Safe America and Germany's DEKRA Sign Agreement

Northeast Cobb's Safe America Foundation and DEKRA North America, subsidiary of Germany’s DEKRA AG Group, signed a ‘Cooperation Agreement’ today in Germany. The agreement merges the two organizations in the areas of driver education, traffic safety and risk awareness, and could lead to new jobs in Cobb County.

Safe America CEO Len Pagano and DEKRA North America CEO Dr. Dietmar Bogk announced the signing of the agreement today during a visit to DEKRA’s World Headquarters by a Georgia business delegation.

“We’re pleased to announce this step which can make metro-Atlanta a center for North American driver and risk management training,” said Safe America CEO Len Pagano. “DEKRA’s global expertise in transportation, training and education, and environmental impact and sustainability evaluation are known worldwide, and with this agreement, we’ll have access to their best-and-brightest minds as we seek to expand programming in metro-Atlanta and Georgia.”

Pagano noted that DEKRA’s North American Headquarters is located in Northeast Cobb less than five miles from Safe America’s own U.S. Headquarters. The two organizations are looking at a ‘Transportation Academy’ to help metro Atlanta students receive quality driver education and career mentoring.

“We believe our cooperative agreement is a first step toward bringing DEKRA’s expertise that has been successful in Europe and blend it with Safe America’s history of innovation in driver training and its record of accomplishment,” said Dr. Dietmar Bogk, CEO of DEKRA America. "As we grow training programs, we will not only improve our teen driving skills and create career opportunities for them, but also create more employment in the field of training. This will be a positive for the local economy and as national programs take shape, could become significant.”

The Safe America Foundation is a Northeast Cobb based 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to addressing emerging health and safety issues at home, work and play. Founded in 1994, the foundation develops educational programs in partnership with the academic, corporate, public and non-profit sectors.