Alumni Profile: Life-Saving Messages

Terry Pence, BBA ’77, directed the Texas Department of
Transportation’s Behavioral Traffic Safety Section.

By Sharon Jayson

A man in a black suit speaks in front of a sign that reads “5000 Lives Saved. Click It or Ticket. Day and Night.”
After nearly 40 years with the Texas Department of Transportation, Terry Pence, BBA ’77, retired May 31. As director of the department’s Behavioral Traffic Safety Section, he oversaw campaigns including Click It or Ticket.

For decades, Terry Pence’s job was to protect Texans on the roadways and think about their safety, even when they were not.

Pence met that challenge by developing and managing public awareness campaigns.

“We’re working to change people’s behaviors — whether it’s to not drink and drive, to buckle up, to not drive distracted, or to wear proper gear when riding a bicycle or motorcycle,” Pence says.

As director of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Behavioral Traffic Safety Section since 2004, he also promoted safe walking. That means being alert when crossing the street, not keeping eyes glued to a phone.

On May 31, Pence retired a few months shy of 40 years with the agency. He oversaw a budget of $85 million and a team of 47 employees spread across 25 district offices. His most notable campaigns include Drink, Drive, Go to Jail; Click It or Ticket; and the Faces of Drunk Driving.

“We know we saved over 6,000 lives with the Click It or Ticket campaign that started in Texas in 2002,” he says. Back then, just 76.1% of Texans buckled up; by 2019, 90.99% did, he says.

Pence’s TxDOT career began in 1981 as a traffic safety program manager overseeing grants, many focused on behavioral change. After his UT graduation with a business degree in management, he worked in restaurant management before joining TxDOT.

Pence’s dedication is clear, but his life isn’t all work and no play. In fact, he has played tenor saxophone since sixth grade. He performed with the Longhorn Band, and since his first year of college, he has played sax with the Nash Hernandez Orchestra. The orchestra performs monthly at Donn’s Depot in Austin and at private events.

“I started playing with them and loved it and played with them through college,” Pence says. “When the pandemic started, we went 14 months not being able to perform. That was really tough.”

Despite being retired, Pence says he’ll continue consulting with state and national highway safety efforts. “I just love what I’ve been able to do.”

This article appeared in the summer 2021 issue of McCombs magazine. Click on the link to see the full issue.

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