2025 Outstanding Examiner of the Year

John Banker

Driver License Examiner-Consultant and Team Lead

Iowa Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division

John Banker exemplifies excellence in driver examination, public service, and ethical conduct. As a seasoned examiner and trusted team lead, he combines technical mastery with exceptional professionalism, compassion, and fairness. His leadership and operational contributions have significantly improved service delivery, examiner consistency, and the overall customer experience. John’s conduct reflects the highest standards of the Examiner’s Code of Ethics, making him an ideal candidate for national recognition.

As a primary trainer for new driver’s license examiners, John provides thorough, patient, and ethics-centered instruction. He models consistent, high-quality testing behaviors and ensures new examiners understand both the technical and interpersonal aspects of the role. Through his mentorship, he has strengthened examiner confidence, improved statewide testing consistency, and helped create a more supportive team culture.

John has also demonstrated a strong commitment to process improvement. Recognizing inefficiencies in the walk-in workflow, he led a redesign that reduced stress and confusion for customers, improved output during high-volume periods, and decreased staff burden and operational bottlenecks. These improvements remain in use today and serve as a model for other service centers.

John’s operational initiative and reliability are equally noteworthy. When a significant backlog of SAVE cases threatened statewide processing delays, he volunteered to assist management without being asked. His initiative helped the team clear cases quickly and restore normal operations. John consistently steps into high-need areas, demonstrating an exceptional level of reliability and commitment to public service.

Customer service is another area in which John consistently excels. His interactions are empathetic, patient, respectful, and aligned with policy. He is known for de-escalating challenging situations, providing clear instructions and next steps, supporting customers with unique needs, and treating every individual with dignity and fairness. His professionalism enhances public confidence in the driver testing process and contributes to a positive experience for applicants.

Through these efforts, John has contributed to more consistent examiner performance, higher customer satisfaction, reduced stress for applicants, improved workflow efficiency, reduced wait times, a stronger team culture, increased examiner competence, and sustained operational stability during workload surges. His work has meaningfully improved both internal operations and the public-facing experience.

John Banker is an outstanding examiner whose professionalism, leadership, and integrity embody the spirit of the IDEC Award. His influence extends well beyond his daily responsibilities, shaping team performance, improving statewide processes, and enhancing the customer experience for thousands of Iowans. He represents the very best of the driver examination profession, and his contributions make him exceptionally deserving of national recognition.

2025 Examiners of the Year

Past Outstanding Examiners of the Year

2024: Qunisha Cannon, Virginia
2023: Rodney Johndro, Maine
2022: Barbara Hord, Alaska
2021: Jason Hennessy, Iowa
2020: Patricia Nelson, Wisconsin
2019: John Mathieu, Florida
2018: Earl Bunnell, New Hampshire
2017: Chasity Perry, Kentucky
2016: Janet Hood, Wyoming
2015: Curtis Berryhill, Florida
2014: Renee Devine (awarded posthumously), Iowa
2013: Deborah Gilley, Kentucky