about the big stuff and then if there’s any follow up that’s necessary, we’ll talk about it, or he’ll get involved. It’s a really cool and unique leadership style that he has for us. I’m not just saying this because [of this article], but he is probably the best supervisor I’ve ever had.” Russell added that even though Beaver views trans-
portation as a family, he realizes the need for work-life balance. “I don’t want to work for anybody else,” he said. “There’s just something special about being here.” Bingham added Beaver is collaborative. “I don’t feel
Craig Beaver and JD Russell, an operations supervisor, work together daily on various operational tasks, such as hiring, driver behavior and training.
from the community. But sitting in the driver’s seat, he sees how good the kids really are. And his supervisors would agree. Each spoke about
how Beaver is a collaborative thinker and encourages them to provide opinions. Clifford Harrell, the transportation maintenance su- pervisor, said that Beaver’s leadership is supportive. “He allows me to run the shop how I think is best with very minimal input unless needed,” he said. “It allows me to take ownership of the maintenance aspect of the depart- ment knowing that he supports me and has my back.” Before Harrell took over the shop supervisor posi-
tion in 2022, he was on the floor turning wrenches and expressed an idea of starting an internship program. He said his supervisor at the time turned him down im- mediately. “Once I took over my current position and got settled, I went to Craig with the idea of an intern- ship program,” he said. “He not only supported it but he helped it get through some channels that I hadn’t thought the program would need to get through. He has been an advocate of the program and always asks how it is going and if there is anything he can do to help.” Meanwhile, Russell noted that he was a dispatcher
working at another facility when Beaver arrived at the district. Something he said he noticed about Beaver right away was his willingness to visit other locations and get to know his employees. But now as a supervisor, he works with Beaver daily. “The thing that I appreciate about Craig the most is the
way he allows us to think outside of the box and throw out these crazy ideas,” he said. “All four of us supervisors have a different personality, and he allows us to work within our strengths while still pushing us to grow in our in the areas that we might not be as strong in.” Russell added that Beaver gives his supervisors the au-
tonomy to run their operations, adding that he has a lot of trust in his supervisors. “I feel every day the trust that he gives to me as a supervisor to handle these things,” he shared. “He’s not a micromanager. He wants to know
48 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2024
like he lives in a bubble,” he said, adding that he always asks for input. “That’s one of his strengths, is he’s willing to listen and take other people’s ideas, even if they’re better than his. He’ll take the best idea and put it forth.” He said while that is his strongest leadership trait,
there’s many to talk about. Bingham noted that anoth- er one is that Beaver leads from example, which was demonstrated during the driver shortage when he himself drove a route as well. “He sets that standard of what is ex- pected, and he makes sure that the services are held to the standard that he himself lives up to,” Bingham concluded. Feldhan agreed, adding that he’s one of the few leaders
who even though he has vision and knows exactly how he wants to execute it can also foresee when something might not work. “He’s able to give up those specifics and be convinced that, ‘okay, that may not be the right way,’ which is something that I’ve seen previous leaders’ have challenges with,” he noted.
What’s Next? An upcoming project is implementing the microgrid
at the district’s southern location. A bond was also re- cently passed to redo the Allen Boulevard facility, which used to be the district’s only location. Personally, Beaver said he’s looking forward to con-
tinuing to get the EV process rolling and leaving a process behind so that the next director can pick up and run with it. His advice for anyone new to the industry? “Be willing to listen. Be present,” he replied. “If you hear
it consistently, that’s somebody trying to tell you some- thing. So, talk to people, listen to people, form those relationships. In spite of the challenges that are present- ed with you, and things can get stressful, but that’s the most important thing.” Secondly, he advised educating oneself and taking
advantage of all the available training. “Whether it’s through the internet, going to confer- ences like STN, it is important,” Beaver noted. He added that he also attends the Advanced Clean
Transportation EXPO and the Green Technology Confer- ence in Tacoma, Washington every year, despite those events being more focused on heavy-duty trucks because there are parallels between trucks and school buses. ●
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