LATHAM, N.Y. — The New York School Bus Contractors Association (NYSBCA) presented its 2019 industry safety and service awards during the association’s 65th annual convention that was held on Oct. 18-20, 2019, at the Saratoga Hilton & Saratoga City Center in Saratoga Springs, New York.
“Our annual convention gathers industry professionals from all over the state to learn the latest about school bus safety, security, and technology, along with current industry innovations and best practices,” said New York School Bus Contractors Association President, Corey Muirhead. “It is also the time when we recognize the people within our industry who demonstrate an unparalleled commitment to student safety and outstanding service to the school districts and communities in which they serve.”
The New York School Bus Contractors Association presented these awards this year: Contractor of the Year Award, Heart of the Industry Award, Distinguished Service Award, and the Honorary Lifetime Membership award.
The Roger Weeks Scholarship/Contractor of the Year Award is the association’s highest honor. It is presented to a contractor who, along with having an exceptional safety and performance record, has superior maintenance and training programs, and is deeply involved with their local communities.
The Contractor of the Year Award recipient is also honored with the Roger Weeks Scholarship Award, which includes a $1,000 scholarship made to the Contractor of the Year Award winner’s school district of choice.
This year’s Contractor of the Year Award went to Bob Brown, president of Upstate Transit of Saratoga, LLC.
Bob Brown, who currently serves as president of Upstate Transit of Saratoga, LLC., got his start in the school bus business prior to serving in Vietnam. He returned to eventually open his own school bus operation in 1976.
In 1980, an opportunity arose to purchase a nine-motor coach charter business, and thus was born Brown Coach. Just a few months ago, Bob sold his school bus company, Brown Transportation, to STA after successfully leading the industry with a solid 43 years of dedicated and outstanding service.
“Bob Brown, former president of Brown Transportation and current president of Upstate Transit of Saratoga, LLC., truly represents the gold standard when it comes to safe, reliable, and cost-effective student transportation,” said Muirhead. “Bob’s passion, leadership, and dedication as a student transportation provider are only matched by his humility, as he always puts his employees first throughout his many years in business. We are incredibly honored to present Bob Brown with our Contractor of the Year Award.”
NYSBCA’s 2016 Contractor of the Year, Tim Birnie, CEO of Birnie Bus Service was named as a Lifetime Honorary Member of the New York School Bus Contractors Association. The Lifetime Membership Award is voted on by NYSBCA’s board of directors. It is presented to its past-presidents, plus other contractor members who have represented the association over the years.
The family-owned business, Birnie Bus Service was co-founded by Tim Birnie’s father, Martin, in 1947 with just two school buses, two motor coaches and a station wagon. Before selling his company in June 2017, Birnie Bus had grown to over 1,000 vehicles, including school buses, transit and para-transit vehicles, and commercial motor coaches.
The Distinguished Service Award is presented to the person, or persons, who have demonstrated an unmatched commitment to the association’s mission to provide the safest, most reliable and cost-effective student transportation possible.
This year’s Distinguished Service Award recipients are the national sales and marketing manager for Bus Parts Warehouse, Shelle Johnson, Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, and Paul Overbaugh, New York State Director of Pupil Transportation.
“Our Distinguished Service award recipients have all demonstrated steadfast support for our industry, and most importantly, their passion for safe student transportation, is deeply appreciated by all of our members,” said Muirhead.
The Heart of the Industry Award honors an industry employee who, through the course of his/her job performance, “has demonstrated a deep commitment to improving other people’s lives and who has gone above and beyond to accomplish that goal. Reichenbach Enterprises created this program on behalf of NYSBCA to honor employees who have served our industry with distinction and who epitomize quality of service in and outside the school transportation industry. These employees add to the quality of life in New York state by giving more than is expected from them to work and community.”
The association gives out two Heart of the Industry Awards; one to an “on-road” employee (Driver of the Year) and the other to an “off-road” employee (Employee of the Year).
This year’s NYSBCA On-Road Heart of the Industry Award went to Vikki Czechowicz, a driver for Mid-City Transit (Middletown, N.Y.), and this year’s Off-Road award winner is Suffolk Transportation’s husband and wife dynamic duo, Phil and Marie DiDomenico.
“Our award recipients have a passion for the school bus industry and safe student transportation that serves as an inspiration to all of us,” concluded Muirhead. “Their professionalism and commitment to their school districts, community, and transportation partners are unmatched and represents the very best of what our industry has to offer. We are extremely proud to honor them for their efforts and celebrate these awards with their peers, family and friends.”
