School Transportation News Seeks Upcoming Transportation Director of the Year

April 28, 2023

Jennifer Vobis, the executive director of transportation at Clark County School District in Nevada, was awarded the 2022 Transportation Director of the Year Award, in part for reclassifying her staff so they could get pay raises. (Photo by Taylor Hannon-Ekbatani)

It’s that time of year again when the editors at School Transportation News consider the magazine’s next Transportation Director of the Year.

This year, however, the process started earlier than usual as the editors began developing a new criteria. Working with both the past Transportation Director of the Year awardees and the STN Advisory Board, a five-point criteria was created.

The Transportation Director of the Year is featured on the November cover of School Transportation News and is detailed in the issue. The winner also receives STN conference perks and is recognized throughout the year via various social media campaigns and articles.

Also new this year, STN will seek nominations from state directors and state association leaders. An email will be sent to representatives in the coming weeks, and nominations will remain open through the end of June.

The past five winners who aided in the new criteria are:

2018 – Nicole Portee
Denver Public Schools, Colorado
*Portee now serves as the assistant superintendent of operations for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina

2019 – Greg Jackson
Jeff Public Schools, Colorado
*Jackson now serves as the director of business development for School Bus Logistics company

2020 – Todd Watkins
Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland
*Watkins now serves as a consultant for the industry

2021 – Kayne Smith
Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, Texas

2022 – Jennifer Vobis
Clark County School District, Nevada

Here is the new criteria:

Leadership

Builds a strong culture and commitment to safety and trust (employee, parent, student and administration satisfaction)
- Collaborative
- Promotes personal and staff professional development
- Champions a positive culture among staff, peers and stakeholders (places strong emphasis on retaining & retention of employees)
- Promotes diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) in department and district-wide
- Student-focused mentality
- Surrounds oneself with experts in their specific fields
Catalyst for change
- Adaptable
- Innovative
- Embraces new technology adoption
- Special projects
- Promotes Sustainability/environmental change
Excellent communicator
- Clear focus on district goals
- Helps people, advocates for transportation
- Motivated
- Responsive
- Solutions-oriented
Experience
- Grace under fire
- Politically savvy, professional
- Firm grasp on logistics/routing, general & special needs transportation, maintenance & procurement concepts

Industry Passion

- Active in national and/or state associations, at STN conferences
- Engages the local community (Is “face” of transportation in their area)
- Mentors tomorrow’s leaders
  - Succession planning
- Promote the industry