NAPFTDS Learning Curve Vol 11, No. 1 January 2023

Transport Topics … December 19, 2022

Transition Trucking

Driving for ExcellenceAward WinnerAnnounced

Ashley Leiva, Mother and combat veteran, Wins Award for New Truck Drivers!

Ashley Leiva makes her way to the podium after being announced as the winner of the Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award. (Ian Wagreich/U.S. Chamber of Commerce) [Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]

WASHINGTON

A young mother from Texas who is a 15-year combat veteran won the keys to a T680 Next Generation Kenworth truck Dec. 16 after capturing the 2022 Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The award, launched in 2016 to address the nationwide driver shortage and create immediate jobs for transitioning military personnel, National Guard members and reservists, was granted in partnership with Kenworth Trucks and Fastport Inc. and the chamber foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes.

Ashley Leiva’s family, including her daughter, Olivia, 5, 85-year-old grandmother, and brother Johnny (also a veteran and new truck driver), filled an entire row to cheer her on as she gathered with 11 other semifinalists to await news about the winner.

After hearing her name called, she was hugged by family members and wiped away tears while making her way to the podium, where she thanked God, recognized Del Mar College for nominating her and expressed gratitude to the sponsors. “You guys are changing lives.”

A gleaming T-680 Next Generation Kenworth truck awaited the winner outside the U.S. Chamber of Commerce building in Washington. (Ian Wagreich/ U.S. Chamber of Commerce)

Leiva, who served two deployment tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, drives for Draco Energy and Noemi Trucking. She spoke of her mother, Noemi, who enjoyed a 20-year career as a truck driver before dying of stomach cancer last year and influenced her and her brother to become drivers. The siblings took s business, renaming it Noemi Trucking, to carry it on as a family operation.

Besides the truck, which retails for $155,000, Leiva was awarded a Transition Trucking Scholarship for full tuition covered by National University. The educational award was granted by Meg O’Grady, university senior vice president of military and government programs.

eNewsletter Vol 10 No 5 November, 2022

President’s Message

John Rojas, President, NAPFTDS

Hello NAPFTDS Friends:

At the end of every year we are reminded to reflect on all that has happened to us as we aim to be focused on starting out fresh in the new year. I want to take a moment and challenge each of you to remember all the good things that happened to us and be thankful we were able to make it through and look forward to the new opportunities 2023 will bring.

Over the Holidays I had the honor and privilege to go to Washington D.C. to attend the Transition in Trucking Truck Giveaway/Veteran Summit, as well as the Wreaths Across America Event at Arlington Veteran Cemetery. Every one of the candidates that were anxiously waiting for the announcement for the 2023 Kenworth Truck giveaway had an amazing story and were deserving to win! So glad I didn’t have to choose the winner; however, it was a great honor to be with Ashley Leiva (of Noemi Trucking & Del Mar College graduate) and her family when Ashley was announced the winner.

Attending Wreaths Across America was amazing. I was not prepared for the level of emotion that filled the air that beautiful day. Sending a sincere thank you to Brad Bentley and Dave Harrison for inviting me to their group because I would have been lost trying to navigate at the event without them.

I will be attending our Regions 1 & 2 conference next week in Tucson, Arizona at Pima Community College. I look forward to seeing those of you who can make the trip.

I want to encourage everyone to make plans to attend our 2023 Annual Conference in Asheville, North Carolina, March 27 – 29, 2023. Hope to see you there!

Coming Events ...

• Region 1 & 2 meeting, January 25-27, 2023, Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ

• Board Retreat - January 27-28, 2023, Tucson, AZ

• 2023 33rd Annual Conference, Asheville, NC, March 27-29, 2023

I hope each one of you had a great holiday season, being able to spend time with family and friends. It is hard for me to believe that we are in 2023 already.

At the end of last year I was privileged to attend the Veteran Ready Summit, held at ATA headquarters. Then attend Transition Trucking the event announcing the winner of the new Kenworth truck the winner is featured in another part of the newsletter; Congratulations to Ashley Leiva! Transition Trucking is such a great event to honor our veterans that have chosen the trucking industry. Following the event at the US Chamber of Commerce, I attended the ESGR event. The following day I was able to participate in the wreath laying at Arlington Cemetery, which is a very humbling experience. I am always excited when I can represent NAFPTDS at these events.

