CLAY SMITH Assistant Director of Fleet Marietta City Schools in Georgia Recent Inspection Score: July 2018, 1 bus out of the 97 buses was pulled out of service and returned to service that same day Fleet Size: 97 school buses


Miles Traveled: 1,672 miles per day Number of Technicians: 3 Clay Smith started his career in the early 1970s at a small


service station in Moore, Oklahoma. From there, he moved to Georgia and worked with Cummins Power South in Atlanta for 25 years in various positions. In 1985, Smith’s children attended Marietta City Schools, and in 1994 Smith was elected to the school board. It was after his four- year term ended that he started working as technician for the district 15 years ago.


Smith said his school board experience helps him understand bud-


getary concerns, but he added that safety can never be compromised. For Smith, his favorite part of the job is the family environment


at Marietta City Schools. “Due to the longevity I have with the system, I have a tremen- dous sense of pride assuring that we maintain one of the safest and most reliable fleets in the state,” Smith said. His co-workers describe Smith as a great boss with a vast amount of knowledge, who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Director of Transportation Kimberly Ellis said Smith is one of the most selfless people in the department, and always puts student and driver safety before anything else. Smith leads by example, so he has completed the School Bus Inspector Program and the Administrators Program through the Georgia Association for Pupil Transportation. Smith has consistently placed at the top of the Georgia state


technician competition. Ellis pointed out that Smith has finished in the top two for over the 10 years.


“As assistant director, I would like to acknowledge that Clay is not only a tremendous value to the team in the maintenance department, but he has shown a great deal of support and commitment to the entire team at Marietta City transportation. He harbors a wonderful personality, as well as a unique sense of humor that helps us to develop the kind of atmosphere in which people enjoy coming to work. On behalf of our Director of Transportation, Kimberly Ellis, we salute Clay Smith on a job well done.”


—Marion Daniels, Marietta City Schools Asst. Director of Transportation


KEITH HAUSMAN Shop Manager Student Transportation of America in Collegeville, Pennsylvania Fleet Size: 186 school buses Miles Traveled: 2,220,714 per school year


Number of Technicians: 6; 3 are ASE Master School Bus Certified Keith Hausman has 12 years of experience and takes on


various responsibilities at STA. He spends his day allocating workloads, ordering and processing parts, then searching for diagnostics and repair information to support his team. His fa- vorite part of the day is the great relationships he has made with the shop and office personnel.


Hausman says his days go by fast, due to the cooperation


and respect for each other, but also for the great deal of humor thrown in.


Hausman knows many software apps, which allows him to con-


front any potential diagnostic problem. He is a powerful leader to his peers—yet stays calm, which allows other mechanics to feel comfortable around him. Hausman is an ASE School Bus Master Tech and encourages all of his mechanics to also obtain their certificates. He is Cummins Tech II certified and helps other when they are in need. He even grills steaks several times a year for his mechanics,


colleagues confirmed. Terminal Manager for STA Emma Trauger said Hausman goes the extra mile. On weekends, Hausman relaxes by working on his 130-acre fruit


and grain farm.


“He takes break-downs and accidents in stride with a smile on his face. He thinks nothing of working through the night to have the buses and the lot cleaned of snow for the morning routes.”


—Emma Trauger, Collegeville Terminal Manager Student Transportation of America


38 School Transportation News • AUGUST 2019


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