ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has appointed school bus contracting official Gary Catapano to its Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee.

“The safety of our nation’s schoolchildren has always been my focus and top priority, and I appreciate the opportunity to help the agency with the regulations that affect NSTA’s [the National School Transportation Association's] members," Catapano said. "I look forward to working with the committee on behalf of NSTA to help keep our student passengers safe.”

Catapano, the senior vice president of safety for First Student, is also involved in NSTA committees. He currently serves as chairman of the association's safety and security committee and as a member of its government relations committee.

“We closely follow the [Motor Carrier Safety Advisory] committee, as their recommendations pertain to the school bus industry," NSTA Executive Director Ronna Sable Weber said, adding that the association is "glad to see someone who understands these important issues participating in the discussion.”

Members of the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee are appointed by FMCSA’s administrator, Anne Ferro, and are tasked to recommend motor carrier safety programs and regulations. Committee members, who serve two-year terms, possess a wide range of motor carrier experience and expertise.

“We welcome our new [committee] members and look forward to their contributions that will help FMCSA raise the bar for carriers to enter the industry, maintain high safety standards to remain in the industry, and remove high-risk carriers and drivers from our roadways,” Ferro said.

Catapano, who has 19 years of transportation safety experience, will join the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee at its April 8-10 meeting in Alexandria, Va.

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