Leader
Chuck Schumer, and Senator Ben Ray
Luján. As part of MADD New York's Legislative Action team, Erica is
dedicated to passing lifesaving legislation to address and
ultimately end the public health and safety crisis of drunk and
drugged driving. Erica is a passionate fundraiser, actively
participating in events like Walk Like MADD and producing and
performing two MADD benefit concerts in NYC to raise vital funds for MADD's mission.
Erica's voice resonates deeply as she regularly shares her powerful
story across the region through speaking engagements and media
interviews.
Bob Nulman's 22-year-old son,
Dan Nulman, was senselessly killed
by a 20-year-old drunk and drugged driver on October 11, 1987. Dan, a senior at Trenton State
College, was a passenger in a car with four friends when an
impaired driver, traveling the wrong way on I-95 in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, collided with them
head-on, killing all five boys and the impaired driver. In the wake
of this heartbreaking tragedy, Bob transformed his grief into a
relentless pursuit to fight against impaired driving. For more than
19 years, he has been a compassionate volunteer on the MADD
National Victim Helpline, offering desperately needed support to
other victims and survivors across the nation. His dedication as a
Volunteer Victim Advocate has provided solace and strength to
countless individuals navigating their losses. As a former mayor of
Clinton, New Jersey (1986–1993),
Bob utilized his leadership skills to lobby for stronger impaired
driving laws both in New Jersey
and at the federal level. His tireless activism has helped shape
policies aimed at preventing future tragedies. Additionally, Bob
has been an avid fundraiser for MADD, annually leading a Walk Like
MADD team. As an ordained interfaith minister, Bob brings a unique
and compassionate perspective to his advocacy, combining his
spiritual guidance with his fervent dedication to eradicating
impaired driving.
The MADD National Ambassador program amplifies diverse voices of
victims and survivors of impaired driving from across the nation.
By sharing their powerful personal stories, the National
Ambassadors highlight the profoundly devastating and widespread
impact of impaired driving, raising awareness of its far-reaching
consequences. For more information about the MADD National
Ambassador program, visit: madd.org/ambassadors.
Impaired driving is a worsening public health crisis. Since
2019, drunk driving fatalities have increased by 33%. Every 39
minutes, someone is killed in an alcohol-related crash. 2 out of 3
people will be impacted by drunk driving in their lifetime. A
transformative solution is desperately needed to end drunk driving
once and for all.
Passive impaired driving prevention technology, required in the
federal HALT Act, offers a path forward. The HALT Act directs the
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to establish a federal
regulation for this lifesaving technology by November 15, 2024. According to the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety, the technology could save 10,000
lives annually when fully implemented. In the meantime, MADD's
National Ambassadors are dedicated to creating a future free of
this crime and continue to advocate for stronger impaired driving
laws, support victims and survivors, and raise public awareness
about the urgent need for action.
About Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nonprofit leader in a
movement to create a world where there are #NoMoreVictims of
impaired driving. By working in collaboration with law enforcement
to end underage drinking and all drunk and drugged driving, MADD
has helped reduce drunk driving deaths by more than 50%, saving
more than 400,000 lives. The organization is a vocal advocate for
tougher sentencing, new laws and new technology, including
implementation of the Halt Act. MADD also has provided supportive
services to nearly one million victims of drunk and drugged driving
at no charge through local victim advocates and its 24-Hour Victim
Help Line 1-877-MADD-HELP. For more information or to make a
donation, visit us at https://madd.org/ and follow MADD on
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Media Contact
Katie Alvino, Mothers Against
Drunk Driving, 877.275.6233, media@madd.org, madd.org
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SOURCE Mothers Against Drunk Driving