MADD Selects New President
Jan Withers, described as an active participant in the successful campaign to lower the blood-alcohol legal limit to .08 nationwide, becomes national president on July 1.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving announced its new president on April 21: Jan Withers of Baltimore, Md., will become national president as of July 1. Withers joined MADD in 1992 after her 15-year-old daughter was killed by an under-age drunk driver, according to the organization's news release.
"During her nearly 20 years as a MADD volunteer, Jan has demonstrated an exceptional ability to connect with those who have been through the unimaginable devastation of a drunk driving crash," said MADD CEO Kimberly Earle. "As someone who lost a child because of under-age drinking, she also knows the importance of helping parents have lifesaving conversations with their teens."
Withers was elected to the MADD National Board of Directors in 2005. She serves on the MADD Maryland Operations Council and is a certified victim advocate and certified trainer for MADD Victim Services in Maryland.
The announcement took place on the day of MADD Maryland's PowerTalk 21 event at the University of Maryland's R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, where MADD officials urged parents to start talking with their children about alcohol.
"I've made it my life's work to support the victims and survivors of drunk driving crashes," Withers said. "I am thrilled to now have the opportunity to shine a light on the issues of drunk driving and under-age drinking from a national platform."
The release says Withers was an active participant in the successful campaign to lower the blood-alcohol legal limit to .08 nationwide.