LISLE, Ill. – The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) has awarded Jan Hilliard, Durham School Services General Manager, and Michelle Simon, National Express Vice President of Safety Compliance, the Golden Merit Award for their achievements in safety and service. The award was created in 1969 to recognize school bus employees for their achievements in safety, driver training, business practice, vehicle maintenance, and superior service to the school, community, and the student transportation industry.
“Both Michelle and Jan are more than deserving of the Golden Merit Award,” said Bob Ramsdell, Chief Safety Officer for National Express LLC. “Jan has shown incredible growth and leadership over the past ten years she’s worked for Durham, and the same can be said for Michelle in her seven years at National Express. Both are passionate about the student transportation industry and have led their teams to consistently deliver excellence in safety and customer service throughout their time with the company. I am extremely proud of them both and look forward to seeing them continue to thrive in their careers.”
Jan is currently a General Manager at Durham School Services’ Lake Villa, Illinois Customer Service Center location and has served in her current role since 2019. She started her career at Durham School Services in 2011 as a driver and later transitioned to a role as a Safety Supervisor in 2012 and Operations Supervisor in 2015.
Michelle joined National Express in 2014, where she landed her first role as Senior Director of Safety, and in 2017, she progressed to her current role as Vice President of Safety Compliance. Prior to National Express, Michelle was the Director of Safety & Health at OfficeMax and the District Health & Safety Manager at United Parcel Service (UPS).
Jan and Michelle join a long list of National Express employees who have been named NSTA award winners. Their award achievements this year is especially noteworthy as it also coincides with the induction of Carina Noble, National Express’ Senior Vice President of Communications and External Affairs, as the new NSTA President. Furthermore, National Express’ Chief Safety Officer Bob Ramsdell and Chief Operating Officer Liz Sanchez are NSTA Board Members.
“Not only am I proud to serve as President of the NSTA, but I am also delighted to see the prestigious awards that have been bestowed upon Jan and Michelle. I have had the pleasure of working with both of them and can attest to their tireless efforts in going the extra mile to ensure that the safety of our employees and our passengers is our number one priority,” said Carina Noble, Senior Vice President of Communications and External Relations for National Express and President of the NSTA.
About National Express:
National Express LLC (NELLC) is the North American subsidiary of National Express Group, PLC, one of the premier transportation firms in the United Kingdom. We operate across 34 states and three provinces. All organizations share a strong commitment to provide the highest level of transportation safety, quality transportation, outstanding customer service and positive employee relations. National Express School (NEXS) operates more than 22,500 school buses, serves more than 550 school districts in 34 states and three provinces, and transports more than 1.3 million students (*pre Covid) on a daily basis. National Express Transit (NEXT) operations transport more than 22 million passengers annually with more than 2,800 vehicles. National Express Shuttle (WeDriveU) serves more than nine million corporate and university passengers annually. NELLC’s corporate headquarters, located in Lisle, Illinois, houses the administrative and corporate support functions for the organization. Our 290+ local customer service centers (CSCs) are supported by regional operations teams located throughout North America. For more information visit https://www.nellc.com/
