TULSA, Okla. — School bus contracting professionals convened here this week for the National School Transportation Association’s (NSTA) 49th Annual Meeting and Convention, and on Tuesday, they were recognized during the association’s awards ceremony.

The banquet included honors for such areas as environmentally friendly efforts and excellence in service and safety.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Golden Merit
Kitty Anderson — Durham School Services, Overland Park, Kan.
Gail Bergstrom — Durham School Services, Racine, Wis.
Frank Luciano — First Student Inc., Boonton, N.J.
Susan Moorehead — First Student Inc., Industry, Calif.
Dale Duley — GO Riteway Transportation Group, Brown Deer, Wis.
Greg Stock — Stock Transportation Ltd., Barrie, Ontario

Thomas Built Buses Continuing Education and Professional Growth Grant
Dave Hietpas — Kobussen Buses Ltd., Kimberly, Wis.

Meritorious Service
Gabe Rozsa — Prime Policy Group, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Driver of the Year
Ford Thompson — First Student Inc., Minnetonka, Minn.
Theo Hurkes — GO Riteway Transportation Group, Milwaukee

American School Bus Council Champion
Dale Krapf — Krapf Bus Companies, Philadelphia

Green School Bus Fleet Certification
Platinum: Durham School Services — Aurora, Ill.; Bridge Creek, Okla.; Burnsville, Minn.; Central Dauphin, Pa.; Framingham, Mass.; Lakewood, N.J.; Louisburg, Kan.; Milwaukee; Norwalk, Conn.; San Bernardino, Calif.

(New for 2013, the platinum level recognizes achievements in the highest level of fleet reduction in particulate matter.)

Gold: GO Riteway Transportation Group — nationwide; and Durham School Services — Jacksonville, Fla.; Memphis, Tenn.

Go Yellow, Go Green
GO Riteway Transportation Group — Germantown, Wis.

Distinguished Service
Todd Monteferrario — First Student Inc., Cincinnati

Hall of Fame
Magda Dimmendaal — Dousman Transport Co. Inc., Oconomowoc, Wis.

(Also during the convention, Dimmendaal ended her term as president of NSTA, handing over the reins to Timothy Flood of The Trans Group LLC. See story here for more details.)

SCHOOL BUS FLEET's Contractor of the Year
David Duke — National Express Corp., Warrenville, Ill. (see story here for more details)