The National School Transportation Association’s midwinter meeting will be held from Saturday, Jan. 20, to Wednesday, Jan. 24, in Maui, Hawaii.
A major focus of the meeting will be NSTA’s new management, new team and its strategic plan. “Right now is a really exciting time for the organization,” said association Executive Director Tiffany Boykin. “A lot of time and discussion will be centered around the strategic plan and how we continue to move and advance the association.”
Boykin told STN that this the meeting is also an opportunity for the association’s contractor and supplier members to gather and talk about hot-topic issues such as HR, legal focus and the impact of changes in administration.
“We want attendees to be able to take relevant info back to their operations, to improve how they are doing their jobs, to really get them thinking outside of the box on how they can face some of these issues, and to also keep them engaged and active in the association,” added Boykin. “We want them to come to these meetings, we want them to have lively, engaging discussions, and then we want those discussions to continue after the meeting as well. It’s really an ongoing educational experience.”
RC Kelly Law Associates is sponsoring several speakers and founder Richard C. Kelly, Esq. will be providing attendees legal and regulatory updates related to the student transportation industry. He leads the association’s business council program through which legal service is provided to members.
“Rich has a lot of experience in the industry,” Boykin said. “He’s on the phone, he’s interacting with our members, he’s hearing firsthand from them some of the things that are concerning them and some of the issues that they need assistance with. So he’s able to bring that experience and knowledge back and speak to attendees—members and nonmembers—about those issues.”
Several committee meetings are scheduled. The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services and American School Bus Council will provide updates. A golf tournament sponsored by IC Bus is set for Saturday.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to Tiffany Boykin as NSTA president. That office is held by Blake Krapf of Krapf Bus Companies, with operations in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Delaware.
