Excellence in Transportation 2024

Saturday April 20, 2024 | 2PM-5PM

Program

2PM | Doors Open

2:30PM | MC Announces Prayer

2:35PM | LUNCH SERVED

2:45PM | Dr. Daveda Colbert

Wayne RESA Superintendent

3PM | Program Introductions

3:05PM | AWARDS CEREMONY

4:00PM | SOCIALIZING

5:00PM | DOORS CLOSE

MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES

Angie Starr

Menu

STARTER

Imported and Domestic Cheese Board

Swedish Meatballs

SALAD

Caesar Salad

ENTREE

Carved, Slow Roasted

Top Round of Beef

Chicken Piccata

SIDES

Garlic Whipped Potatoes

Green Beans, Red Peppers & Onions

DESSERT

Assorted Delights

PRESENTED BY

KELLI SCHULTZ

Transportation Consultant

Kelli Schultz serves as a Transportation Consultant with Wayne RESA. Her passion for ensuring the safety and well-being of students shines through in her commitment to providing top-notch resources, training, and tools to the districts she serves. Kelli's deep care for her role is evident in her own words: "I love being able to ensure our Wayne County students are transported safely to and from school every day." Outside of work, Kelli enjoys gardening, taking walks, and spending quality time playing with her grandson. Her hobbies reflect her nurturing and caring nature, qualities that she brings to her professional role every day.

ARNOLD E. BOYD, JR. CEO, Student Transportation Services

ARNOLD E. BOYD, JR. is a serial entrepreneur, certified life coach, consultant and mentor with a passion for helping small business owners manage and scale their operations.

Since 2011, Boyd has scaled enterprises in the transportation, real estate development and service based industries and currently serves as the Founder and CEO of Student Transportation Services. One of the fastest growing companies in metro Detroit, Student Transportation provides daily route, field trip and athletic transportation services for districts of all sizes including River Rouge School District, where Boyd is a proud alum.

Committed to improving his community through servant leadership, Boyd created Wake Up Inc., and the Arnold Boyd Foundation to support the basic needs of students in districts Student Transportation serves. Annual activities include back to school supply drives, uniform donations and a weekend meal program that provides students with breakfast and lunch to reduce out of school time food insecurity.

Boyd is currently redeveloping

The Beverly Events Center, a 35,000 square foot historic events center on Grand River Avenue into a thriving hub for high quality community uses.

Donald Pace

2024

AWARD RECIPIENTS

ALLEN PARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Born in Detroit, Donald has worked in transportation and for Allen Park Public Schools for three years. He loves coaching little league baseball, cycling, golf, playing with his grandchildren and staying active. He likes getting to know his students and being a part of the school community. He also enjoys working with his teammates and the camaraderie amongst the team.

AUXILIO TRANSPORTATION

Tracy Hynson (Grosse Pointe)

Born in Chase County, Kansas Tracy has spent over thirty years in the transportation industry. Tracy has over 7 years of experience in pupil transportation and has been with Auxilio Services one year. Tracy enjoys motorcycling, sailing, gardening and rock hounding. She enjoys working for Auxilio Transportation because it gives her the opportunity to give back to the community. Tracy appreciates working with diverse coworkers, sharing information and helping others grow their careers in the transportation industry.

Todd Pollard (Romulus)

Born in Garden City, Todd has worked in transportation and at Auxilio Services for 4 years. He loves music and aviation, and especially loves his co-workers and the satisfaction of fixing things.

Robert W. Powell (Hamtramck)

Born in Pontiac, Robert has been with Auxilio Services Inc. for 2 years and has supported the transportation industry for over 16 years. In his free time, he enjoys riding his bike over 20 miles every other day in the summer. In his role as bus driver, he loves his students and serving as a relief driver for different routes. According to Robert, he has “the best manager a person would ever meet”.

DEARBORN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Tameka Young

Born in Birmingham, AL Tameka has been with Dearborn City School District for 17 years. She enjoys spending time with her children, cooking and working on her business Luxury Queen. Tameka loves working with children which gives her a good opportunity to help them have a safe and happy day. She enjoys the independence and freedom that comes with driving and believes her role is an excellent way to use her strong customer service skills. Tameka is also a Trainer and helps instill safety guidelines to ensure that every student is provided with the highest levels of protection.

DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMUNITY DISTRICT

Clarice Perdue (Eastside Terminal)

Born in Detroit, Clarice has spent 6 years in the transportation industry and with DPSCD. She enjoys crocheting, knitting and sewing. She loves working with her students and believes it is a privilege to be able to get them to and from school. Her favorite part of the job is getting to ask how their day in school was. Clarice loves working for a district where students come first.

Tony A. Smith

Born in Southfield, Tony has supported the transportation industry for 3 years, and has been with DPSCD for one year. He loves bowling and shooting pool. He also loves making a difference in his student’s lives and providing a service to the community.

Shizanee Turner (Westside Terminal)

Born in Pontiac, Shizanee has been with DPSCD for over 2 years. She enjoys shopping, having fun and helping others by driving. She also enjoys training and teaching others how to support special needs children, by helping them understand different perspectives. She appreciates that her job is entertaining where you’ll never be bored and likes being there for the students she transports. Shizanee also loves seeing her students smile which makes her day.

