THE TEAM PLAYER Dan Gleich Title: Maintenance Manager Employer: Durham School Services Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Dan Gleich has seen it all at Durham School Services. Joining the company in its infancy, Gleich also came over from the tran- sit world, where he estimates he has helped moved more than a million passengers. But ever since starting at Durham in 1997, as his son recently pointed out, he has maintained school buses that have transported more than a billion schoolchildren. “Words do not adequately convey Dan Gleich’s commitment
to excellence and overall maintenance performance,” said David Duke, president and CEO of the national contractor. “Dan is a true team player—effectively communicating with the drivers and supporting them in any way he can, encouraging his col- leagues to be excellent in all they do.” Duke called him a a role model and team builder with an
“incredible” commitment to excellence and Durham’s overall maintenance performance.
“Without question, he is one of our greatest assets and a dear colleague who I am proud to call my friend,” Duke said. In his most recent role as maintenance manager in Charles-
ton, South Carolina, Duke said Gleich has led the charge in implementing major shop improvements and new technology on the bus while also leading training efforts with a great atti- tude. Te South Carolina Department of Public Safety even sent Gleich a letter thanking him for his efforts and obvious commit- ment to keep students safe. And that all starts with training. “Te young mechanics coming out of these tech schools are
really sharp. It’s a computer world now. Tose who know these skills are worth their weight in gold,” said Gleich, who continues to work alongside his technicians in the garage. “It used to be that we would troubleshoot something by hand, but now we use computers. I have to say this company with its master plan, they work to make us more efficient and get us more training.” He added the biggest challenge to seasoned technicians like himself is adapting to the new computer age, but with training, “It’s not as bad as you think it is. “Engines are engines and brakes are brakes,” he said. “You still need to know how components work.”
THE BUS DOCTOR Doc Ford Title: Fleet Services Manager Employer: Orange County Public Schools Location: Orlando, Florida
Like many of this month’s Garage Stars, Doc Ford just about done it all when it comes to school bus maintenance. Over a career spanning 25 years, he’s been a garage assistant and held several technician positions before being promoted to fleet services manager last year. He is a state certified School Bus Inspector and is ASE certified in Automotive Brakes. “Doc is extremely customer service focused for both internal and external customers. He takes pride in having very few vehi- cles return for the same problems as he works with his team to ensure the problems are correctly repaired,” said William Wen, director of transportation at OCPS. “He always responds with a smile when drivers bring their buses in, either for repairs or the state-mandated inspections. He truly understands the drivers’ role so he makes every attempt to get buses repaired as soon as possible so drivers can get back on the road.” When OCPS implemented a fleet management software pro-
gram, Wen said that Ford embraced the idea of going paperless and the power for reporting. “He took time to learn the system and helped other technicians understand how to create and complete work orders,” Wen added. “Doc is a true professional, both in vehicle repairs and providing stellar customer service.”
34 School Transportation News • AUGUST 2016
Ford said he naturally gravitated toward the life of a mechanic in watching his father and uncle. “Before I could turn tools, Dad had me learning them. Get me a crescent wrench, he’d say, and I’d run over to his tool box,” he added. “It grew on me. I wanted something permanent in my life, something I could make my career.” He later picked up some welding, which served him well at OCPS, where the district performs much of its own body work. Ford’s ability to do and to help solve issues quickly earned him the respect of his peers. “Every day a tech will ask you something, personal or me- chanical. If I don’t have the answer, I make it a point to get back to them,” said Ford, who oversees a fleet of 1,150 school buses. And, yes, as Ford frequently has to explain, his first name is
really "Doc."
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