By Martin Garsee

We are almost one year into ELDT and there are still a lot of people, hopefully not our schools, which are struggling to understand and comply. There is also a group of people that are on the Training Provider Registry (TPR) that should not be there. NAPFTDS and CVTA will be meeting in mid-February to express our concerns with Administrator Robin Hutchison and her staff to seek a solution for this problem. The original intent of ELDT was to have all schools/training providers offer a robust curriculum that would meet the new guidelines. We see the one day schools are continuing to advertise their short programs. It is not possible to teach the full ELDT in that period of time. The self-certification to register on the TPR is not sufficient to ensure training providers are in compliance with ELDT.

We are looking forward to an Annual Conference in Asheville this year. I hope that each of you can attend. We are planning a great agenda, but the networking that you will able to do with your peers is priceless. If there is a school in your area that is not a member encourage them to join the association and come to the conference.

It is not too early to for you to think about holding a regional this fall at your school. Planning to see you in Asheville.

In This Issue ...

• Transition to Trucking Winner!

• President’s Message

• Coming Events

• Executive Director Report

• NAPFTDS Committee Happenings

• FMCSA Exempts Deaf Drivers

• Iowa Creates Entry-Level Driver Training Program: Provides $6M

• ESGR Signing

• 2022 Region 1 & 2 meeting, January 25-27, 2023

• 2022 Region 1 & 2 Sponsorships

• 33rd NAPFTDS Annual Conference, Asheville, NC

• Board Nomination application DEADLINE EXTENDED!

• Contact NAPFTDS

• Board of Directors

Committee Happenings

Carrier-Donnie Tulk, Chair. The Committee continues to reach out to prospective Carrier members by sending out email blasts on the post card as well as personal communication. There were potential carrier members that attended region meetings that would have not normally shown up if not for the efforts of the committee members reaching out. These carriers are considering joining NAPFTDS as a result.

Conference/Nomination-Martin Garsee, Chair. The committee continues to work on the 2023 agenda for Asheville, North Carolina. Did you see anything at regional meetings that you would like to see at the Annual conference? Please email Crissie Moffet, cmoffet@napftds.org and we’ll work on it! So, Save the Date March 27-29, 2023 at the Crowne Plaza Tennis and Golf Resort. The Dave Nemo Show will be sponsored again by Tenstreet at the Asheville Conference.

Education-John Thorpe, Chair. We are entertaining new ideas for webinars from the Association members. Anyone with good ideas are welcome to contact John Thorpe.

Marketing/Social Media-Kelly Carey, Chair. The Marketing committee met discussing the website re-design. We would also like to promote followers on NAPFTDS social media: Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin. Right now there is approximately 246 followers on Facebook and 46 on Linkedin. The committee is promoting Facebook to reach 500 and Linkedin to reach 200 … Please remember to like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NAPFTDS and Instagram at https:// www.instagram.com/napftds/ and Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-association-of-publicly-funded -truck-driving-schools/ The accounts are now linked and posts will appear on both! We are looking to grow our digital presence and reach a larger audience with our mission of education and this is one way we can do so. Please send any content to Marilyn Surber, marilyn.surber@tenstreet.com If you have suggestions for the marketing committee, or you would like to become a member of the committee please contact Kelly Carey kcarey@worwic.edu or Rob Behnke behnke@fvtc.edu.

Membership-Dan Zdrojewski, Chair. The excitement continues for NAPFTDS and our industry. NAPFTDS continues to grow. The demand for truck drivers continues to grow with tens of thousands of openings nationwide. Many of the community colleges and other training providers are overflowing with students looking to earn their CDL and begin their new careers. Many publicly funded entities are looking at developing their own CDL training programs and are looking for answers and advice. NAPFTDS can help be a resource for these new training providers. The Membership Committee continues to process applications and increase the awareness of our association. To help us in our endeavors, please share your knowledge of NAPFTDS with the transportation industry and other public training providers. If additional information is needed, please reach out to me at zdrojedr@matc.edu or Crissie Moffet at cmoffet@napftds.org.

