Rebecca Nix

Rebecca Nix contributes her service in the Henry County, KY community. Becky's service to our county was prompted by the dire problem created by a hazardous stretch of Highway 146. That highway had been the site of literally hundreds of accidents in previous years including several fatalities. Becky's contribution of service through research, leadership, and collaboration with political leaders resulted in the reconstruction of a stretch of that highway.

Becky led a group of students to research the scope of the problem created by that highway. Students secured data from the Kentucky State Police that showed the extent of the problem by listing every accident that had occurred in the previous eight years. They analyzed the data to determine exact locations of these accidents and found that the majority of them occurred within a three-fourths mile stretch. With that information as their primary tool, they created a visual which literally pin-pointed the locations on a map and presented that to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary. Working with the assistance of the Henry County Judge Executive and the State Representative, Becky and her teammates presented their case and convinced that body to delegate a portion of Hazard Elimination and Safety funds to cover reconstruction costs. This represented a major victory, as local leaders had been attempting to do this for over thirty years! In the first year of this two-year project, funding was allocated at $750,000. The second year of continued efforts brought that allocation up to $1,500,000. The reconstruction of that highway was completed in August 2006.

In the four years since the initial project was begun, there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of highway accidents occurring on that highway. There is no doubt that lives have been saved and life-altering accidents have been prevented. Becky's work in researching and compiling data, preparing visuals, writing speeches, and leading her problem-solving team not only resulted in the benefits already listed, but also secured for her team international honors at the Future Problem Solving International Conference in 2003 and 2004.