Chris Heartsill is currently certified by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology as a Diplomate – Forensic Toxicology and received his B.S. degree in Chemistry from East Central University in 1991. Chris has been working in analytical chemistry for over 33 years with more than 29 years of forensic toxicology experience including the areas of human performance forensic toxicology, postmortem forensic toxicology, and forensic laboratory quality management. Chris is currently working as the Regional Toxicology Liaison for NHTSA Region 7. He was previously the Quality Manager for the Dallas Police Department Crime Scene Response Section. Prior to coming to the Dallas Police Department, he served as the Quality Manager for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office in Fort Worth, Texas and the Toxicology Supervisor, Toxicologist, Quality Manager, and Breath Testing Technical Supervisor at the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office in Dallas, Texas. Chris is an active member of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists, currently serving as the President Elect, member of the Finance Committee, and Editor of ToxTalk. Other professional organizations include the Southwestern Association of Toxicologists, serving two individual terms as President, Grant Committee Chair, and Historian, the Texas Association of Crime Laboratory Directors, and the National Safety Council Alcohol, Drugs & Impairment Division, serving on the Executive Board and performing duties as Secretary. Chris participates in the creation of standards, guidelines, and best practices by serving on the OSAC Toxicology Subcommittee.
As a government affairs representative for Intoxalock, Chase works closely with valued members of the traffic safety community to reduce instances of impaired driving, and expand access to lifesaving technologies. Chase uses his legislative experience and connections to interact positively with key stakeholders across a variety of states to help drive positive legislation, especially in the Midwest and Southeast.
Chase is a board member of the SAFE coalition, a member of the FBI Impaired Driving Task Force, and enjoys partnering with national organizations like MADD and GHSA to help keep roads safe. Chase, a Michigan native, is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.
Kristen retired from public service in 2022 and worked in Toxicology for over 24 years. She is a Toxicology Liaison for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Region 9 and supports Arizona, California, Hawaii, and the Pacific Territories.
Before her retirement, Kristen served five years as the Laboratory Director for the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Forensic Services—Toxicology Laboratory. Her laboratory provided services to 46 of California’s 58 counties. Kristen’s expertise in toxicology not only involved directing the laboratory’s operations but also testified extensively on the effects of alcohol and drugs on human performance and in postmortem scenarios.
Furthermore, Kristen’s commitment to forensic sciences extended beyond her role as Laboratory Director. While employed at the Sacramento County Laboratory of Forensic Services, she actively contributed to public safety as a member of the Crime Lab Response Team and Clandestine Laboratory Response Team. Kristen’s multifaceted contributions underscore her dedication to the highest standards of forensic analysis and her hands-on involvement in addressing critical challenges in the field. She served as a Quality Manager/Supervisor and a Criminalist at the Sacramento County Crime Lab for over three years and 8.5 years in the toxicology unit. Further, she enriched her knowledge during a 7.5-year tenure in the private sector as a toxicologist.
A recognized authority in her field, Kristen is actively involved in influential organizations. She was a member of SAMHSA’s Federal Drug Testing Advisory Board, contributing her expertise to shape national policies. Additionally, she is a member of the National Safety Council’s Alcohol, Drug, and Impairment Division and on The Society of Forensic Toxicologists—Toxicology Resource Committee. She also served as the Committee Chair for the Technology, Research, and Data Subcommittee of California’s Impaired Driving Task Force.
Throughout her career, Kristen has been a dedicated educator, imparting her knowledge to prosecutors, law enforcement professionals, fellow toxicologists, and stakeholders in traffic safety. Her passion for education led her to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Biology (Micro/Molecular) from Portland State University in 1997, followed by an MBA from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2021. Currently pursuing an M.S. in the Ayurveda Integrative Medicine Program at Maharishi International University, Kristen aspires to continue her academic journey with a Doctorate in Physiology, focusing on researching the impact of pharmaceuticals on health.
Kristin Smith is the Head of Global Road Safety Policy at Uber, leading the company’s impaired driving prevention efforts that show Uber’s direct role in reducing incidents and saving lives.