Regionals-Mary Beth McCollum, Chair. All regional meetings have been very successful and well attended. Regions 1 & 2 will be combined, hosted at Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ. There will also be a Board Retreat on the afternoon of January 27-28 til 3 p.m. The Committee does have two regions that are hosting in 2023: Region 3, Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa and Region 4, Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, TX. Please look for more information in this newsletter and/or Association News on the website. Do you want to host a regional meeting in 2023? Contact Crissie Moffet, cmoffet@napftds.org or call 316-4253297.

Regulatory-Jill Schultz, Chair. The regulatory committee informs members of changes and proposed changes to federal laws, regulations, and policies related to truck driver training. Highlights for November and December 2022 include:

• Waiver issued for school bus drivers. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a waiver that allows a state to exclude the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip inspection from the school bus endorsement skills test.

The waiver expires November 27, 2024.

• Manual drug and alcohol queries end. As of January 6, 2023, prospective employers no longer have to conduct manual drug and alcohol violation inquiries with a CDL holder’s previous employers. The prospective employer’s query of FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse satisfies that requirement, as three years of violation data is now stored in the Clearinghouse.

Want to be a part of a working committee, please contact Crissie Moffet, cmoffet@napftds.org.

Transport Topics … December 19, 2022

Transition Trucking Driving for Excellence Award Winner Announced

Ashley Leiva, Mother and combat veteran, Wins Award for New Truck Drivers!

Contd from Page 1

Five-year-old Olivia couldn't contain her excitement over her mother being announced the winner.

Johnny Leiva told Transport Topics that with Ashley’s new truck, both siblings will be able to expand their business since it will become a two-truck fleet. His wife, Sabrina, said she is leaving her ocean refinery technology career to also be a driver for Noemi Trucking because it gives her greater flexibility in her schedule to care for their five children.

Also receiving awards were finalists and Navy veterans Sean Adams, a driver for Alabama-based McElroy Truck Lines Inc., and Dave Marihugh, who drives for Roehl Transport of Wisconsin. They each won a $10,000 cash prize.

Finalists Dave Marihugh (left) of Roehl Transport and Sean Adams of McElroy Truck Lines each received a check for $10,000. (Noël Fletcher)

Patrick Murphy, 32nd under-secretary of the Army, an Army veteran and Hiring our Heroes ambassador, said he came from a trucking company family. His grandfather was a Teamster after World War II and his father was a Vietnam War veteran who drove a truck.

“The American truck driver is the face of our supply chain,” Murphy told the audience. “Thank you so much for making our country even better.”

The Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award is for a military veteran rookie driver who has made a successful transition to the industry within the last 12 months. After trucking companies this year nominated military veteran drivers based on their performance, the field was narrowed to 11 semifinalists based on a public vote and an independent selection committee, including representatives from motor carriers, driver training schools and trade associations.

“Whether you walk away with the keys or not, every single one of you are winners, not only for what you’ve done, but what you continue to do,” Eric Eversole, president of Hiring Our Heroes, U.S. Chamber of Commerce vice president and retired Navy captain, told the semifinalists. “Congratulations to each of you for your accomplishments.”

The other driver semifinalists were:

• Jason Van Boxtel, Marine Corps veteran, Veriha Trucking Inc.

• Cale Jensen, Air Force and Army veteran, G. Dubbels Farms Trucking Inc.

• Paul Gouker, Army and National Guard veteran, Stevens Transport

• Chris McDowell, Army and National Guard veteran, Epes Transport

• Joe Nyenatee, Army veteran, Melton Truck Lines

• Talon Rogers, Army veteran, CRST

• Justin Silk, Army veteran, Paschall Truck Lines

• Michael D. Thomas, Marine Corps, Prime Inc.

Genevieve Bekkerus, director of marketing for Kenworth Trucking Co., said, “It takes a special person to become a member of the armed forces and transitions well into the trucking industry.”

