The Minnesota School Bus Operators Association (MSBOA) recognized eight student transporters during last month’s Annual Summer Conference in Walker, Minn., for their work in providing safe student transportation.
Bruce Dischinger won the Jim DeVeau Award in honor of a 45-year in the industry. Dischinger began as a part-time school bus driver in 1967 while attending Bethel College in and went on to work at Minneapolis Public Schools, Ryder Transportation and First Student. He is a former MSBOA board of directors member, where he represented First Student.
Dischinger became an owner of Monarch Bus Service in Roseville, Minn., and frequently testifies on behalf of the industry at the state capital. MSBOA said he often presents safety programs at conferences and currently serves on the Friends of the MSBOA PAC Committee.
The Jim DeVeau award is named after the late NSTA president, MSBOA board member, president and lobbyist, and former president of DeVeau Bus. He passed away in 2010 at the age of 88 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease.
Receiving the 19th Annual Lifetime Achievement Award was Betty Jeanne Trobec, owner of Trobec Bus Service, Inc., in St. Cloud. Following graduation from business school, she helped parents Tony and Frances run the bus company on nights and weekends while she worked a full-time job at the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce. She assisted with bookkeeping and routing at Trobec Bus Service before becoming full time in 1982.
Additionally, MSBOA presented 2012 Transportation Specialist Awards to six school bus drivers who were nominated by their supervisors for exemplifying the “best of the best in school transportation.” The applications were judged on years of service, dedication to safety, community service, communications skills and letters of recommendation from parents, co-workers, students and school staff.
This year’s winners are:
- Steve Keute, M & M Bus Service in Annandale, Minn.
- Brad Thoelke, Sunburst Transit in St. Paul, Minn
- Caryn Erickson, St. Louis Park Transportation in St. Louis Park, Minn.
- Rich Hudson, Faribault Transportation Company Inc. in Faribault, Minn.
- Lowell Hawton, Vision of Elk River in Elk River, Minn.
- Steve Warme, Southwest Coaches in Marshall, Minn. (posthumous)
