Sgt. Kerry Schmidt of OPP (3rd from R) receiving the Road Today Excellence Award from Ms Harinder Malhi MPP Brampton Springdale.
Sergeant Kerry Schmidt, Media Coordinator for the Highway Safety Division of the Ontario Provincial Police was awarded the prestigious ‘Road Today Safety Champion of the Year Award’ at the 8th Annual Road Today Show held in Brampton.
The Road Today Excellence Awards selection committee chose Sergeant Schmidt for his extraordinary service, outstanding commitment and dedication towards promoting road safety in the industry. The award package comprising of a congratulatory plaque, world class Hoselton sculptured trophy and a special certificate on behalf of the province of Ontario was presented by Ms. Harinder Malhi, Member Provincial Parliament from Brampton Springdale in the presence of industry peers.
Sergeant Schmidt began his career as a police officer with the OPP at the Port Credit Detachment in June 2000. In 2002 he transferred to the Traffic Support Unit (TSU) where he became a Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) inspector and a qualified Collision Reconstructionist. He holds a class ACM (Z) drivers’ license and is also a qualified commercial pilot. Sergeant Schmidt spent nine years in the TSU conducting commercial vehicle inspections, investigating serious and fatal collisions and spent three years as a supervisor on a platoon responsible for the investigation of many high profile traffic collision and incidents.
Sgt. Kerry Schmidt with his recognition trophy.
In 2011, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and returned to Port Credit Detachment in a front line supervisor capacity in a busy traffic detachment. During this time he became interested in media relations and began seeking out opportunities to develop in this field. In 2014, through determination and a strong work ethic, Sergeant Schmidt became the Media Coordinator for the Highway Safety Division (HSD).
Utilizing traditional and emerging social media, Sergeant Schmidt provides a balanced approach ensuring that the media outlets, road safety agencies, and government agencies have an opportunity to communicate road safety messages that educate the public while meeting stakeholder goals. He is also a sought after speaker at many industry events promoting road safety.