Jesus Davila, an American Trucking Associations Road Team captain and a professional truck driver for four years who works for Werner Enterprises, spoke at the event. Davila is a Marine combat veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. During his service, he received two personal awards with Combat Distinguishing Devices “V” and was awarded the Purple Heart.

He thanked the nominees for their “safety, dedication to trucking and choosing trucking as your career.”

Fastport President Brad Bentley said the annual competition had more diversity than ever before in nominations.

Transition to Trucking Winner,Ashley Leiva, Mother and combat veteran. Student from Del Mar College, Corpus Christi! Congratulations!

Shown here with a very proud family and Del Mar Staff.

FMCSAexemptsdeafdriversdespiteCVTAobjections

FreightWaves—MondayJanuary2,2023

JohnGallagher

Despite safety concerns expressed by a national truck driver training group, federal regulators confirmed on Thursday their exemption of 18 drivers who are deaf or hard of hearing from certain commercial vehicle regulations.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration stated that it had evaluated the applicants’ eligibility “and determined that granting exemptions to these individuals would likely achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be achieved by complying with” federal regulations.

The two-year exemptions expire on Dec. 22, 2024.

However, the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA), members of which train over 100,000 drivers annually, argued that FMCSA had provided no “comprehensive understanding” of its reasoning for the exemptions, as well as for exemptions renewed earlier this year to 40 deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who had received initial exemptions in 2013.

Without such understanding, “our members are not able to provide a consistent standard without sacrificing safety or opening themselves up to liability,” CVTA asserted.

Federal regulations state that a person is physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle if that person “first perceives a forced whispered voice in the better ear at not less than five feet with or without the use of a hearing aid or, if tested by use of an audiometric device, does not have an average hearing loss in the better ear greater than 40 decibels at 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, and 2,000 Hz with or without a hearing aid when the audiometric device is calibrated to American National Standard.”

In renewing the 40 existing exemptions, FMCSA “provided little to no relevant data other than noting that they ‘searched for crash and violation data’ and ‘driving records from the State Driver’s Licensing Agency’ when making the decision,” CVTA stated. “The agency did not articulate a satisfactory explanation of why this data was relevant” when determining if the exemptions would likely achieve an equivalent or greater level of safety, the group added.

“Therefore, although CVTA fully supports the FMCSA’s mission to promote inclusivity and provide reasonable accommodations, it is the opinion of the association that not enough research has been made available to the public on this matter and the Agency has not been transparent with their standards of how exemptions are granted or extended. We request additional research, public data, and guidance on this matter.”

In responding, FMCSA countered that CVTA “has not provided any data showing that drivers who are hard of hearing or deaf are at increased crash risk.”

It pointed out that training of deaf or hard-of-hearing drivers is beyond the scope of medical exemptions and is not evidence that it should not grant hearing standard exemptions.

“FMCSA notes there are CDL training schools that have successfully trained deaf and hard of hearing drivers and state driver’s licensing agencies have found ways to conduct CDL skills tests for such individuals,” the agency stated. “FMCSA believes that it is not necessary for FMCSA to ‘provide a consistent standard’ for training and testing activities when considering an application for an exemption from the hearing standard.”

The agency also emphasized that its hearing exemptions are based on “relevant medical information and literature” and a 2008 report that reached two conclusions regarding the matter of hearing loss and CMV driver safety:

• No studies were identified showing a relationship between hearing loss and crash risk exclusively among CMV drivers.

Evidence from studies of the private driver’s license holder population does not support the contention that those with hearing impairment are at an increased risk for a crash.

IowacreatesEntry-LevelDriverTrainingProgram;provides$6M

Iowa has created a new truck driver training program and has dedicated $6 million in grant funding to increase the number of drivers.

Gov. Kim Reynolds Monday announced the newly created Iowa Entry-Level Driver Training Program to provide more opportunities for interested truck drivers to obtain their commercial driver's license in Iowa.

