Earlier this year, School Transportation News called for nominations of outstanding fleet management professionals as candidates to be profiled in the August fleet management issue.
STN received over 140 entries from school districts, private bus companies, school bus dealers, and vendors.
Ten of these individuals are featured in the 6th annual installment of Garage Stars, to be published in the August edition of School Transportation News magazine. The editors used the following 10-point criteria to determine the finalists.
- Community involvement
- Credentials
- Industry development
- Leadership
- Level of responsibility (with a focus on supervision)
- Life experience
- Time spent on the job
- Training capability
- Regulatory agency commendations,
- Value to the transportation program
Below is the full list of nominees:
Joseph Accurso
Technician in Charge
First Student, Phoenix
Matt Beal
Fleet Coordinator
College Station ISD, Texas
Matt Belasco
Director of Maintenance, Operations and Transportation
Pittsburg Unified School District, Calif.
George Bell
Lead Mechanic
Temple Independent School District, Texas
Marvin Benally
Mechanic/Driver
Edkey Inc Sequoia Charter School, Ariz.
Troy Bennett
Automotive Mechanic
City of Winchester, Va.
Kuldip (Shook) Bhagwandin
Fleet Tech IV
Orange County Public Schools Orlando, Fla.
Billy Biedermann
Fleet Manager
Bandera ISD, Texas
Bernie Bittner
Shop Foreman
Holy Trinity Catholic School Division, Saskatchewan
Shawn Bowling
Lead Mechanic
Corning Union Elementary School District, Calif.
Daniel Boyea
First Shift Senior Automotive Repairer
Shenendehowa Central School District, N.Y.
Nigel Burrell
Shop Foreman
Hillsborough County Public Schools, Fla.
Lowell Byrd
Chief Mechanic
Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Ohio
Kelvin Chandiprasad
Fleet Tech IV
Orange County Public Schools, Fla.
Dave Chapman
Fleet Mechanic
Madison-Grant United School Corporation, Ind.
Johnson Charles
Mechanic
Wentzville School District, Mo.
Larry Childers
Mechanic
Pike County Schools, Ky.
Steve Chote
Supervisor
Flagstaff Unified School District, Ariz.
Nicholas Clark
Mechanic III
Hemet Unified School District, Calif.
Ray Colburn
Mechanic
Apple Valley USD, Calif.
Gregory Coleman
Mechanic
Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Va.
Daniel Costa
Bus Driver/Grounds/Maintenance
Live Oak Unified School District, Calif.
Douglas County
Fleet
Douglas County School District, Colo.
James Courtney
Parts Specialist
Alachua County Public Schools, Fla.
Wayne Cox
Lead Mechanic
North Thurston Public Schools, Wash.
Lewis Davenport
Mechanic II
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, N.C.
Shawn Dawson
Fleet Manager
Westerville City Schools, Ohio
Rickie Delong
School Bus Mobile Warranty Technician/Field Technician
All New Jersey Districts/H.A.DeHart, N.J.
Anthony Diprisco
Mechanic Foreman
MSAD #35, Maine
Donnie Dobrenz
Transportation Lead Mechanic
Sheridan County School District #2, Wy.
Anuar Dominguez
Mechanic
Bethlehem Central School District, N.Y.
Harvey Dunning
Mechanic Supervisor
Chesapeake Public Schools, Va.
Todd Elfeld
Shop Foreman/Lead Technician
Aspen School District, Colo.
Mark English
Shop Foreman
Mid-Praire Community School District, Iowa
Brady Feck
Petermann Bus Lead Tech
Petermann Bus/National Express
Thomas Feola
Auto Mechanic
Poughkeepsie City School District, N.Y
Rob Fibich
Service Manager
Vancouver, B.C. / First Student Canada
Adrian Force
Mechanic
Bath Central School District, N.Y.
Chris Fornalczyk
Bus Mechanic
North East School District, Pa.
Stephanie Foster
Shop Assistant
Pell City Schools, Ala.
George Fredrickson
Senior Mechanic
Toms River Regional Schools, N.J.
Charlie Garcia
Lead Mechanic
Tillamook School District, Ore.
Jose Garcia
Mechanic
Woodlake Unified School District, Calif.
Rizaldy Go
Lead Mechanical
Alum Rock Union School District, Calif.
Greg Grimes
Mechanic
Franklin County Schools, Ky.
Darren Horswill
Shop Foreman
Southland Transportation/Cold Lake Bus Lines, Canada
Paul Howe
Service Manager
First Student/Irving ISD, Texas
Zack Hudson
Shop Foreman
Winchester Public Schools, Va.
Joe Huster
Fleet Maintenance Supervisor
Mehlville School District. Mo.
Ismail Ibrahim
Glenmore Shop Lead Hand
Southland Transportation Calgary
Kyle Jackson
Fleet Manager
Harrison School District Two, Colo.
Jared Janice
Lead Tech
Round Rock ISD, Texas
Cody Jones
Head Mechanic
Akron School District R-1, Colo.
Jack Joseph
Lead Mechanic
Floyd County Schools, Ky.
Sonny Kazim
Fleet Tech IV
Orange County Public Schools, Fla.
Rob Lam
Service Manager
Toronto/First Student Canada
John Lewis
Mechanic
USD 446 Independence, Kan.
Zane Lewis
Head Mechanic
Mercer County Schools, Ky.
Benny Linthicum
Shop Foreman
W&W Tire
Dean Lothammer
Southland Humboldt Mechanic
Southland Transportation Ltd, Canada
Timothy Mackey
Shop Manager
300/First Student- Spring Street Location, Mo.
David Mallonee
Lead Bus Mechanic
Cecil County Public Schools, Md.
