T
wenty-five years is a long time. And it’s not. Simply look at how much has changed over the past quarter-century, and how much has remained the same. Te STN EXPO launched 25 years ago as the Western Region Conference
& Trade Show, which was acquired from a consortium of the 13 NASDPTS western state directors. Tat first event produced by STN in July 1994 was held at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. Every year since it has called Reno, Nevada home, and in 2000 the show became known by its current name. It was also nearly 25 years ago, on May 26, 1995, to be exact, as STN prepared for its second-annual show, that Bill Gates issued his “Internet Tidal Wave memo” to his employees at Microsoft. Te company had already been in business, or at least existence in one form or another, for nearly 25 years at that point, but the dawn of the World Wide Web required a redefinition of Microsoft’s core competencies. Later that year we were introduced to Windows 95, which revolutionized how we worked around the office. Windows 95 seems archaic nowadays, but Microsoft has not
only lived on but blossomed into the world’s largest software man- ufacturer by revenue. Microsoft started as a computer software vision, and it continues as a technolog- ical visionary.
And what does this have to do with the STN EXPO, you ask? Meet Dave Jaworski, who has enjoyed the ride at Microsoft almost from day one and officially opens the STN EXPO next month. He was employee number
three at Microsoft Canada, which was founded in 1985, a decade after Bill Gates and Paul Allen incorporated the company and when the era of Windows and Office first began. Jaworski served as the national sales manager and later as general manager of Western U.S. sales, where he was responsible for 80 percent of the company’s domestic business. He then became GM of U.S. sales operations and head of Microsoft University. Jaworski received the first-ever Bill Gates Chairman’s Award of Excellence. Jaworski is as qualified as anyone to know the secrets of Micro-
soft’s success, which happens to be a book he published last year. “Microsoft Secrets: An Insider’s View of the Rocket Ride from Worst to First and Lessons Learned on the Journey,” relies on notes Jaworski kept during the company’s meteoric rise. Included are the risks taken, dreams shared, lessons learned, hopes realized, and the mistakes that were made along the way. Jaworski speaks with STN EXPO attendees next month on how they and the entire student transportation industry can apply that insight into the safest mode of transportation for getting kids to and from school. He recently discussed with STN how experiences over the past 25 years—or in his case, over 30 with Microsoft— have shaped the world we live in. He highlighted many opportu-
nities for both the public and private sectors, plus the familiar and ultimate theme of his keynote on July 15: Empowering people to do more.
School Transportation News: What are three takeaways you’d like STN EXPO attendees to get out of your keynote? Dave Jaworski: One, the critically important role they serve in shaping the future of our country. Two, the key “secrets” they can apply to positively impact their personal and professional lives. And three, how each and every one of them is a leader and the keys to being an effective leader.
STN: Your book talks a lot about risk-taking. How can student transporters take risks without risking the best safety record for transporting kids to and from school? Jaworski: Tere are many risks that can be taken without endangering the safety of our children. For example, the risk of stepping outside of their view of themselves as solely being in the transportation business. STN people are a consistent face to our children over many years. Tey can impact our children’s lives by being fully present to the students. We will discuss many additional examples during the STN EXPO.
STN: School districts don’t traditionally think in terms of competitive growth. How can nonprofit centers still think and act competitively to uncover efficiencies and simply do better when revenue is not at play? Jaworski: Collaboration and healthy competition can play a role in uncovering
new efficiencies. Hackathons are typically thought of as a tech industry thing. Hack- athons are creativity events. Tey can be run as competitions, or simply as ways for groups to form and then come up with creative ideas. Hackathons can
range from a few hours to a few days. One way nonprofits can think and act competitively is to run hackathons. Let the groups self-select members. Suggest that they get people with a variety of experiences so as to have a wider set of ideas to build on. Recognize the contributions that get put into action. And celebrate all the creative thinking that helps uncover inefficiencies, or comes up with new approaches to improve operations and experiences!
STN: On the other side of the coin, 30 percent of the student transportation industry is made up of for-profit private school bus companies. How can they better work with school districts to communicate their need to be profitable, yet not at the expense of the relationship or the students? Jaworski: One of the secrets to success is alignment. Clear and
transparent sharing of goals can help the for-profit organizations communicate with the student transportation industry (and vice versa.) Te companies providing the service can determine what is
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