“Truck drivers play such a critical role in meeting our supply chain demands‘If you got it, a truck driver brought it’. Like the rest of the nation, Iowa, too, has a high demand for truck drivers; and in order to meet that demand, we need innovative solutions that reduce barriers for anyone interested in obtaining a CDL license,” said Gov. Reynolds. “This new program will break down barriers that currently exist for obtaining a CDL and provide support to organizations who sponsor these critical training opportunities right here in Iowa.”

The new program will provide $6 million to support employers, nonprofits, or related organizations who sponsor or partner on key training programs designed to prepare potential drivers for CDL skills or knowledge tests. The grant program hopes to remove costly barriers and, ultimately, create more drivers with CDL licenses across the state.

“The Entry-Level Driver Training Program provides more opportunities to obtain a CDL, but it also makes it easier for employers to recruit and train their own drivers,” said Beth Townsend, Director of Iowa Workforce Development. “This effort will also make our state more competitive in these high-demand fields by helping employers offer the right training when and where their workers need it.”

Earlier this year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration implemented Entry-Level Driver Training standards, requiring all new drivers to undertake additional training requirements on top of existing CDL standards. Current CDL training can be costly and/or limited, making the pathway to obtain or upgrade a license more difficult despite a much higher demand for drivers, said a statement from Reynolds. All training providers and drivers are required to meet all federal driving standards under the ELDT program.

Grant funding for the Iowa Entry-Level Driver Training Program will reimburse eligible organizations in Iowa that offer these critical training programs either in-house or through partnerships with certified training providers. If the program is provided in-house, reimbursement can be used on instructor wages, curriculum materials, and maintenance needs. If the program is offered via outside training providers, reimbursement must go towards Entry-Level Driver Training program tuition.

Additional requirements:

CDL drivers transport feed from the feed mills to our farms and pigs between farms and to the plant.

There’s a place for you at Seaboard Foods. Home every day.

Contact: Glenn Rose glenn_rose@seaboardfoods.com

Eligible applicants: Iowa-based employers, employer consortiums, and non-profits who employ Iowa CDL drivers and provide Entry-Level Driver Training either in-house or through a partnership with third-party certified training providers.

Funds are administered as reimbursement only following documented training certification and a CDL exam within 30 days of a participant’s first day of training (first day of either behind-the-wheel or theory).

Applications will be accepted at IowaGrants.gov beginning on Tuesday, Dec. 13, and are due on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, at 11:59 AM.

(Note: IowaGrants.gov will undergo scheduled website maintenance and will be unavailable December 2-12)

• Visit this link for more information on the grant, its requirements, and the application process.

• A webinar will take place on Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. to provide more information on the grant and a Q&A session. Interested employers are encouraged to participate (Registration link).

Truckers News Staff (TN) December 5, 2022

Employees Supporting the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) signing in Washington D.C.

On December 16, 2022 I participated in an Employees Supporting the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) signing event. ESGR is a Department of Defense office that was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment. This event was held at the Woman’s Memorial Museum in Arlington Cemetery. NAPFTDS was introduced to that program from Brad Bentley, FASTPORT, several years ago. As an Association we honor our service members in every way we can. For more about ESGR go to Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (esgr.mil)

This was the first time this event was held at the Women’s Memorial Museum, what an interesting place. I have been by it several time and did not realize it was there. Thanks to the coordination of the ESGR office, FASTPORT and The Museum it was a great experience. To see more about this amazing museum go to Home -Military Women’s Memorial (womensmemorial.org).

Mission Statement

The National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools, Inc. is an organization established for the promotion of safety, professionalism and quality education within the transportation industry.

Region 1 & 2, will be January 25-27, 2023, Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona is planning on a reception/dinner on Wednesday, January 25; with a full day of presentations and networking Thursday, January 26; followed by a half day of the same on Friday, January 27.

Pima Community College is hoping that everyone will take a‘warm’ break and join us. Also, The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, which is the world’s largest gem show, is happening during these meetings. Click here for the DRAFT AGENDA and click here for the REGISTRATION. Hope to see you there!

A Board Retreat will also take place the afternoon of 27th and 28th 8-3 p.m.

The Region Committee is looking for 2023 Host and/or Co-Host. Region meetings are from August through December. If your school is interested, please contact Crissie Moffet (cmoffet@napftds.org).

