National Express, about three years ago after working at the Butler County Sheriff’s Office as a 911 dispatcher for 15 years. She first was a school bus driver, a job she held for a year, until a position be- came available as a mechanic. “I am very thankful for John Hinners [region maintenance manager] for giving me the opportunity to advance,” she said. Hahn added that, “She helps everyone she can, she is active with


our community. She applied for the maintenance II position and was hired/transferred over to that department. She has excelled at that as well. She has traveled to other locations to train, she has been a true asset to our team in so many ways. In a short time with our company, she has gone above and beyond expectations.” Currently, Schnitker-Blume said her location is in the process of moving to a new facility, but she’s currently continuing preventive


Timothy Clayborn


Vehicle & Equipment Supervisor Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia Number of Vehicles Maintained: 800 school buses Number of Maintenance Staff: 22 techs for his shift (45 total)


Timothy Clayborn was looking for a stable job with good benefits when he found the school transportation industry about 10 years ago. “With the changes that come every day and the challenges that come along with it, I like to figure out how to fix new problems,” he shared of the best part of his job. Ward Cash III, fleet operations specialist for Fairfax County Public Schools, added that Clayborn is a role model and is the supervisor of the West Ox Garage, which maintains half of the bus fleet, one of the largest in the nation. “He manages 20-plus technicians while maintaining daily operations and performs splendidly dealing with driver complaints and hard-to-diagnose issues,” Cash III wrote via his nomination form. “Mr. Clayborn maintains a professional demeaner and is goal-oriented, aiding Fairfax County Public Schools to achieve our daily mission.” Cash III said that Clayborn has 40 years of experience in the mechanical field and is currently an ASE master school bus technician. In addition, he is a Virginia state inspector as well as a certified emissions repair technician. “Mr. Clayborn shares his knowledge and experience with new


technicians to help make his crew and section better and more efficient,” Cash III added. “In addition to the credentials and years of experience, Tim is a caring supervisor that takes the time to get to know his personnel and has their betterment in mind. I once worked with Mr. Clayborn at a shop level, and it was a great opportunity. Tim is very reliable and always willing to help no matter the task making a very valuable asset to our team here at


Fairfax County.” Clayborn added that his


current project is learning the Cummins engine diag- nostics and repairs, since several recently came out of warranty. He noted that supply chain disruptions have affected the avail- ability of parts and the amount of time it takes to receive them. “We do our best to not let buses sit and wait on parts, utilizing our parts department’s vast knowledge of where to get parts out of the normal channels,” he said. Currently, Fairfax is run- ning eight Jouley electric school buses from Thomas Built Buses, and he said maintenance on those vehicles, while still performed in 45 day increments, is much faster accomplished as less work is required. Away from the garage, he said enjoys playing with his grand- kids and helping them in softball and baseball. He also has a 1969 Mustang that he restored with his son and brother.


maintenance work throughout the summer. In terms of the supply chain shortage, she said as with any operation, parts are on back order and may take longer to ship. However, she said her location has been fortunate to have enough sub buses to maintain fleet operations while buses are being serviced or maintained. Schnitker-Blume said her favorite part of the job is the relation- ships she’s built with her coworkers and the opportunities that National Express/Petermann offers. She still helps with the routes and or trips when she is able to. Hahn added that she is a take charge kind of person with a huge heart. “She has stepped up in times of need,” Hahn said. “She continues to work on certification, always wanting to learn more and help others along the way. There are not enough words to say how lucky we are to have her.”


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