In celebration of the U.S.’s 250th birthday, an upcoming panel discussion at the STN EXPO West conference will feature military veterans turned student transportation leaders as they share the experiences that influenced how they operate and lead.
The “Military Inspired Leadership in Student Transportation” session will be held on Tuesday, July 14. Moderated by STN Editor-in-Chief Ryan Gray, this panel discussion will give attendees insights into how the military gave several industry leaders invaluable insights into how to lead student transportation operations at their districts.
Panelists Bernando Brown, director of student transportation at Dekalb County Schools in Georgia, and Darryl Dotson, Jr., assistant director of transportation at Fountain Fort Carson School District in Colorado served are veterans of U.S. Army. Alfred Karam, retired director of transportation at Shenendehowa School District in New York, served in the U.S. Marine Corps before moving to the world of school buses and student transportation.
The military veterans will not only share their backstories that led them to leadership roles but also the important work ethics learned along the way. They will also share the military leadership principles that translated into practical strategies for student transportation operations, such as servant leadership, workplace culture and taking ownership as a leader.
Attendees will have a unique overview of building readiness-driven systems, cultivating talent internally, creating consistent operational performance and how an armed forces training mindset can assist in thriving in high-pressure environments. They will also learn more about the people skills needed to lead a successful team, including active listening, building relationships, effective communication as well as avoiding common bad leadership pitfalls.
Drawing on their individual experiences and journeys, the military veterans will equip attendees to adopt a proactive, prepared mindset that will be invaluable in an industry where safety and reliability is essential.
STN EXPO West will be held July 9-15 at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada. Attendees will have access to a week of educational sessions based on the challenges facing the industry, training classes to improve operations, networking events to bring peers together for problem-solving and innovative experiences such as the Ride and Drive/Live Product Demo, the STN EXPO Trade Show and the Transportation Director Summit. Register at stnexpo.com/west.
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