We do have 2 regions with a host … Region 3 is Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo, IA and Region 4 Del Mar College, Corpus Christi.

So find out what it is all about and show off your campus by hosting a region meeting in 2023!

316-425-3297 / cmoffet@napftds.org.

PimaCommunityCollege

2022 Region 1 & 2 Sponsorships

The Association would like to thank each sponsor for ‘sharing the love’ with our regional hosts. Our regional meetings are a success because of you!

KUDOS to each of you!!!

NATIONAL CONFERENCE/NAPFTDS PARTNERSHIPS

PLATINUM Partner - $10,000 and includes:

• Space for Display booth at all receptions at National Conference

• Registration for four (4) participants at National Conference

• Space for display booth at all Region Meetings

• Annual membership dues

• Advertising in quarterly issues of Learning Curve

• Feature article in Learning Curve

• Listing associate company on links page on NAPFTDS website

• Placing company logo and link on all pages of website

GOLD Partner - $5,000 and includes:

• Space for Display booth at all receptions at National Conference

• Registration for three (3) participants at National Conference

• Space for display booth at all Region Meetings

• Annual membership dues

• Listing associate company on links page on NAPFTDS website

• Placing company logo and link on website “home page”

SILVER Partner - $2,500 and includes:

• Space for Display booth at all receptions at National Conference

• Registration for two (2) participants at National Conference

• Annual membership dues

• Listing associate company on links page on NAPFTDS website

North Carolina … or

Meal Sponsorships NEEDED

…

TheAssociation has prided themselves in making annual conferences affordable for our members. We cannot do that without your support! After our conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, theAssociation found out that the $$$$ have changed through the pandemic. So the Board thought long and hard about covering our costs and make it so that theAssociation could give our members the quality of conference that each member deserves.

The bottom line … we had to increase our meal sponsorships and registrations to cover our actual expenses … all members are still getting more bang for their buck!

SO PLEASE … the Association wants your support to help cover our meals.

Contact Crissie Moffet (cmoffet@napftds.org) or call 316-425-3297.

MEAL Sponsorships

The companies who have sponsored to-date are those to the right of each meal.

$5000 – Breakfast (March 28)

$5000 – Breakfast (March 27)

$2500 - Morning Break Sponsor (March 27) TMC

$5500 - Lunch Sponsor (March 27)

$2500 - Afternoon Break Sponsor (March 27) Stevens

$5000 – Reception Sponsor (March 27)

$2500 - Morning Break Sponsor (March 28)

$5500 - Lunch Sponsor (March 28) Schneider

$2500 – Afternoon Break Sponsor (March 28)

$4500 – 2 Banquet Sponsors needed (March 28)

$5000 – Breakfast (March 29)

$2500 - Morning Break Sponsor (March 29)

NAPFTDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NOTICEOFELECTION–2023

DEADLINE EXTENDED FROM January 15 to February 15, 2023!

The National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS) is giving formal notice to all members that NAPFTDS will hold elections for its Board of Directors at its 2023 annual conference. The conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Tennis & Golf Resort, Asheville, NC.

In 2023, terms of two Full Member Directors will expire:

• John Thorpe, Central Tech;

• Michael McCarthy, Seward County Community College (finished out Rob Behnke’s term as he moved to Interim Treasurer)

These two positions are voted on by the Membership as a whole (Full and Associate members only). The Executive Director positions are open as follows:

• John Rojas will move from President to the Immediate Past President position

• Lori Latigo moved from Vice President into the President’s position;

• therefore, the Vice President position is open

• the Treasurer position is open

• the Secretary position is open

The above positions are voted on by the Membership as a whole (Full and Associate members only). These nominations are to follow the following: Executive Board members must comply with Article VII Section 1. The terms of two Associate Board Members will be open:

• Lesley Vincent, Melton Truck Lines, Carrier Associate

• Jill Schutz, J.J. Keller & Associates, Vendor Associate

These 2 positions are three (3) year terms, voted on by the Membership as a whole (Full and Associate members only). New or re-elected Directors who are elected at this conference will take office at the second board meeting of this conference.

