TYSEN BRODWOLF Director of Transportation Cajon Valley Union School District, Calif.


In her 28 years in pupil transportation, Tysen Brod- wolf has served in almost every possible position within the transportation


department, currently as the di- rector of transportation for Cajon Valley Union School District. Brodwolf


started her career in the industry at 18 as a substitute bus attendant for a neighboring district in Southern Califor- nia. She was a full-time student at the time and was able to attend college during her split shift. “Every day is different. It is hard to describe a day


because it is never the same,” Brodwolf commented, as she attempted to recount her typical routine. “I have a super strong transportation team … knowing and being confident in my team’s ability to do what needs to be done frees me to manage large-scale projects like our electric school bus program. I typically spend a lot of my day researching grants, answering emails, and provid- ing support to my team. I try always to remember that my job is to make them better at their job.” She noted that her favorite part of the job is overall


satisfaction, whether that comes from completing a task, watching her team grow, resolving conflict, learning and growing personally, or establishing a new depart-


ment culture. Her goal is to see the district’s fleet of electric buses grow


to 15 vehicles in the short term. Rachel Cross, the director of global marketing for Nuvve, nominated Brodwolf, de- scribing her as a forward-thinking transportation director with a focus on clean, renewable energy. In addition to solar power and charging stations at school sites, EVs became a natural next step at the district. The vehicles were made possible through grant funding, and Brodwolf took advantage of adding them to the fleet. She however admitted that she wasn’t always an


advocate of EV technology. “I was very skeptical of the technology taking a foothold within this industry,” she said. “…People were coming out of the woodwork to ask for my advice/direction on what and how to do and pro- ceed and, it forced me to learn. The more I learned, the more I became passionate about vehicle electrification. It is important to me to do our part.” CVUSD was the first district in the San Diego area to


have EVs on the road, and it is also working on a vehi- cle-to-grid pilot program with its local utility. “The road from implementation to now hasn’t always been smooth, but someone needs to go first, and we did,” Brodwolf said. “We are setting the standard and providing support for our fellow school districts starting this process or consid- ering it, it is important to offer the best help I can.”


APRIL JOHNSON Supervisor of Transportation Services Educational Service Center of Medina County, Ohio


April Johnson has been in the transportation field for over 21 years. Her journey began as a high school student working in a group home for differently-abled students, where she observed the impact school bus drivers and aides had on the student’s lives. She


then joined the bus crew at the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Between 2000 and 2006, Johnson transitioned from the role of bus aide to driver to then becoming an on-the-bus instructor. Ten years later, she is now the supervisor of trans-


portation services at the Educational Service Center of Medina County. Johnson also serves as the north regional director on the Ohio Association for Pupil Transportation board. “From the time that I get into the office until well after I leave the office, I can be found


grading school van tests, approving school bus driv- ers and school van drivers in our state system, fielding emails and calls from parents, bus drivers and transpor- tation supervisors,” she explained. Johnson said that she enjoys being able to help indus-


try professionals across the state, adding that one of her favorite parts of the job is seeing the transportation staff develop relationships with the students they transport. “We never know what these kids home life may be like but being able to see my staff provide a safe and healthy environment for the students while on transportation is nothing short of amazing,” she said. Johnson said she hopes to continue providing profes-


sional development and encouragement to transportation professionals. She would also like to create more in-ser- vice programs for varying situations that may arise while transporting students. Additionally, she hopes to raise awareness of the yellow school bus and the efforts of those in the student transportation industry.


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