NAPT honors award winners at Summit

The National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) presented awards throughout the course of its Summit last week in Kansas City, Missouri.

Among the award winners at the conference was SCHOOL BUS FLEET’s Publisher Emeritus Frank Di Giacomo, who was recognized with the NAPT Distinguished Service award. Theresa Anderson, owner/principal of TM Anderson Consulting, presented the award.

“Frank is a friend to all aspects of transportation,” Anderson said. “In his quiet, strong presence, you can feel how much he cares for the industry.” She added that Di Giacomo has worked on the magazine since 1981, was named publisher in 1991, and has been a “fixture at NAPT conferences and trade shows,” and has consistently worked to promote the organization in the magazine.

Meanwhile, Bill Loshbough of Execuwest Consultants in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who serves as NAPT's trade show manager, was inducted into the NAPT Hall of Fame.

Ed Donn, consultant at 247Security, two-time NAPT past president and Hall of Fame member, presented Loshbough with the award. Donn spoke of Loshbough’s admirable work ethic and passion for education, noting that as the state director for the New Mexico Department of Education, he was able to get funding for enhanced bus driver training throughout the state.

“He doesn’t look for the spotlight,” Donn said. “He looks for work.”

He added that Loshbough helped keep NAPT trade shows going in the organization’s early years when there was little money.

Other awards presented at the Summit included:

•    Leland E.G. “Lee” Larson Quality Award – Greg Akin, director of transportation at Volusia County Schools in DeLand, Florida
•    NAPT Special Heroism Award – Tre’ Watts of Dale County, Alabama
•    NAPT Annual Heroism Award, sponsored by Blue Bird Corp. – Chuck Dziegiel, bus driver, Galway (N.Y.) Central School District
•    School Bus Training & Safety Award, sponsored by IC Bus – Marshall Casey, CEO, Casey’s Kustoms LLC
•    Continuing Education Award, sponsored by Thomas Built Buses – Ronna Gerst, assistant director, Douglas County School District in Castle Rock, Colorado, and Keith Kaup, director, Sheldon Independent School District in Houston
•    Bluth-Eisman Field Trip Scholarship Recipients – Emporia (Kan.) Unified School District #253 and Ferguson-Florissant (Mo.) School District
•    SCHOOL BUS FLEET Administrator of the Year – Jim Beekman, general manager of transportation, Hillsborough County (Fla.) Public Schools
•    STN Leadership Award – Kenny Mulder, CDPT-SNT, director of transportation, Special School District in St. Louis