The NAPFTDS Conference/Nominating Committee is responsible for collecting recommendations for candidates. The Directors are elected by vote at the annual conference. Voting members must be in good standing. For a candidate to be considered, the candidate’s organization’s membership dues must be current and have been a member a minimum of one year.

Members of the Board of Directors are required to attend the NAPFTDS conference/regionals, as well as the Board of Directors meetings held during the conferences, a Board Retreat-if needed, and regularly scheduled Board conference calls (11-13 conference call meetings on the second Wednesday of every month per year). Board Members are responsible for bearing the cost of attending all NAPFTDS functions.

All members of the NAPFTDS Board of Directors are eligible to serve as chairpersons of a NAPFTDS Committee. To be eligible to serve on the Board of Directors, the prospective Board member must dedicate time to actively fulfill the required duties.

If you are interested in being considered by the Conference/Nominating Committee as a candidate for the NAPFTDS Board of Directors, please submit your ‘Applicant Statement’ to the NAPFTDS Office via email cmoffet@napftds.org, or by mail to: 11511 Bekemeyer, Wichita, KS 67212.

If you have any questions regarding the process, please feel free to contact the Chairman of the Conference/ Nominating Committee Martin Garsee, office 713-718-8203, mobile 713-304-8324 or email martin.garsee@hccs.edu.

All submissions must be received no later than February 15, 2023. (this is an extension from January 15, 2023)

See the following page for the nomination process in its entirety.

NAPFTDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NOTICEOFELECTION-2023

The National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS) is giving formal notice to all members that NAPFTDS will hold elections for its Board of Directors at its 2023 annual conference. The conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Tennis & Golf Resort, Asheville, NC.

In 2023, terms of three Full Member Directors will expire (John Thorpe, Central Tech; Michael McCarthy, Seward County Community College – Interim for Rob Behnke, Fox Valley Technical College). These three positions are voted on by the Membership as a whole (Full and Associate members only). Also, on the Executive Directors, John Rojas will move to the Immediate Past President position – moving Lori Latigo into President’s position; therefore, a newly elected Vice President position is necessarily as well as the Treasurer (Interim Treasurer-Rob Behnke) and Secretary (Mary Beth McCollum) positions. Executive Board members must comply with Article VII Section 1.

The terms of two Associate Board Members will expire (Lesley Vincent, Melton Truck Lines and Jill Schultz, J.J. Keller & Associates) of which the term is three (3) years and are voted on by the Membership as a whole (Full and Associate members only).

New or re-elected Directors who are elected at this conference will take office at the second board meeting of this conference.

The NAPFTDS Conference/Nominating Committee is responsible for collecting recommendations for candidates. The Directors are elected by vote at the annual conference. Voting members must be in good standing. For a candidate to be considered, the candidate’s organization’s membership dues must be current and have been a member a minimum of one year.

Members of the Board of Directors are required to attend the NAPFTDS conference/regionals, as well as the Board of Directors meetings held during the conferences, a Board Retreat-if needed, and regularly scheduled Board conference calls (11-13 conference call meetings on the second Wednesday of every month per year). Board Members are responsible for bearing the cost of attending all NAPFTDS functions.

All members of the NAPFTDS Board of Directors are eligible to serve as chairpersons of a NAPFTDS Committee. To be eligible to serve on the Board of Directors, the prospective Board member must dedicate time to actively fulfill the required duties.

If you are interested in being considered by the Convention/Nominating Committee as a candidate for the NAPFTDS Board of Directors, please submit your ‘Applicant Statement’ to the NAPFTDS Office via email cmoffet@napftds.org, via fax 316-425-3297, or by mail to: 11511 Bekemeyer, Wichita, KS 67212.

If you have any questions regarding the process, please feel free to contact the Chairman of the Conference/Nominating Committee Martin Garsee, office 713-718-8203, mobile 713-304-8324 or email martin.garsee@hccs.edu

All submissions must be received no later than January 15, 2023 DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 15, 2023!

