• Age: 38 
• Role: Sales Manager & Safety Advocate 
• Employer: IMMI 
• Location: Westfield, IN 

As sales manager and safety advocate at IMMI, Yekaterina “Katia” Dubas plays a key role in advancing occupant protection systems across the student transportation industry, helping ensure safety features are properly integrated and adopted. At 38, she works at the intersection of real-world perspective and technical collaboration with a direct impact on how children travel to and from school every day. 

Dubas began her career in aviation, drawn to the idea of connecting people across the globe. When she joined IMMI, her exposure to transportation expanded beyond air travel into trucking and student transportation. As her life evolved through marriage and raising children, her professional mission became even more personal. 

“Experiencing these products personally deepened my appreciation for the impact they have on families,” she explained, noting how IMMI’s safety systems became part of her daily life through her children’s car seats and school buses.  

That firsthand experience strengthened her commitment to promoting occupant safety and ensuring families have access to accurate, practical information. 

In her current role, Dubas works closely with OEM partners to ensure safety features are fully integrated into vehicle platforms and meet required qualifications. Collaboration is central to her day-to-day responsibilities, helping manufacturers maintain high standards while delivering reliable, forward-thinking solutions. 

A significant portion of her time is also spent at conferences and industry events where Dubas focuses on dispelling “myths and misconceptions” surrounding school bus safety equipment. With misinformation often spreading quickly, she and her team have prioritized developing accessible resources, including mythbuster videos and fact sheets, to help stakeholders make informed decisions. 

Her commitment to usability is just as hands-on. Dubas regularly participates in ride-alongs with school districts to observe how products function in real-world conditions. Those experiences inform product development in ways that can’t be replicated in an office setting. 

“My goal is to help them understand not only how to use our products, but why proper use truly matters,” Dubas said. 

In one example, she challenged engineers to buckle car seats while wearing bright red sparkly press-on nails. It’s a lighthearted exercise, but an effective reminder that safety products must work for real users in real situations. 

Advancing School Bus Safety Through Education and Proactive Policy 

Navigating the student transportation landscape has not been without challenges, but Dubas has learned that patience and perspective are critical.  

Discussions may feel personal at times, she said, but many objections stem from outdated information or misunderstandings. By slowing down conversations and focusing on education, she has found that stakeholders are often more open to exploring solutions once they are equipped with clear, factual data. 

Her advice to others entering the industry reflects that long-term mindset: “Keep pushing, and don’t give up.” Student transportation, she noted, “is not an industry that moves quickly.” 

“Her motto, ‘Doing something is better than nothing,’ reflects her initiative-taking approach to problem-solving and her commitment to making meaningful contributions,” said John Barrington, executive director at IMMI. 

Looking ahead, Dubas hopes to see school districts and state agencies take a more proactive approach to safety. Too often, she observes that policy shifts occur only after tragedy. Her goal is to help decisionmakers adopt protective measures before major accidents occur. 

By continuing to educate the public and industry leaders alike, Dubas aims to broaden conversations around occupant protection not only on school buses, but across all modes of transportation. 

“By raising awareness, sharing data, and highlighting proven solutions, I hope to inspire broader adoption of technologies and practices that save lives and create safer environments for everyone,” Dubas said. “Real change takes time, but every step forward matters. Keep going.”