American Student Transportation Partners Names New COO

American Student Transportation Partners (ASTP), a portfolio company of Baltimore-based Access Holdings, has named Phil Eades as chief operating officer. He's expected to draw from more than 30 years of industry experience to provide expert operational leadership.

Established in 2021, ASTP focuses on customers, embraces technology, and aims to lead with a people-first approach. The company refers to its team members as “HEROES” and has built contemporary and digitally enabled marketing, recruiting, and training programs. ASTP seeks to deliver excellent service to families, students, and business partners every day. 

ASTP continues to grow, with recent expansion in the Midwest and Pennsylvania markets. The company’s network of operators currently serves more than 65,000 students and their families. 

“I am thrilled to join ASTP as we continue to drive safe and reliable access to education,” Eades said. “I’m looking forward to working with the full team in this role to ensure our HEROES, families, students, and business partners receive the best service possible.” 

Most recently, Eades served as senior vice president of transportation for ModivCare Inc., a technology-enabled healthcare services company. In this role, he led a high-achieving team of transportation professionals across 38 states. He also held strategic leadership roles at Airborne Express/DHL, and First Student Inc. Phil holds a bachelor's in business administration from the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he graduated from the Leeds School of Business.

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome Phil to the ASTP team,” said Tod Eskra, ASTP president. “Phil’s strategic acumen, transportation expertise, and people-first approach to leadership will help us continue building a great business while advancing to our vision of contemporary student transportation.”