WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Dennis Hammell, a prominent figure in the private pupil transportation sector, died in mid-May of an apparent heart attack. He was 53.

The New Jersey contractor was in Warrensburg attending the 14th National Congress on School Transportation (NCST). He was a member of the NCST steering committee, serving as vehicle specifications coordinator.

Hammell was president of Lafayette, N.J.-based Village Bus Co., which was a family business founded 1952. The company tied for the No. 35 ranking in SBF’s 2004 Top 50 Contractors list with a fleet of 272 school buses.

Last November, Village Bus Co. was sold to First Student Inc., but Hammell continued to oversee the operation as regional operations manager.

Hammell was highly involved in the pupil transportation industry. He recently served on the National School Transportation Association’s board of directors as a Region 4 delegate. He also worked with the National Association for Pupil Transportation and state and local school bus organizations.

In addition to pupil transportation, Hammell was involved in firefighting. He was an ex-chief of Sparta (N.J.) Township Fire Department and an instructor at the Warren County Fire Academy and Sussex County Fire Academy.