LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Overseeing a fleet of more than 700 school buses, David Pace certainly has his hands full, but he has still made time to serve two terms as president of his state association and to mentor many new people entering the pupil transportation field.

Pace, longtime director of pupil transportation services at Virginia Beach (Va.) City Public Schools, has also been a dedicated member of the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) and has been participating in the annual conference for the past 20 years. And he has served as a delegate for his state to the National Congress on School Transportation.

For his tireless efforts, Pace became SBF’s 36th Administrator of the Year at NAPT’s annual awards banquet in Louisville on Sunday night.

As he accepted the award from SBF Publisher Frank Di Giacomo (at left in photo), Pace noted that when he was new to the industry, becoming involved in associations and reading SBF were key in learning the ins and outs of pupil transportation.

Over the years, Pace himself became an invaluable resource to the industry, constantly sharing his expertise on such issues as budgeting, interpreting legislation and bus stop criteria.

With the Virginia Association for Pupil Transportation, Pace has held every office, including the two terms as president. He said that one of the advantages the group provides is its close working relationship with the state Department of Education.

Pace’s operation is one of the larger district-owned fleets in the nation. To optimize efficiency, he has devised an innovative five-tier transportation system. He continually develops new training components and resources for his bus drivers, students and the motoring public. And he has pushed to secure funding for the latest safety technologies and for equipment to reduce emissions.

Pace has also been instrumental in administering state and local school bus roadeos and technician competitions.

A profile of Pace and his operation will appear in the January issue of SBF.