CANCUN, Mexico — The National School Transportation Association’s (NSTA) 2008 Midwinter Meeting was a fantastic success.

More than 100 delegates and 60 guests convened in Cancun to do a bit of work, socialize and have a great time. Delegates and sponsors had many opportunities to talk shop (and fun) during the golf outing and hospitality events.

Delegates were treated to a couple of very informative general sessions to get updates on legislative and regulatory efforts, service and efficiency indicators, and a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The proposal would revise the standards for mandatory training requirements for commercial drivers who travel out of state.

NSTA’s committees made a lot of progress in their efforts for the school bus contracting industry and the association. Some actions that came out of the committee meetings were:

The Safety and Security Committee will be presenting a Safety and Security Summit on July 19 in Calgary, Alberta, in conjunction with NSTA’s Annual Meeting and Convention. The event will feature many prominent safety speakers and is geared to safety managers and staff across the U.S. and Canada.

The Association and Industry Development Committee reviewed the plans for each subcommittee and some new initiatives that are in progress, including the Communications Policies for NSTA, the activities of the Business Development Committee and potential new membership benefits for NSTA members.

The Government Relations Committee reviewed the activities of its many task forces and is making headway in several areas.

Many thanks to our sponsors, delegates and guests for their participation and support of the Midwinter Meeting. The 2009 Midwinter Meeting will be held in Orlando, Fla. Room rates will be available from Thursday, Jan. 22, until Wednesday, Jan. 28. More details will be available this summer.