More than a dozen members of the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) added professional certifications to their credentials in 2016.

One of the association’s three strategic goals is to increase the number of people who have NAPT certifications, as President-Elect Barry Sudduth wrote in the September issue of SBF.

“In doing so, we hope to elevate the profession through increased education and credentials and, in the process, groom the next generation of school transportation professionals, especially industry leaders,” Sudduth wrote.

In 2016, a total of 15 NAPT members in the U.S. and Canada contributed to that goal by becoming certified in one of four areas: Certified Director of Pupil Transportation, Certified in Special Needs Transportation, Certified Supervisor of Pupil Transportation, and Certified Pupil Transportation Specialist. (The association also offers a Certified Pupil Transportation Driving Instructor program.)

Here are the members who earned certifications last year:

Certified Directors of Pupil Transportation
• Patty Thompson, assistant director of transportation, Chinook’s Edge School Division No. 73, Innisfail, Alberta
• Beverly Young, transportation supervisor, Suffolk (Va.) City Public Schools
• Kathy Callon, director of transportation, East Irondequoit (N.Y.) Central School District
• Patrick Daye, owner/president, Daye Transportation Services, Kansas City, Missouri

Certified in Special Needs Transportation
• Maria Caro, quality assurance specialist, New York City Department of Education, Office of Pupil Transportation
• Will Rosa, director of transportation, Parkway School District, Chesterfield, Missouri
• Melody Coniglio, director of transportation, Kenston Local School District, Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Certified Supervisors of Pupil Transportation
• Tanya Deckard, area supervisor, York County (Va.) School Division
• Greg Freeman, transportation supervisor, Newport News (Va.) Public Schools
• Christine Hogan, safety and compliance coordinator, Elk Island Public Schools, Sherwood Park, Alberta
• Sherry Murphy, financial secretary, York County (Va.) School Division

Certified Pupil Transportation Specialists
• Joshua Griffin, supervisor/transportation specialist, King and Queen County (Va.) Public Schools
• Kimberly Engel, school bus driver/fleet maintenance secretary, Maine School Administrative District 60, North Berwick, Maine
• Darren Black, lead driver, Lincolnshire-Prairie View (Ill.) School District
• Jeffrey Putnam, lead mechanic, Independence (Mo.) School District
• Belinda Govich, school bus driver trainer, Shenendehowa Central School District, Clifton Park, New York

For information on how to become certified by NAPT, go to the association’s website or email NAPT Education Specialist Janna Smeltzer.