HEADLINES Barry Stock to Make Last Stop at NSTA For close to 30 years, Barry Stock has
started every morning and ended every evening with the school bus. And now, after all that time, he has decided to take leave of the industry he loves and enjoy the fruits of his labor with a well- deserved retirement. Even with a family that is steeped with-
in the Canadian school bus community, Stock did not enter the industry by way of his family business but instead by going to work for Cardinal Coach Lines, which was later purchased by
First Student.
His yellow bus evo- lution continued when
he joined
with brother Greg and cousin Brian to form Stock School Transport in 1988. Since then, Stock
has risen through the ranks and has
come up with more than one philoso- phy when it comes to the school bus and its role in the education of our nation’s school children. “We look at it almost as a step ladder.
Drivers in our vernacular are at the top rung,” he said during a recent conversa- tion with STN. “As far as the educational factor, we regularly see many instances when we can pick a student up, give them a safe, reliable ride to school, and they get off the bus with a smile on their face. At least it gives them an opportunity to learn that day. We feel if you can get students to school in the right frame of mind [they’re] a better learner.” In 1992, Stock, who was featured on
the cover of the June 2007 issue of STN after being elected NSTA’s first Canadian president, and his partners renamed their initial venture into school bus contracting to Stock Transportation, which merged with National Express Corporation a de- cade later. During his time as executive vice president of business development
38 School Transportation News Magazine July 2010
Editor’s Note: Read more from a recent sitdown STN had with Stock on conversions, increasing ridership and more at
www.stnonline.com/go/647.
for National Express Corporation, and even before, Stock has watched the landscape of school bus con- tracting change, especially with the recent budget woes befalling school districts nationwide. Te efforts of the industry to communicate the school bus benefits are not getting the widespread attention they de- serve, according to Stock, who will officially step down at National Ex- press after returning from this year’s NSTA conference in late July. “Many still think of school buses
like when they were on them with hard-backed seats. Tey don’t think about less traffic congestion, overall safety and security, alternative fuel.
If you take a look at how many fa- talities there are on school buses versus those students who drive to school, ride a bike or walk, you’ll see it’s the best mode to get to school,” said Stock. And it is this outlook that many
will miss when Stock ends his tenure in the school bus industry. “NSTA and the entire industry
have benefitted enormously from his
generosity, his professional-
ism, his unwavering optimism, and his unfailing support. He’s a class act; and I’m sure that whatever he chooses to do next, he will do with enthusiasm and grace,” said Robin Leeds, a consultant with NSTA. n
Perea Leaves Industry After 26 Years
2010 seems to be the year to retire. Following the recent announce-
ments by both Barry Stock and Indiana’s Pete Baxter, New Mexico State Director Gil Perea left his position with the state’s Public Education De- partment this past June. “As I plan my departure, the time has come for me to say farewell to
you and all the many friends that have been part of my journey,” wrote Perea in a letter to NASDPTS President Charlie Hood. “It has truly been an honor and a very fruitful experience being part of an elite organiza- tion of NASDPTS.” Hood congratulated Perea and called his experience with him a
friendship he and others will treasure. He then went on to say he was looking forward to building on Perea’s solid foundation “by continuing to work with Carlos Santiago and the New Mexico Public Education Department.” Santiago, the school transportation bureau chief, will keep his cur-
rent position but take on new responsibilities now that Perea has left. “Mr. Perea has been a great asset to the New Mexico Public Educa-
tion Department and to the national school bus industry. Mr. Perea is one of the most knowledgeable people I know in student transporta- tion. He will be missed,” added Santiago.
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