Danae Hicks named National Child Passenger Safety Technician of the Year
AgriLife Extension specialist recognized for commitment and leadership to passenger safety education
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist Danae Hicks has earned recognition as the National Child Passenger Safety Technician of the Year. The award is presented by the National Child Passenger Safety Board and sponsored by Toyota Motor North America.
Hicks served as the family and community health agent for Ellis County from 2022 until her recent appointment as Family and Community Health program specialist for the Passenger Safety KidSafe Initiative.
She was recognized for her leadership and dedication to providing trusted resources, training and reliable information to parents, caregivers and colleagues.
Early impact
As an agent, Hicks enrolled in a Child Passenger Safety Technician Certification Training Course and soon after partnered with AgriLife Extension program coordinator Megan Hackworth to expand the region’s child passenger safety efforts.
Hicks and Hackworth formed a partnership with Red Oak Independent School District. In August 2023, they educated more than 40 parents and distributed 43 booster seats to children at a back-to-school event.
Hicks quickly saw how deeply her efforts resonated with parents and caregivers, according to her award nomination. The feedback affirmed what she was doing mattered — and it was making families safer.
Since that early success, Hicks’ work has grown in scope and impact. Her focus now includes developing a mentorship program for child passenger safety technicians across Texas. She also supports AgriLife Extension agents at car seat inspection stations, while producing educational content for social media and mass media outlets.
Her leadership in the field continues to accelerate as she is now a child passenger safety technician instructor.
“It’s such a fulfilling position where I still get to interact with the public for car seat inspections and events,” Hicks said of her work in passenger safety through AgriLife’s KidsSafe Initiatives. “I’m also able to support more than 1,600 child passenger safety technicians across Texas with mentoring, social media posts, press releases and support for recertification.”
Extension journey began with 4-H
Hicks, of Clinton, Illinois, grew up in 4-H, showing horses and dogs as well as in FFA on the dairy and horse judging teams. She earned her bachelor’s in agriculture from West Texas A&M University. She jump-started her career with AgriLife Extension by completing an internship in Potter County.
She then worked as a parent engagement coordinator and volunteer liaison at an elementary school in Amarillo while pursuing her teaching certificate in family and consumer science. After receiving her certificate, she taught Culinary Arts and Principles of Hospitality and Tourism at Cumberland Academy in Tyler.
