He currently serves as chairman of the
City of Columbus Transportation and Pedestrian Commission and is a member of the Central Ohio Transit Authority Mobility Option Committee. He has also sat on the Ohio School Bus Construction Standards Committee for the past decade. Earlier this year, Simmons received the
William Rice Award as Ohio’s pupil trans- portation administrator of the year. In 2009, Columbus City Schools also received a clean fleet award from the Mid-Ohio Regional
Steve Simmons of Columbus (Ohio) City Schools is seeking election to the NAPT Board of Directors, with a platform of fostering training and collaboration.
SIMMONS RUNS FOR NAPT
REGION 3 BOARD SLOT WRITTEN BY RYAN GRAY NAPT members hitting the ballot box this week during
the Summit trade show are familiarizing, or refamiliarizing, themselves with Steve Simmons, director of transportation for Columbus (Ohio) City Schools. He is running unop- posed to succeed former NAPT President William Tousley as Region 3 director. Many voters already know the 30-year veteran of the
industry as the current president of the Ohio Association for Pupil Transportation in addition to overseeing 1,000 employees and a fleet of 545 district-owned school buses and 250 contractor-owned buses for the 26th largest school district in the nation and the largest in Ohio. He joined the district before as a school bus mechanic and has served as a shop supervisor, fleet operations supervisor, transportation dispatcher and transportation budget director. Te Region 3 director on the NAPT Board represents the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wiscon- sin, as well as the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, New Brunswick and Prince Edward. “I will ensure that the training and development of safe student transportation is at the forefront of the region,” said Simmons, who oversees an award-winning training depart- ment, as seen with this year’s School Bus Driver Training and Safety Award from IC Bus. “I will ensure that positive working relationships in the region continue and that region members reach out to each other to help develop a core of knowledge that members of the region can use.” He told School Transportation News that as an
NAPT Board director, he would also target collaboration between large and small school districts. “Just because you are a small district, doesn’t mean you need to be afraid to ask the big boys questions to your prob- lems,” he said. “At OAPT, we have been pushing collabora- tion. Don’t put everything on your own shoulders. Tere are 1,000sthousands of people out there who are dealing with the same challenges.” For example, he said vendors and larger districts, such as Columbus City, should utilize their joint purchasing power to reach smaller, rural districts with innovations like GPS. Born and raised in the Columbus area, Simmons served in
the U.S. Navy as a jet mechanic. Following an honorable dis- charge, he returned home to begin his student transportation career as a mechanic for a local school bus contractor.
Bus
Stop Arm Retrofit LED
Upgrade Kit
Benefits
● Decrease passing violations ● Increased visibility
● More cost-effective than traditional units
● LED lighting design = years of maintenance-free service
● Installs in minutes
● Kit composition = four 12-LED lights, mounting screws and harness
Planning Commission in recognition of the district’s school bus anti-idling program. In his spare time, he volunteers as a
bus driver for “Target Dayton Ministries,” a faith-based ministry that serves the homeless of Dayton, Ohio. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for North Columbus Sports (NCS), a youth-based baseball organization in Central Ohio. Simmons lives in Hilliard, Ohio, with his wife Candy, son Stephen and miniature dachshund, Samantha.
VISIT US AT BOOTH 728! OCT 20–25, 2012 • THE SHOW REPORTER 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24