SPECIAL REPORT
National School Bus Contractor of The Year Credits People for Success
Written by Carol Brzozowski
Chloe Williams, center, accepts the 2026 NSTA Contractor of the Year Award.
A
t school bus contractor B.R. Williams, Inc., the company president and CEO credits the foundation of its success to its people. “We’re always telling our story ending with
that we are always looking for ‘good people’,” said Chloe Williams, president and CEO. “We can teach a good person to drive, but we can’t teach a good driver to be a good person.” During its annual meeting in Denver, Colorado in July,
the National Association of School Transportation (NSTA), in partnership with School Transportation News, present- ed B.R. Williams the Contractor of the Year Award. “B.R. Williams is a third-generation school bus con-
tractor operating primarily in southern New Jersey. The current president of the company, Chloe Williams, is an active member of the NSTA board of directors and she also served as past president of the New Jersey School Bus Contractors Association (NJSBCA),” NSTA executive director Curt Macysyn noted. “Chloe has been an integral part of several projects
at NSTA, and her school bus operation is viewed as a testament to best practices in pupil transportation,” he continued. “She and the company engage with ven- dor partners in a collaborative way, and B.R. Williams is always looking to improve and enhance their systems to the benefit of the students and communities they serve.” The company serving Salem, Gloucester and Cum- berland counties has been honored throughout the past several years as the “Best of Salem County – Transporta- tion,” Williams noted. B.R. Williams has been family-owned and operated
since it start in 1935 by Chloe’s grandfather Benjamin Ri- ley Williams, known as a hard-working farmer who took his children to school after milking the cows. Chole Williams grew up in the family business, going on to earn a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant man- agement from Pennsylvania State University. She spent a decade working at Marriott Hotels as part
of a task force opening properties and then served as general manager for the company’s Courtyard division
16 School Transportation News • OCTOBER 2026
before returning to B.R. Williams in 1996 to continue the three-generation legacy with the stipulation her parents should travel and enjoy themselves. B.R. Williams is known for “a flexible working environ-
ment and a longstanding reputation for safe, courteous transportation” as well as deep community involvement, said Williams, adding community involvement is import- ant to her personally and in representing her company. Upon learning of the NSTA honor, Williams said
“grateful” is the first word that came to mind: Gratitude for “my family, who taught me that hard work pays off and our staff, who comes in daily wanting to do the right thing and with a caring heart to take care of ‘our kids.’” She expressed gratitude for the school transporta-
tion industry, specifically NSTA and the NJSBCA for “bringing together competitors and vendors who are committed to supporting one another and upholding the standards that make school transportation the safest mode of travel in the nation.” Additionally, she indicated she is, “Gateful to God. He
never lets me down.” Williams said staff members noted, “being considered
for such a prestigious award is a great accomplishment. “They were excited and proud to be honored for their
service and that they are viewed favorably for show- ing their core values not just within the company, but throughout the community,” she added. The company’s core values are “respect, professional,
friendly, dependable” with a focus on ”our family safely transporting your family,” Williams noted. Employees take special pride in “being part of a tremen-
dous association made up of many deserving companies,” said Williams, adding they indicated while they “don’t do this for trophies, it sure feels good to be honored.” Employees told Williams they were even more proud
to wear the company’s logo and indicated “we’re a family here. It feels like a family celebration.” Williams indicated the company’s approach to driver
recruitment is to be consistent and never stop recruit- ment efforts.
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