Request for Nominations No less than two months prior to the convention at which an election of Directors is to take place, the Nominating Committee shall distribute a Notice of Vacancies to all members of the Association.

Members interested in serving on the Board of Directors must comply with Article VI Section 2, 3 & 4 of the Association Bylaws. Members interested are responsible for contacting the NAPFTDS office (316-425-3297 or cmoffet@napftds.org ) to inform the Association of their interest. The NAPFTDS office shall then forward to the interested member an “Applicant Statement”. The member shall return the completed Applicant Statement to the NAPFTDS office no later than January 15, 2023 DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 15, 2023. NAPFTDS Staff shall forward all “Applicant Statements” to the members of the Conference/Nominating Committee and shall publish it to all NAPFTDS members 1 month before the convention.

ARTICLE VI -BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 2. The total number of members of the Board of Directors of the Association (the “Directors”) shall be nineteen (19), comprised of the following: (a) twelve (12) Full Members, (b) four (4) Associate Members, (c) the current Executive Director, (d) the Immediate Past President and (e) one (1) Commercial Vehicle Training Association representative.

Section 3. Full Members – At the annual meeting of the Members, vacant Full Member positions on the Board of Directors shall be filled by qualified Full Members upon being elected by a vote of the Members. The election shall be conducted by presenting the full slate of candidates to the Members, who shall each be given the opportunity to vote for the number of candidates equal to the number of vacant Full Member positions. The candidates, in such number as is equal to the number of vacant Full Member positions, receiving the most votes shall be elected to the Board of Directors. Except as provided in these Bylaws, such Directors shall serve for terms of three (3) years.

Section 4. Associate Members – At the annual meeting of the Members, vacant Associate Member positions on the Board of Directors shall be filled by qualified Associate Members upon being elected by a vote of the Members. The election shall be conducted by presenting the full slate of candidates to the Members, who shall each be given the opportunity to vote for the number of candidates equal to the number of vacant Associate Member positions. The candidates, in such number as is equal to the number of vacant Associate Member positions, receiving the most votes shall be elected to the Board of Directors. Except as provided in these Bylaws such Directors shall serve for terms of three (3) years.

ARTICLE VII – EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. The Executive Board of the Association (the “Executive Board”) shall consist of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Executive Director and Immediate Past President. All Executive Board Members shall be Full Members of the Association, who have served one (1) year on the Board of Directors, and have been employed by a publicly funded Training Provider for a minimum of two (2) years

Conference/Nominating Committee Candidate Telephone Follow-up After the Conference/Nomination Committee has received applications for nominations from the membership. Committee shall conduct a follow-up phone call to prospective candidates prior to the conference at which the election is to be held, explaining the responsibilities and commitment of a Board member.

Procedure at Conference Each candidate shall be permitted to make a statement to the members, not to exceed two minutes. If candidate is not present at the conference a short bio will be provided. Following the presentations by candidates for the Board of Directors, the Conference/ Nominating Committee shall conduct a vote.

Balloting Ballots shall be prepared prior to the annual Conference by the Board Administrative Assistant. All members of the Association present at the conference shall be entitled to cast one ballot per Full or Associate members. Absentee Balloting is also permitted. There will be an absentee ballot available on the NAPFTDS Website after February 8, 2023 MARCH 1, 2023. All absentee ballots must be in the NAPFTDS office no later than February 28, 2023 MARCH 10, 2023! The ballots shall be counted by the Conference/Nominating Committee (2 Board members) with the assistance of the NAPFTDS Board administrative assistant. The results of the election shall be announced during the conference.

Please look at the Association News also for that application.

The National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS) is an organization for the promotion of public education for the transportation industry. Through membership, educators can network with other truck driving schools across the country to provide the highest quality, most cost-effective, and up-to-date training available. Contact us:

President

John Rojas

Del Mar College

Vice President

Lorie Latigo Lone Star College Transportation Insti.

Secretary

Mary Beth McCollum College of Southern Maryland

Tiffany Howard

John Thorpe

Rob Behnke Fox Valley Technical College

Martin

Donnie Tulk

Lesley

Celeste