Smart-mobility solutions provider Zonar has a new vice president and general manager of passenger services.

Tim Ammon, a school transportation operations consultant with decades of experience, enters the role after the retirement of H. Kevin Mest, who is credited with advancing Zonar’s strategic growth, customer journey, and product innovation for the company.

“I’m incredibly proud of the accomplishments the team has achieved in my nearly nine years at Zonar, continually meeting the ever-changing needs of the pupil and transit industries,” said H. Kevin Mest. “Zonar has a deep understanding of the logistics, management—and most importantly—the safety challenges public education and transit operations face every day. I have no doubt that Tim’s leadership will continue to fuel further innovation in technology solutions that are focused on improving safety and streamlining operations for fleets.”

Ammon joins Zonar from the Center for Effective School Operations (CESO), where he was vice president of business development. He co-founded Decision Support Group, acquired by CESO in 2021, which provides consulting and management services for school districts, municipalities, state governments and private sector partners to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations. Ammon also served as co-manager of the STARTS Task Force to help educational institutions and transportation providers with return-to-school plans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, he was chief of business development with the TransPar Group.

“I’m thrilled to join a team that is solving exciting and challenging problems in the transportation industry,” said Ammon. “I strongly believe the industry is at an inflection point; the next 10 years will involve more complexity than has been seen in a generation—incorporating more vehicle electrification, responding to growing transportation demands post-pandemic, and accelerating even greater security in and around schools. Zonar has always been, and will continue to be, a leader in developing technology to address many of these challenges.”

In his role at Zonar, Ammon will be responsible for the company’s strategic growth in the pupil and transit fleet management markets.

"We are excited to welcome Tim to the Zonar team,” said Michael Gould, chief operating officer at Zonar. “His extensive experience in operational assessments and work assisting districts with system implementation will advance Zonar and customer processes, improve student safety in a time when it is most critical, and continue to drive positive change and operational efficiency for the transportation industry.”