RICHMOND, Virginia — Honors for heroism, training efforts and leadership have been handed out during the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) Summit here over the past few days.
Here are the NAPT 2015 award winners:
Honorees include special-needs transportation expert Kala Henkensiefken and school bus driver Alice Bradley, who was credited with thwarting a potential school shooting.

Kala Henkensiefken of Brainerd (Minn.) Public Schools won NAPT’s Special Needs Transportation Award. She is seen here with Bud Fears (left) of Q’Straint/Sure-Lok, the award sponsor, and Minnesota state director Brian Reu, who nominated Henkensiefken.
RICHMOND, Virginia — Honors for heroism, training efforts and leadership have been handed out during the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) Summit here over the past few days.
Here are the NAPT 2015 award winners:
The Continuing Education Award, sponsored by Thomas Built Buses, went to Bryan Johnson of Howard County Public Schools in Maryland and Rhonda Watson of the School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties in South Carolina.
The Special Needs Transportation Award, sponsored by Q’Straint/Sure-Lok, went to Kala Henkensiefken of Brainerd (Minn.) Public Schools.
Winning the School Bus Driver Training Award, sponsored by IC Bus, was Mark Lindstrom of Marietta (Ga.) City Schools.
The Heroism Award, sponsored by Blue Bird Corp., went to Macon County (N.C.) Schools bus driver Alice Bradley, who was credited with thwarting a potential school shooting in June.
The NAPT awards committee is composed of Theresa Anderson, chair; Jerry Milliken, co-chair; Marisa Weisinger; and Chris Ellison.
Other awards presented during the Summit included School Bus Fleet’s Administrator of the Year honor, which went to Pam McDonald of Orange (Calif.) Unified School District.
Also, Charmane White of Albemarle County (Va.) Public Schools won STN's Leadership Award.

Dawnett Wright found a second calling in student transportation, one rooted in flexibility, family, and service. See how that mission still drives her in this National Military Appreciation Month profile.
Read More →
Summit School Services recognized more than 5,500 drivers and monitors with safety awards after meeting accident- and injury-free performance standards over the past three years.
Read More →
Leander ISD identified more than $1 million in projected annual savings after using AlphaRoute to optimize bus routes without changing schedules or stops.
Read More →What Data Shows About Student Transportation in 2026
Sponsored by Zonar Systems

Transportation Drives Student Outcomes and Access
Sponsored by EverDriven

Honoring Heroes Behind the Wheel: Award Nominations Open
Sponsored by AngelTrax

Announcing the 2025 School Bus Driver Hero: Jackie Wilkerson Brown
Sponsored by AngelTrax


The updated training course offers school bus operations a structured program covering 29 safety standards for technicians and drivers.
Read More →
See how Thomas Gray brings Marine Corps discipline and logistics expertise to Dayton Public Schools in this article celebrating National Military Appreciation Month.
Read More →
With diesel prices up 46%, new Geotab analysis points to tools that help fleets reduce idling, detect fuel anomalies, and recover hidden fuel costs across operations.
Read More →
Driver shortages, safety expectations, and staffing limits define student transportation in 2026. New survey data shows how fleet leaders are responding.
Read More →
The Bytecurve and busHive parent company has multiple new faces on its executive team as the company focuses on AI platform growth.
Read More →
Available on desktop or mobile, the digital ecosystem brings fleet monitoring, service management, vehicle insights, and dealer communication into a single interface.
Read More →
See which users in Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are adopting Transfinder’s routing, tracking, and parent apps.
Read More →