Buddy Marino
Shop-1 Foreman
Gwinnett County Public Schools, Ga.
Noble Marlow
Lead Mechanic
McCreary County School District, Ky.
Bill McClaran
Lead Mechanic
Medford Township Public Schools, N.J.
Scott McDonough
Garage Supervisor
Anaheim Union High School District, Calif.
Scottie McKinzie
Shop Foreman
Fulton County School System, Ga.
Tim McQuade
Sr. Service Manager
Seattle/First Student
Edward Meindersee
Lead Mechanic
Pittsburg Unified School District, Calif.
Jason Miller
Lead Mechanic
Covington Independent Public Schools, Ky.
Chris Miller
Lead Mechanic
Saddle Mountain Unified School District No. 90, Ariz.
Larry Mosley
Bus Mechanic
Jackson Parish School Board, La.
Bobby Mullins
Breathitt county schools
Breathitt County Schools, Ky.
Angel Negron
Fleet Tech IV
Orange County Public Schools, Fla.
Shawn Nielsen
Lead Technician
Madison School District 321, Idaho
Nick Nolen
Assistant Mechanic
Western Brown Local Schools, Ohio
Nagawo Nure
Operations Manager
Metropolitan Transportation Network, Inc. (MTN), Minn.
Tamra Ohs
Service Advisor
Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Calif.
Jon Perkins
Head Mechanic
Grandview C-4 School District, Mo.
Mike Peterson
Service Manager
Anoka-Hennepin School District / First Student
Martin Piedra
Lead Auto/Diesel Technician
Gwinnett County Public Schools, Ga.
Derrick Pires
Garage Manager
Escambia County School District, Fla.
Kenneth Powers, Sr.
Head Mechanic
National Trails School Bus. Mich.
Tommy Prichard
Lead mechanic
J & R Diesel/Fairview Independent Schools, Mich.
Scott Prusko
Shop Foreman
Township High School District 211, Ill.
Jesse Ramirez
Vehicle Maintenance Coordinator
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, Calif.
Ruth Ramos
Mechanic
Harlandale ISD, Texas
Junior Roadlander
Lead Mechanic
Edkey Inc Sequoia Charter School, Ariz.
Ross Robert
Fleet Garage Leader (Foreman)
Livonia Public Schools, Mich.
Richard Rodriguez
Mechanic
Hays Consolidated Independent School District, Texas
Kristen Rollins
Transportation Supervisor
Greeneville City Schools, Tenn.
Tammi Ronald
Fleet Team Lead
4Seasons Transportation, Canada
Lance Roundy
Lead mechanic
Central Consolidated Schools District, N.M
Gracious Royster
Location Manager
First Student/Brockton, Mass.
Dan Ruggles
Bus Driver Extraordinaire
Loleta Union Elementary School District, Calif.
Calvin Sakamoto
Tech I, LEAD for Hawaii Department of Education
Hawaii Island-Hilo/Roberts Hawaii
Van Sanasith
Garage coordinator
Alabama Council on Human Relations, Inc. Headstart
Dennis Sapp
Fleet Manager
Southern Boone School District, Mo.
Karlos Sarmiento
School Bus Mechanic/driver
Katonah-Lewisboro School District, N.Y.
Ben Satterly
Shop Supervisor
Boyle County School District, Ky.
Chris Schuster
Head Mechanic
Trinity Transportation/Garden City Public Schools, Mich.
Frank Scotto
Head Mechanic
Howell Township Public Schools, N.J.
Roland Sharp
Lead Mechanic
Weld County School District RE-4, Colo.
Darald Shrider
Assistant Supervisor of Fleet and Operations
Huron Valley Schools, Mich.
Randy Shriner
Bus Mechanic
Middlebury Community Schools, Ind.
Kenneth Shrum
Head Mechanic
Lebanon Special School District, Tenn.
Mark Siebeneck
Building and Bus Maintenance
Continental Elementary School District, Ariz.
Shawn Sinotte
Director of Buildings and Grounds
School District of Lomira, Wis.
Scott Smith
Fleet Mechanic
Dufour Escorted Tours Inc., Mass
Tom Sullivan
Lead Mechanic
Dare County Schools, N.C.
Chris Sutton
Fleet Manager
Douglas County School District, Colo.
Joe Terpstra
Assistant Director of Fleet Services
Klein ISD, Texas
Joel Thomas
Technician
Mansfield ISD, Texas
Craig Thompson
Transportation Director
Marshall Public Schools, Mo.
Brian Timberlake
Head Mechanic
Jackson R-2 School District, Mo.
Eugene Turco
Lead Technician
Westerly Public schools, R.I.
Donny Valencia Sr.
Shop Supervisor
Farmington Municipal Schools, N.M
James Wade
Shop Manager
Volusia County Schools, Fla.
Richard Wagar
Head Mechanic
Berlin Central School District, N.Y.
Dennis Wagner
School Bus Mechanic
Mohawk Area School District, Pa.
Washington Township
Mechanics
Washington Township Board of Education, N.J.
Vinson Weeks
Lead Tech
Durham School Bus Services, N.Y.
Joseph Weick
Mechanic
Van Buren Public Schools, Mich.
Robert Williams
Assistant Director, Fleet Services
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Texas
Jeff Wilson
Lead Mechanic Century Transportation
Century Transportation Ontario
Bruce Wolfe
Mechanic
Union Board of Education, N.J.
Ron Yoder
Lead Fleet Mechanic
Three Rivers Community Schools, Mich.
Michael Zhang Wu
Lead Hand Mechanic
Southland Cochrane, Alberta
Marcelo Zuniga
Head Mechanic
Hendrick Hudson School District, N.Y.
