Wayne Cox, Lead Mechanic | North Thurston Public Schools, Washington
started his career in automotive repair at the age of 17, working at a Volkswagen repair shop and then
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for his dad and grandpa while they worked on farm equipment. From there, he said he continued to grow his
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mechanic skills by working on various farm equipment and repairing neighbors’ and friends’ vehicles. Miller holds an associate degree in occu-
pational studies and science from Universal Technical Institute in California as well as a Cummins certification. Currently, he main- tains a fleet of 25 school buses at Saddle Mountain Unified School District west of Phoenix. “I like the challenge of diagnosing, tracking the problem and repairing the mal- function,” Miller said. Kirk Waddle, the executive director of busi- ness services at the district, explained that in his
gaining more experience at Nissan and Chevrolet. He also worked at a high-end import shop before joining the team at North Thurston Public Schools in Washington. Ben Elkins, the assistant transportation director at the
district, said Cox’s 30 years of experience and knowledge is unprecedented. It has made him the “person who can problem solve a fleet issue and provide the right plan to get the job done,” Elkins added. In Cox’s three years as lead mechanic, he has been
known as a team player and works closely with the six mechanics under his supervision to continue a standard of
Chris Miller, Lead Mechanic | Saddle Mountain Unified School District No. 90, Arizona
orn and raised in Spokane, Washington, Chris Miller grew up holding the flashlight
20 years of managing operations, he has never met a more talented mechanic than Miller. “On top of his extraordinary mechanic talents he is a
leader in the transportation department, directly partic- ipating in the development of routes and procurement,” Waddle said in his nomination form. “In addition to maintaining our fleet, Miller regularly
drives routine bus routes to ensure students get to and from school,” Waddle added. “At times, he has even volunteered as a paraprofessional and rides special needs buses to ensure the well-being of our chil- dren with disabilities.” Miller explained that while he loves the en- gine and electrical work, it brings him great joy to interact with the students as a bus aide on the special education routes. “I’m lucky to work for Saddle USD in sup-
porting my efforts to maintain and service our fleet,” Miller said.
ayne Cox is going on 18 years as a mechanic in the pupil transpor- tation industry. He
efficient and accurate work. “Wayne has developed and implemented several ways
to provide processes to maintain our vehicles and track necessary statistics to keep equipment within annual safety and efficiency requirements,” continued Elkins. “This expertise and reliability are demonstrated with a 100 percent fleet excellence record for inspections of over 200 district vehicles by the Wash- ington State Patrol. This level of responsibili- ty is imperative, being consistent for the past 17 years.”
Readers submitted over 140 nominations for the sixth annual Garage Stars Feature that highlights school bus maintenance pro- fessionals. The entire list is at
stnonline.com/go/gs21. STN Technical Editor Robert T. Pudlewski developed the following 10-point criteria to assist in coming up with 10 finalists to feature. 1. Community involvement 2. Credentials 3. Industry development 4. Leadership 5. Level of responsibility
6. Life experience
7. Regulatory agency commendations 8. Time on the job 9. Training capability 10. Value to the transportation program
38 School Transportation News • AUGUST 2021
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