Rachel Lane joined Student Transportation of America in 2022 and has since been instrumental in driving the company’s green fleet initiative.
Lane, the school bus contractor’s vice president of electrification and sustainability, earned her degree in electrical engineering from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Soon after, she joined the U.S. Air Force to follow in her family’s military tradition, serving as a chief engineer and flight commander.
During this time, she designed essential communication networks and supported special operation missions in South America and the Middle East. She focused on implementing tactical communications, satellite links and air traffic control systems at various air force bases, as well as leading and motivating over 150 enlisted troops and junior officers.
Lane entered civilian life in 2004 and joined defense contractor Northrop Grumman. For over five years, she worked in various roles such as a field service engineer, deputy program manager and systems engineer, and a systems test and integration lead.
She went on to work with several other companies. Prior to joining STA, she worked for electric utility PSEG Long Island in New York, where she served as a project manager for large capital construction projects.
Her LinkedIn profile states she was responsible for the performance and operations of PSEGLI’s Electric Vehicle Program and supporting New York’s nation-leading greenhouse gas reduction goals by increasing EV adoption on Long Island from 20,000 vehicles in 2021 to 178,000 vehicles this year.
“I animated the EV charging infrastructure on [Long Island], partnering with developers and internal teams, by managing the program to fund customer-side infrastructure costs and execute the utility-side build-out to the charging station,” she told School Transportation News in March for Women’s History Month. “I also improved system efficiency by managing our customer programs to encourage installation of residential chargers and charging during off-peak hours and presenting data detailing EV impacts on the electric grid.”
In September 2022, STA hired Lane for her current role.
“It was a great opportunity for several reasons, and I’ve been here for about two and half years,” she said. “Since joining the company, my scope has expanded as we’ve added more electric buses to our fleet. I’ve also taken on our carbon accounting program and other efforts to encourage sustainable practices across the business.”
Lane shared that her day-to-day responsibilities vary. From working with sites on a new electric school bus delivery to answering questions to troubleshooting an issue.
“I work with our sites and infrastructure partner on progressing construction at our locations installing chargers,” she said. “I also work with our grant team to apply for new funding or follow up on compliance items, or I could be working with our bus OEM partners on a training item or a new feature that’s coming down the line. I also have my hand in anything that has a marketing or advocacy aspect for electrification.”
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However, serving in a variety of different roles is her favorite part of the job.
“The days are never dull, especially with electrification being a relatively new space for the industry,” Lane said. “And I work with great colleagues. The team at STA has been outstanding in providing me the background on transportation operations, while allowing me to bring my contributions.”
Lane noted that something she’s most proud of is when drivers at a location come to love their electric school buses. She said that sometimes a location can be hesitant to make the change to EVs, but STA has learned so much from each delivery and continues to improve the process.
“My advice is the same to both men and women. Ask a lot of questions,” she said. “But also share your perspective, too. Don’t be afraid to make a change. You might have to take a lateral move to get more skills or go to a new company to get that promotion. Know your boundaries and what you and your family can—and cannot accept—for your work and your life in relation to your work. You have to advocate for yourself.”
Lane concluded by sharing she’s proud to be part of an industry that provides essential service for the nation’s children and families.
“Getting students to school safety and reliably is a mission that resonates with everyone,” she said.
