THE PATH TO SUCCESS
Rick Walterscheid relies on mentors, colleagues, his wife and his faith as keys to his professional and personal development
Written by Julie Metea
R 42 School Transportation News • OCTOBER 2021
ick Walterscheid has been on a lifelong path to serve his local com- munity through school transportation. He was selected to lead this month’s Rising Stars in student transportation for his achievements at three different Texas school districts, including his current role with
Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District outside of Houston. He accepted the challenge from the school board 14 years ago to modernize transportation operations and renew the aging bus fleet. As senior director of trans- portation and special projects, he helped with the purchase of 280 new diesel school buses, built a state-of-the-art transportation facility, implemented new technolo- gies, and hired and retained a 320-person staff, including 200 full-time drivers. “We have a dedicated staff. It’s incredible to see them working as a team. Their
teamwork is nothing short of miracle,” Walterscheid said. The Goose Creek CISD transportation team endured many challenges of run- ning the fleet and managing community crisis. Currently, they are navigating the challenges of carefully transporting 14,000 students through the COVID-19 pandemic and the state’s evolving public policies for mask mandates and social distancing. In past years, the Houston-area community survived the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and more recent flooding and ice storms. “Watching my community come together only reaffirms what I learned about re-
silience and integrity at an early age,” said Walterscheid. “We are alive and thriving.” He often shares stories of his life and career path with colleagues to build cama-
raderie and motivate them to achieve their personal best. His earliest childhood memories are flashbacks of how he and his siblings arrived at an orphanage in
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