During her tenure at Uber, Kristin has integrated the Safe System approach into global road safety efforts, championed support for Vision Zero initiatives, and prioritized the safety of vulnerable road users. With operations in 70 countries, Kristin’s leadership has an impact on road safety throughout the world.
Experienced in transportation policy across public, private, and advocacy sectors, Kristin brings a multifaceted perspective to her work and understands that tackling the crisis on our roads requires a broad coalition of stakeholders.
Her deep commitment to road safety is deeply rooted in personal tragedy, having lost her father to a drunk driver in 2015. This experience not only fuels her personal dedication but also shapes her professional mission to end impaired driving and help ensure the safety of all road users.
Ms. Coffey has devoted her life’s work to public safety, is a nationally recognized leader in impaired driving prevention, and a pioneer in the ignition interlock industry. For 27 years, Ms. Coffey was responsible for driving Smart Start’s government and special interest initiatives and led the company’s legislative efforts in state government and Congress. She was Smart Start’s liaison to judicial, court, and DMV authorities and spearheaded advocacy efforts for public safety leaders and groups throughout the nation. She was instrumental in educating stakeholders on the application and benefits of Smart Start’s ignition interlock program, helping to assure its successful adoption in every state. She founded Safety and Advocacy for Empowerment (SAFE), formally known as the Coalition of Ignition Interlock Manufacturers (CIIM), which led to the adoption of model legislation in 35 states. She proudly serves on the Executive Committee for the National Alliance to Stop Impaired Driving and the Texas Impaired Driving Task Force.
Ms. Coffey is an accomplished national presenter and spokesperson and is considered a knowledgeable expert and credible representative in the field of ignition interlocks and DUI offender monitoring.
Ms. Coffey provides resource testimony across the U.S. before House and Senate committees concerning model interlock legislation, functionality of the interlock device and her vast experience of state interlock programs.
She is committed to continuing to shape the business of saving lives and sharing information about this lifesaving technology with as many audiences as possible. She continues her important work at Smart Start as an interlock industry representative in an emeritus position.
Ms. Coffey joined Smart Start in 1998, bringing 20 years of Texas court management experience. Ms. Coffey earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Texas State University. She lives in Lampasas and Austin, Texas, is married to Retired Criminal Court Judge, Daryl Coffey, and enjoys time with her grandson, Oliver Beaux, and cows on the Coffey Grounds Ranch.
Jonathan Adkins was named Chief Executive Officer of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) in 2023 after serving as Executive Director since 2014. GHSA is the national nonprofit that represents state highway safety agencies. GHSA members are charged with implementing their governors’ highway safety plans and administering federal behavioral highway safety funds.
Adkins is responsible for directing the organization’s Washington headquarters office, serving as the association’s chief liaison with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and other federal agencies, and representing the organization on Capitol Hill and with private-sector partners. He frequently represents the states’ viewpoints on highway safety solutions in the media and before Congress, federal agencies and industry partners. Adkins is regularly quoted by a variety of publications, including Politico, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.
Under his leadership, GHSA has expanded its scope and influence by adding new programs, member services and staff. Adkins has built partnerships with a variety of leading organizations in the automotive, insurance and consumer products industries, and has leveraged those relationships to develop tools for state highway safety agencies. Adkins also launched GHSA’s Consulting Services Initiative, through which the organization assists states in managing their highway safety programs.
Adkins began his work with GHSA in 2000. Prior to being named Executive Director, he served as GHSA’s Communications Director as well as Deputy Executive Director. Adkins has served on a variety of boards and in appointed roles within highway safety and the broader community, including the National Organizations for Youth Safety, the Road to Zero Coalition and the National Lifesavers Conference. Currently, he serves as Chair of the Board of the National Alliance to Stop Impaired Driving (NASID) and on the Board of Youthcast Media Group, a nonprofit that trains high school and college students from underserved communities to write about and report on often overlooked health and social issues, such as traffic safety.
Adkins holds a political science degree from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa. Outside of work, he volunteers time with Dickinson College, West Virginia University and The Matthew Shepard Foundation, among others. Adkins and his husband, Ben, live in the Logan Circle neighborhood in Washington, D.C.