PRSC President & CEO Michael Smith Receives Texas Traffic Safety Excellence Honor

MIDLAND, Texas – July 16, 2026 — Michael Smith, President & CEO of the Permian Road Safety Coalition (PRSC), was honored this week with the prestigious Texas Traffic Safety Excellence Award – Traffic Safety Professional.

The award – which was presented at the Texas Traffic Safety Conference in Addison, Texas – recognizes Smith’s outstanding leadership and dedication to improving roadway safety across West Texas and Southeast New Mexico.

The conference is sponsored annually by the Texas Department of Transportation.

Smith, a founding leader of the PRSC, was recognized for his efforts in uniting energy companies, transportation providers, first responders, local governments and community stakeholders to address the region’s unique transportation safety challenges. Under his guidance, PRSC has become a nationally recognized model for public-private collaboration, advancing road safety through training, education, infrastructure advocacy and emergency response support.

In his nominating letter, Eric Bourquin, PRSC Chair and Vice President of Safety Services at Texas Mutual Insurance Company, praised Smith’s impact: “Michael’s leadership, vision and relentless commitment to saving lives have made a measurable impact in one of the most dangerous driving regions in America.”

“Michael Smith recognized these challenges early and took action to bring people together around a shared mission of saving lives,” said Midland Mayor Lori Blong. “His ability to unite competing interests around a common public safety goal has been extraordinary,” she added. “Most importantly, Michael’s work has delivered results. The Permian Basin has recently experienced
meaningful reductions in roadway fatalities, demonstrating the impact that coordinated leadership and regional cooperation can achieve.”

Chief Anthony Velasquez of Dell City EMS highlighted the direct benefits to rural communities provided by the coalition: “Through a PRSC outreach initiative,” said Velasquez, “our department received critical equipment that has directly improved our ability to respond to serious crashes and provide emergency care during the most critical moments.”

Chief D.A. Dagley of the City of Seminole Fire Department shared a personal perspective in his nominating letter: “Mike understands the realities first responders face in the Permian Basin. We operate across a large rural region where crashes often occur far from hospitals and emergency response times can be lengthy. Having the right equipment during those first critical moments can mean the difference between life and death.”

Under Smith’s leadership, PRSC initiatives have distributed more than 9,000 pieces of emergency response equipment to 87 departments, trained hundreds of drivers and first responders and contributed to a significant reduction in regional roadway fatalities.

In April, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration honored PRSC with the Public Service Award during the Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety for the coalition’s innovative employer-led safety initiatives and collaborative efforts to reduce Permian Basin roadway fatalities.