DURHAM SCHOOL SERVICES

David Knox (Northville)

Born in Pontiac, MI David has been in the transportation industry for over 24 years and has worked with Durham School Services in the Northville School District for 13 years. He loves reading, camping and taking road trips. When asked what he enjoys most about his job, he loves training and developing new drivers, creating and designing new routes and the fact that every day is a new challenge.

James Soter (Plymouth/Canton)

Born in Southwest Detroit/Delray, James has spent his career of 14 years with Durham School Services for Plymouth/Canton Schools. He enjoys running, learning how things work and spending time with his family. He loves connecting with the students he transports, watching them grow and creating good relationships with his fellow employees.

FIRST STUDENT

Lauren Ford (Dearborn)

Despite being a driver with First Student for only 7 months, now Lauren Ford can’t picture herself doing anything else. She was inspired to enter the profession by her father who was a driver for most of his life. She is grateful for the team she has around her and appreciates them helping her get acclimated into the role. She looks forward to continuously providing a safe and friendly drive for her students, and earning the trust of the parents she serves.

LIVONIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Betty Jo Woodworth

Born in Detroit, Betty Jo has spent 18 years with Livonia Public Schools and in the transportation industry. She enjoys gardening, creating and teaching art, going on spontaneous road trips and discovering little known places. Betty Jo believes every day is an adventure and loves being the first and last smiling face her students see each day. She enjoys creating an enjoyable ride experience for all and believes that when adult students remember who you are years after being their driver, that’s success.

Cindy Ballard (Livonia)

NATIONAL TRAILS

Born in Highland Park, Cindy has been in the pupil transportation industry for 12 years and has been with National Trails for over 2 years. She enjoys reading, bowling and playing with her dogs. She enjoys tackling problems and finding solutions that will help her fellow employees. Cindy also enjoys the conversations she has with her fellow employees.

Tiffany Dameron (River Rouge School District)

Born in Detroit, Tiffany has spent 9 years in the pupil transportation industry and over 2 years with National Trails in the River Rouge School District. She enjoys having game nights with her family and friends, decorating and planning events and shopping. When asked what she enjoys most about her job, Tiffany loves that National Trails is a team, from the CEO to the parents. She loves getting to work in different districts and constantly being provided an opportunity to grow. Tiffany believes National Trails makes everyone feel like family, not just employees.

Gwendolen Riley (Lincoln Park)

Born in Highland Park, MI Gwendolen has spent 10 months in pupil transportation and at National Trails. She enjoys singing, dancing and fishing in her free time. When asked what she enjoys most about her job, Gwendolen says she loves serving families. She believes leadership at National Trails allows you to “step up and stay competitive”.

George Schwartz (Allen Park)

With over 24 years of experience in the pupil transportation industry, George has over 8 years of experience with National Trails and the Allen Park School District. He enjoys old cars and golf and loves the students and people he works with. He particularly loves working with Patrick and Ashley.

STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

Eric Parham (River Rouge Public Schools)

Born in Brooklyn, NY Eric has been in the pupil transportation industry and at Student Transportation Services for 8 months. He enjoys sports, meditation and reading in his free time. When asked what he enjoys most about his job, he loves getting students to and from school safely and listening to some of the stories the students share with him

Debronjia Moorehead (George Washington Carver Academy)

Born in Jackson, MI Debronjia has been in the pupil transportation industry for 4 years and has worked with Student Transportation Services for one year. She loves traveling, watching movies and spending time with family and friends. When asked what she enjoys most about her job, she loves talking to students, and the strong sense of community and family environment she has at STS.

TRINITY TRANSPORTATION

Wendi Bosel (Wyandotte)

Born in Detroit, Wendi has over 28 years of experience in the transportation industry and 7 years with Trinity Transportation. She’s passionate about caring for and riding horses in her free time, and has found great joy in spending time with her grandchildren. Wendi says

one of the most rewarding parts of her job is witnessing when a driver begins to understand the importance of high safety standards both at work and in their personal life. Her coworkers acknowledge her passion for safety so much, they lovingly call her the “bus police’.

Vasilios (Bill) Gikas (Grosse Ile School District)

Born in Thiva, Greece, Bill has worked in pupil transportation and for National Express in the Grosse Ile School District for 3 years. He enjoys watching sports (Go Blue!) including watching the Detroit Lions, Tigers and Red Wings. He also enjoys soccer, running for fun, biking and gardening. He loves having great leadership and a fun working environment at National Express and enjoys playing math and word games with the students.

Lydell “Boomer” Harris, Sr. (Detroit)

Born in Detroit, Boomer has spent 7 years in the transportation industry and at National Express/Trinity Transportation. He enjoys anything that deals with providing information to others, especially if it’s through the radio. He loves helping ensure students get to school safely and appreciates feeling like he contributes to his student’s education, even when it’s a thankless job.

WAYNE-WESTLAND COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Patrick “PJ” Norton

Born in Wayne, MI Patrick has spent 19 years in the pupil transportation industry and over 15 years with the Wayne-Westland Community School District. He enjoys playing the guitar, playing in a Bluegrass band and playing board games. He loves interacting with the students and especially enjoys safety training and teaching bus driving and wheelchair securement. Patrick loves that he gets to support the same district he grew up and attended schools in.